Fury as locals mock town's Christmas tree - 'What the hell is that?!'

Detailed summary

Wed, Nov 11, 2026 A UK town's Christmas tree has been mocked by locals in a festive flop. The tree stands at around 25ft and was intended to bring some festive cheer to Darwen…

A UK town's Christmas tree has been mocked by locals in a festive flop. The tree stands at around 25ft and was intended to bring some festive cheer to Darwen Market Square in the Lancashire town of Darwen ahead of the town's Christmas lights switch-on. Local residents, however, were quick to point out its sparse, drooping branches, brown patches and large gaps in its foliage.

Some unimpressed residents compared it to a drunken pub-goer and questioned whether the council had been given half a tree. One local resident said about the tree: "That's one sad tree. How much was it? A fiver?"

Another said: "It's been in the Bridge for a few pints before staggering to the square."

Councillor Matt Jackson said he was first alerted to it when a resident sent him a photograph with the caption "this is truly terrible."

He said: "I just got a text about the tree that basically said 'what the hell is that?'. It's quite a sorry-looking tree. I thought it might look better if the branches dropped slightly and it got decorated. But the more I looked at it, the more I thought: crickey."

The council admitted the tree is a disappointment and promised to replace it before this weekend's festive celebrations. Darwen’s Christmas Lights Switch On will be taking place on Saturday November 14, featuring headline act ULTRABEAT, TikTok star Max Balegde, festive markets, fairground rides, family entertainment and a spectacular fire show.

In a statement on social media, Blackburn with Darwen Council said: "How many times have you ordered something, only for it to arrive and not be quite what you were expecting?"

"Sadly, this has happened to us with the Christmas tree for Darwen Market Square."

The council confirmed its contractor had agreed to provide a replacement at no extra cost with the new tree expected to be installed on Wednesday. It added that it had spent months preparing to make sure Darwen had the best possible festive centrepiece.

Opening of the article, excerpted from Daily Express. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.