A NIGHTCLUB in Bolton is dreaming of a blue Christmas.

J2 in Nelson Square wants Boxing Day fancy dress revellers to dress as Smurfs — as well as raise hundreds of pounds for the Marie Curie Nurses Appeal.

The blue and white cartoon characters was popular in the 1980s and Smurf fancy dress nights are now all the rage with university students.

Club promoter Sam Zegrour, who is organising the night, hopes the club can raise more than £1,000.

He also said this year’s event in Bolton will be bigger and better than last year.

Mr Zegrour said: “The Smurf nights are really popular with university students, so hopefully when they come back home to Bolton for Christmas they’ll come to our night.

“The night should be awesome. When everyone is covered in blue paint it is quite a sight and it turns into a real party atmosphere.

“Last year, we had 1,600 people in the club on Boxing Day, so we should raise lots of money.”

The club will charge £3 entry for every Smurf, with £1 going to the appeal, which is being backed The Bolton News and aims to raise £200,000 to help provide home care for terminally ill patients.

J2 has also has a deal with a fancy dress company, which is offering a discount on Smurf outfits. Online business Girly Night Out, based in Bury, is also giving club staff 40 costumes for free.

Mr Zegrour helped put together the first Boxing Day fancy dress in Bolton last year, when pubs and clubs joined forces to organise a night to rival Wigan’s legendary events.

He said: “We wanted to keep people in Bolton because pubs and clubs were losing business to Wigan. Our slogan was keep fancy dress in Bolton and it worked. This year should be even better.”

More venues are getting involved, including The Bar, The Attic, Chic, Vogue, Varsity, Yates’s, BL1, Brass Cat, the Old Man and Scythe, Bar Cuba, Baracuda, the Spinning Mule and the Dog and Partidge.

For information visit boltonboxingday.eu and for a discounted Smurf outfit go to girlynightout.co.uk.

steven.thompson@ theboltonnews.co.uk