Entertainment was staged in Newquay to help get the town’s Christmas festivities underway on Friday.

People gathered to watch The Greatest Showman tribute act ‘The Show Must Go On,’ on the Killacourt stage. 

Other acts included Joe Hurworth, Oll an Gwella and The Quest.

Thousands of people descended on the town centre to attend the Newquay at Christmas event.

Schoolchildren and various organisations got the community into the festive spirit with a lantern parade through the town centre.

Newquay Mayor Margaret North was given the honour of switching on the lights with the help of schoolchildren and Father Christmas.

People made their way to the Killacourt following the light switch on to watch a grand firework display from Newquay Harbour.

A Newquay Christmas Market, a collaboration between Cornwall Shop Small, Newquay Farmers Market and Love Newquay with the support of Newquay Council events, was also held on the Killacourt.

Newquay Town Council, Love Newquay and Experience Newquay joined forces to present Newquay at Christmas.

Christmas fun doesn’t stop in Newquay with the switch-on.  

The lanterns made by local school children and organisations are being displayed in windows across the town centre as part of Experience Newquay’s free festive family friendly trail.

 Each lantern has been given a letter, and participants follow a map, find clues and solve a mystery word. 

Once solved, a festive prize will be available from collection at Visit Newquay  Tourist Information Centre. 

The map will also be available from the TIC or downloadable online.

Visit Newquay has also set up another town trail where hunters can help find Santa's helpers across businesses in the town.  

Visit Newquay and Love Newquay are inviting families to search for them, and Santa has kindly left a gift for each child who finds them all. Clue sheets will be available from Visit Newquay Tourist Information Centre from Saturday,  December 16 and Christmas hunters will have until 2pm on Christmas Eve to return their completed forms and receive a thank you prize from a grateful Santa.

Santa himself will be flying into town on Saturday, December 16 at Newquay Library with pre-bookable slots throughout the day, via the Newquay Town Council website from Friday. 

Newquay Town Centre will have Christmas street entertainers and Newquay Town Band performing carols on the Saturdays leading up to Christmas.  

The Newquay Town Council Events Team is also hard at work to ensure an epic send off to one year, with a memorable seeing in of another one.  

The skies over Newquay are set to dazzle again with the New Year's Fireworks display at midnight on Sunday, December 31.