Northern Lights – The Blackpool Illuminations

19 September 2019

Described as the greatest free light show on Earth, the Blackpool Illuminations has started its annual run with the spectacular switch-on took place on Friday the 30th August. Whether or not you’ve seen them before, the Illuminations are a wonderful visit for family and friends, young and old, creating precious memories and experiences you can’t put a price on.

So celebrate a key part of Blackpool’s heritage and experience seeing these world-beating lights and all they have to offer this year. Here’s what to look out for, what’s new for 2019, and how to make the best of your visit.

6 miles of spectacular seaside lights

Known for being one of the UK’s greatest visitor attractions, the Blackpool Illuminations is a free world-famous annual lights festival that the seaside town has put on for over 100 years.

Stretching for six miles along Blackpool’s famous promenade, from Starr Gate to Bispham, (with cable and wiring stretching more than 200 miles!) the spectacular lights are a sight to behold, attracting millions of visitors, year after year. Costing £2.4 million to stage, the illuminations are filled with hundreds of thousands of lights of all types and styles – enough to put a smile on your face and give you that warm and cosy feeling, whatever your age!

This includes lines and lines of dazzling bulbs, zigzagging back and forth across the road, and more than 500 designs and themed features, alongside it and Blackpool’s beach and piers. The famous tower is also lit from top to bottom in beautiful LED lights that sparkle and change colour, with displays that have to be seen to be believed.

What’s new for 2019?

So what does this year’s lights show have to offer? Each year, the creators of the Blackpool Illuminations try to add something new, whether that’s updating and brightening up an old installment, or using their magic to put together an impressive new one.

For 2019, the Lights run from 30th August till 3rd November (that’s 66 sparkling nights!), so there’s plenty of time to see them. And there are plenty of new features to keep you entertained too. Amongst them is an area dedicated to Sooty & Co of the famous children’s TV series – one for the kids, grandkids, or a bit of nostalgia. The famous yellow bear and his friends, Sweep and Soo will have their own new section along the promenade, with 3D features of all the characters using fully illuminated LEDs.

Neon is also a big focus in this year’s dazzling display, particularly a new section featuring, what is called, LED neon flex lighting. Specially manufactured for the Illuminations, this is being used to create hearts that light up the promenade in a rainbow of colours.

Elsewhere, there’s a colourful bright corridor of lights made up of state-of-the-art LEDs, from Northern (the Illumination’s new partner) as well as digital arches at the start and end of the Lights to welcome visitors. This year there’s even a new Illuminations character, who you can enjoy a photo or selfie with.

Way to enjoys the Lights

There are many ways to make the most of your night seeing the Illuminations. You could enjoy the experience by car, hop on a Blackpool tram (or, better still, one of the light display’s fabulous illuminated ones!), or you can breathe in that sea air and just take it all in on foot.

You can munch on fish and chips as you stroll along to take in the illuminated features and displays, or stop for some food and a drink during your walk-through. Alternatively, you could start or end your night with one of the many shows that the seaside town has to offer.

A show to really light up your night

What better way to start or end your night of experiencing the Blackpool Illuminations than seeing one of our fabulous shows at Viva Blackpool? The daily times that the illuminations switch on and go off change as the nights draw in, so you could plan to see a Viva show around them. Depending when you decide to visit, you could see the Lights and end the experience with a show. Or you could watch a show at Viva first and then enjoy a walk through the Lights afterwards.

There are plenty of shows on during the months of the Illuminations, including Jersey Beats – Oh What A Nite! – with dates running throughout early September, October and in November – making your night out that bit more special.

When you come to Viva Blackpool, we offer so much more than just an amazing show too.
Along with an evening packed with some of the best entertainment the town has to offer, we provide incredible food, matched with a stunning service.

Our ‘Show & Dine’ tickets also allow you to add a preshow dining experience to your visit, letting you enjoy a fabulous two or three-course meal before the show begins. Or you could visit our new Vegas Diner, Bar & Grill, if you fancy a more relaxed American diner experience.

To find out more about the shows we are presenting when the illuminations are on, or for more information about our dining options, get in touch with the Viva Blackpool team here.