Back in Blackpool – resort’s new season announced

The Breitling Jet Team

Europe’s premier civilian jet formation team is to make its debut at Blackpool Air Show this summer. The Breitling Jet Team will perform an extraordinary display of high-speed aerobatics on both days of the free weekend event, Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 August.

The French-based team, which has attracted huge audiences all over the world, comprises seven Albatros jets that will take part in a jaw-dropping display of formation flying over the iconic Blackpool seafront. They will be joined over the weekend by some of the world’s finest military and civilian aircraft.

The announcement was made at the official launch of Blackpool’s tourism season at Blackpool Pleasure Beach back in March, when a whole raft of new shows, events and attractions were showcased to the 500-strong audience including:

• The opening of the new four-star Boulevard Hotel at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, the latest in a series of  “next generation” hotels to be built in the resort;
• New weekend festivals at the Winter Gardens including Jason Manford’s Comedy Festival and the inaugural British Country Music Festival which will be headlined by the UK’s leading country artists, Ward Thomas;
• A year-long programme of events to celebrate the 125th birthday of two of Blackpool’s most famous heritage assets – The Blackpool Tower and The Grand Theatre;
• Significant investment at key attractions, coming hot on the heels of last year’s huge £18m investment in the thrilling ICON rollercoaster at Pleasure Beach and a £5m elephant house attraction at Blackpool Zoo;
• The return of the Livewire Festival, a four-day programme of music and entertainment over the August Bank Holiday weekend on the 20,000-capacity Tower Festival Headland, a unique outdoor venue that has already hosted the likes of Will Smith, Britney Spears and Elton John;
• Investment of almost £1m in events, guides, infrastructure and training to make Blackpool one of the country’s most accessible destinations for disabled people.

The audience heard that in addition to major annual events such as the Blackpool Air Show, World Fireworks Championship Blackpool, Ride the Lights and the switch-on of the world-famous Blackpool Illuminations, the 2019 season would also include a new-look Pride Festival and the inaugural Night Run – an opportunity to run under the Lights on a traffic-free Promenade.

Blackpool will once again host the UK’s only Nickelodeon SLIMEFEST shows over the October half-term with the six concerts already close to selling out, and the resort will stage some of theatre-land’s best-known productions including Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap, Kinky Boots, Motown The Musical, Little Miss Sunshine and Calendar Girls.

A VisitBlackpool spokesperson said: ‘We are delighted to be able to unveil a whole raft of new shows and events that will provide yet more compelling reasons for visitors to come here. Blackpool prides itself on never standing still and continually improving the tourism offer. This coming year will see by far the biggest events programme we have ever delivered and much of it is free to access. The Blackpool debut of the Breitling Jet Team is something not to be missed.’

Marketing of the destination will be led by VisitBlackpool, Merlin Entertainments and Blackpool Pleasure Beach, supported by other key partners. A £500k campaign under the ‘Blackpool Has It All’ title will include TV and outdoor advertising as well as extensive digital and PR activity.