Clive Mantle, star of television series Casualty and Holby City, will be performing the Malvern Christmas lights switch-on on Friday.

The Christmas celebrations in Malvern start at 3.45pm and include a Santa procession with his reindeer, the Christmas lights switch-on at 6pm, a sing-a-long with the Downs School choir, carols with Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalist Charlie Green, of Droitwich, demonstrations by Malvern Rugby Club, Santa’s Grotto for the children and music by folk band Flatworld.

The event, at Belle Vue Island, will also include carol singing and puppet shows in the Priory Church, a teenagers’ party at Malvern Youth Centre, charity stands in the Lyttleton Rooms, late-night shopping, Perfect Circle Youth Theatre in Church Street and an arts and crafts market in Abbey Road. The celebrations are organised by the town’s traders in conjunction with Malvern Town Council and thousands are expected to turn out for the night.

BBC TV favourite Mantle, who played Mike Barratt in the hospital dramas, is performing in the Malvern Theatres pantomime Aladdin from Thursday, December 18, until Sunday, January 11.

Chairman of the celebrations steering group Chris Marks said: “It is going to be fantastic. There are lots of different things for different people. The lantern parade will be amazing with about 500 children with lanterns for the main parade. It is going to be a really lovely kick-start to Christmas.

“There are things happening on the Saturday and every subsequent Saturday in the run-up to Christmas.”

Caroline Bovey, chairman of Malvern Town Council, said: “I am really looking forward to it – particularly introducing the lovely Clive Mantle.”