Red Hot Chilli Pipers to Headline Perth’s Christmas Lights Switch-On; Tay Street Practises Saying ‘Chilli’ Without Sounding Like Someone From Dundee
The switch-on weekend runs from 20 to 22 November, with the lights going on at 6pm on Saturday 21 November, followed by fireworks. Perth has already started stretching.
Perth's Tay Street, where the main stage will be built and many scarves will be lost. Photo: Simon Armstrong, “Perth Tay Bridge”, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Perth’s Christmas lights will be switched on at 6pm on Saturday 21 November, with the Red Hot Chilli Pipers headlining a stage on Tay Street beside the Royal George Hotel.
The weekend runs from Friday 20 to Sunday 22 November and will also feature QFX, tribute act Pitbull UK and Kevon Bennett’s band, plus fireworks after the switch-on and a procession through the city centre on the Sunday.
The news has been met with great excitement, and some confusion.
“I’ve been told it’s bagpipes playing rock music,” said a Letham woman, 79. “I’m in favour. My late husband played the pipes in the house every Hogmanay, and it always sounded like rock music to the neighbours.”
A Craigie man said he had been practising saying the band’s name in a cool voice. “Red Hot Chilli Pipers,” he said, in a voice that was not cool. “No? I’ll keep working on it.”
Council staff are reported to be preparing Tay Street for crowds, wind and the annual phenomenon of a Perth dad holding a child on his shoulders directly in front of everybody else. “It’s not malice,” said a South Inch steward. “He just doesn’t know he’s eight feet tall.”
The Perthetic notes that the switch-on is on 21 November, which means Christmas is now officially allowed to take its coat off. It is still not allowed to touch the good biscuits.
The real story: Red Hot Chilli Pipers to headline Perth switch-on (The Courier)
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Two L’s. I checked. I’m on the committee for checking.
— Lynne G., Tulloch, 2 November 2026 -
Pipers playing rock music on Tay Street in November. My ears will be frozen anyway so I’ll not hear the bad bits.
— Brian O., North Muirton, 2 November 2026 -
I’ve already picked my spot. I’m not saying where. Last year somebody’s granny took it at 2pm.
— Senga K., Hillyland, 2 November 2026
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