Blackpool is gearing up for one of its busiest periods of the year with a fabulous array of family entertainment over the October half-term holidays.
The resort will celebrate the autumn school break with one of its biggest and boldest tourism programmes. It includes:
Festival@LightPool
Fabulous live performances in this free event to be staged from 5pm onwards on Wednesday 25, Thursday 26 and Friday 27 October with performances on the Tower Festival Headland and nearby Blackpool Town Centre.
On the Wednesday, the amazing Sense of Unity by Dundu will parade two illuminated puppets along the Prom and through the town; on the Thursday, Blackpool’s three illuminated trams will lead the resort’s new ‘Carnival of Lights’ along the Promenade; and on the Friday, there will be a new production ‘Amor’ by Bilbobasso, bringing an explosive mix of fire, passion and street theatre.
On all three nights, visitors can enjoy Spark! By Worldbeaters Music with high-impact drumming, superb choreography and amazing lighting, as well as unique performances by AFISHAL, who will perform commercial dance tracks using specially-engineered drums in the shadow of The Blackpool Tower.
Attractions Galore
The biggest collection of branded visitor attractions outside London is right here in Blackpool and open for business throughout the half-term holiday. Whether it’s the thrill-a-minute Blackpool Pleasure Beach; the star-studded Madame Tussauds; animal magic at Blackpool Zoo; white-knuckle adventures at Sandcastle Waterpark; a trip to the top of The Blackpool Tower; or a marine exploration at SEA LIFE, Blackpool really does have it all.
And don’t forget the most affordable way to experience our attractions is through the Blackpool Resort Pass.
Nickelodeon’s SLIMEFEST
For the second year running, Blackpool will exclusively host Nickelodeon’s SLIMEFEST shows. There are six performances over three days from October 21-23 at Pleasure Beach Arena, featuring a brilliant line-up of talent including Jo Jo Siwa, Diversity, Pixie Lott, Professor Green, The Vamps and many more. Tickets for all shows are now sold out, but visitors can still savour the slime-filled atmosphere with a trip to Nickelodeon Land within the Pleasure Beach.
Live Shows & Exhibitions
Blackpool is renowned for the breadth and quality of its live entertainment offer. Whether it’s a children’s show such as The Tiger Who Came To Tea or the world-famous Blackpool Tower Circus, or a hit musical like Flashdance, there is something for everyone. And don’t forget you can enjoy some illuminating culture at the Grundy Art Gallery where you can experience Paper, Canvas, Neon.
The Blackpool Illuminations
Autumn wouldn’t be autumn without a trip to the Illuminations. Six miles of lighting to brighten up those dark skies. Take the opportunity to get out of the car and watch the fantastic 3D projection shows on the front of The Blackpool Tower building. They are all free to watch and show at regular intervals throughout the night. The Blackpool Illuminations run until November 5.
Halloween Antics
Blackpool doesn’t just do light – it also does dark pretty well too! There is a vast range of Halloween-themed activity during the holiday period including Vampire Beach at the Pleasure Beach; a family party in the Tower Ballroom; ghost trams; sharks in the dark at SEA LIFE; a hair-raising experience in the Blackpool Dungeon and lots of creative Halloween art, design and model making at the Grundy Art Gallery.
Cllr Gillian Campbell, Deputy Leader of Blackpool Council said: “October half-term is traditionally one of the busiest periods of the year in Blackpool – and when you see the scale of entertainment on offer it is not hard to see why.
“The Illuminations underpin our autumn season but that is only a part of the offer that is available to visitors at this time of year. All of our major attractions are open, there are top-quality shows within our theatres, and we have fabulous new events such as the Festival@LightPool and SLIMEFEST.
“It all adds up to the most amazing programme of family entertainment.”
For more information on all the October and half-term activities, go to www.visitblackpool.com/octoberhalfterm