A host of Coronation Street stars were bringing the festive spirit to Manchester's famous Gay Village with the big annual Christmas Lights turn on at one of the city's most popular bars.
Corrie 's Rob Mallard, Tanisha Gorey, Jodie Prenger and Dolly-Rose Campbell were all in festive form as they headed to New York New York bar on Bloom Street on Friday night.
The annual event helped to herald the start of Christmas in the Village with the huge sparkling lights and decorations display at the ever-popular bar and nightclub.
Read more : Former Corrie star Paula Lane jokes she will "remortgage her house" after Manchester Christmas Markets trip
And as the countdown to the big switch on took place, there was even a "snow" shower over the Corrie favourites. New York bar's legendary owner Tracey Walsh also joined the stars, complete with Santa hat, to do the switch on honours.
The soap stars were braced for the snow storm, though, in their wintery ensembles. West End star Jodie, who recently joined Corrie as George Shuttleworth's sister Glenda, was rocking a full on faux fur coat as she beamed with delight as the "snow" rained down outside the bar on Bloom Street.
Meanwhile Dolly-Rose, who plays the soap's Gemma Winter, Tanisha, who is Corrie's Asha Alahan, and Rob, who plays Daniel Osbourne, got into full festive spirit donning reindeer ears and Santa hats.
Rob cuddled a whole pile of cuddly toys while Dolly beamed with a present inside the festive-themed bar for the special event on Friday night.
The New York New York lights event brought some festive joy to the Gay Village district of Manchester. It comes after Manchester Council announced that its annual switch-on event had to be scrapped this year.
Council bosses said they had desperately tried to find a location to hold a switch-on event, which in past years has involved a big night of free entertainment and celebrity guests, with no joy.
Many had been hoping the event would make a big return for 2022. But the council said that despite a desperate search for a location in the city centre there was not one that is "suitable or safe" to host the annual event.
They've blamed the amount of construction work taking place across the city, including at the traditional location for the switch-on outside the Town Hall on Albert Square which is currently closed off for construction works.
Instead, the majority of the city centre's Christmas lights were quietly switched on on the same day that the Manchester Christmas Markets made their big return.
But bosses at New York New York bar said they hoped to bring their own sparkle to the city when announcing the return of their event for 2022. On its instagram page it said: "Manchester may not be having a city centre lights switch on this year but worry not, our annual Christmas Lights Switch On is back and bigger than ever for 2022.
"More trees, more lights, more decorations as we get set to light up the Gay Village kickstart Christmas."
Manchester singer Alexander Stewart joined the party to serenade revellers, before DJ Gareth and cabaret queen Felicia DuPaul continued the party into the night.
READ NEXT:
- ITV Coronation Street star Samia Longchambon supported by co-stars as she shares 'punch in the gut' moment
- ITV Coronation Street fans grow frustrated as they're left baffled by Spider Nugent's role in extremist gang
- ITV Corrie armed police in far-right extremism gun scenes with Alya and Maria in danger
- 'Roy Cropper for government' - Corrie fans hail soap legend a 'hero' as he bites back in racism storyline
- ITV Coronation Street's Jack P Shepherd worries fans as he shares new addition to the Platt family
