Conspiracy theorists feared sabotage last night when the Belfast Christmas lights failed to flicker.
Egged on by the Lord Mayor Mr Jim Rodgers, Lisa Riley of Emmerdale and local comic May McFettridge, the crowd roared the countdown on what was a chilly night outside City Hall.
But when the switch was thrown, spectators wearing Santa hats found themselves peering into darkness. "Belfast, you've been framed!" yelled Ms Riley, who hosts a television show of the same name. Ho, as the man himself would say, Ho.
The yuletide switching-on ceremony (nobody seemed to notice it was the middle of November) always draws the crowds to an area normally deserted after 6 p.m. on week days.
When the lights eventually came on, the windows of City Hall were lit up with sparkling stars and the pillars covered with cascading white light.
A huge Christmas tree glittered satisfactorily - this year all the lights are all eco-friendly - as the Lord Mayor poignantly wished the city a peaceful Christmas. The you've been framed gag was Riley's idea.
She is currently rehearsing for the Aladdin pantomime in the Grand Opera House.
Asked what her perceptions of Belfast had been before she arrived, she said "I don't get into anything political" before urging the crowds to come and see the show.
The Lord Mayor, a UUP councillor, looked a bit like a pantomime star himself, with his gold robes and fluffy lace collar.
"This is a night when nobody asks if you are Protestant or Catholic, it is an event for everyone.
"I want to see people coming together like this throughout the Christmas season," said Mr Rodgers.
The Belfast City Council event also launched the city's festive programme which includes a Christmas Fair, a lamplight procession and a carol service in the Ulster Hall.
Among the performers last night were Northern Ireland girl band InPulse.
Earlier a woman in a leather jacket provided sign language from the stage as a spiky-haired young man performed a dance version of Last Christmas.