Discounted online tickets have gone on sale for our showpiece autumn event Matlock Bath Illuminations.
This year adults pay £6 on Saturdays and £5 on Sundays if they buy online in advance. Accompanied under 16s continue to be free, with concessions available for OAPs.
People who buy on the night will pay £7.50 on Saturdays and £6.50 on Sundays - £1.50 more expensive than the online prices.
Online bookers will be fast-tracked into the Derwent Gardens for this year's season, which will run every weekend from Saturday 8 September to Sunday 28 October.
Every Saturday during the eight-week spectacular – and the final night - will include a fireworks finale, with numbers in Derwent Gardens again restricted to a maximum of 6,000 to improve crowd movement and enjoyment for visitors.
A District Council spokesperson said: “Our aim once again this year is to operate this fabulous regional event at no cost to local Council Tax payers. Last year the Illuminations attracted 52,087 paying visitors, but we estimate around 100,000 people were drawn to Matlock Bath by the unique atmosphere generated, effectively extending the village’s tourist season and providing a big boost for the local economy.”
To enhance the reputation of Sundays as a "family night", the event will start and finish earlier than Saturdays, running from 6-8pm to take account of younger visitors having school the following morning.
During the 2018 Illuminations - the 121st – the organisers will once again focus on good signage to the popular park and ride service, effective stewarding and enforcement officers to police pedlars on the streets of Matlock Bath.
