Blackpool Illuminations facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Blackpool Illuminations |
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Illuminations along Blackpool Promenade with the Blackpool Tower in the background.
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| Dates | 29 August 2025 – 4 January 2026 |
| Location(s) | Blackpool, Lancashire, England |
| Years active | 1879–present |
The Blackpool Illuminations are a famous light show held every autumn in Blackpool, England. This amazing display started way back in 1879! People often call them "The Lights."
They shine for over 100 days each year, from late August until early January. This is a special time when other seaside towns are usually quiet. The lights stretch for about 5 miles along the Blackpool Promenade, using more than a million light bulbs! You can see them from Starr Gate in the south all the way to Bispham in the north.
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A Bright History
The Illuminations first lit up in 1879. People called them "Artificial sunshine" because they were so bright! Back then, there were only eight carbon arc lamps. This was even before Thomas Edison patented the electric light bulb!
Early Displays
The first display that looked a bit like today's show happened in May 1912. This was to celebrate Princess Louise opening a new part of the Promenade. About 10,000 light bulbs were used to decorate the area.
Local businesses loved it so much that they asked the Blackpool Council to do it again in September. It was a huge success! The lights returned in 1913. However, the First World War stopped the displays until 1925.
Growing Bigger and Brighter
In 1932, the lights grew even more! Animated displays, called tableaux, were added along the cliffs from North Shore to Bispham. The Illuminations then reached their current length, from Starr Gate to Red Bank Road.
In 1935, a 15-year-old girl named Audrey Mosson was asked to switch on the lights. Fifty years later, in 1985, she returned to do it again with actress Joanna Lumley!
The Illuminations were ready to shine in 1939, but the Second World War stopped them again. They didn't return until 1949.
The Big Switch On
Each year, the Illuminations begin with a special event called "The Big Switch On." A famous celebrity pulls a switch to turn on the six miles of lights!
The first switch-on ceremony was in 1934. Lord Derby was the first person to flick the switch. Since then, many pop bands, singers, and comedians have performed at the pre-switch-on concert.
Modern Day Lights
Most visitors enjoy the Illuminations by driving through them in a car, coach, or bus. You can also ride open-top trams or horse-drawn carriages called landau.
The Illuminations cost about £1.9 million each year to put on.
Creative Displays
In 2007, famous interior designer Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen created a special display called Decodance near Blackpool Tower. He loved Blackpool's "high-kicking glamour."
The displays along the cliffs from North Shore to Bispham are huge! They have forty large tableaux, covering more than 5,000 square metres. There's even a walkway for people to enjoy these big displays up close.
In 2007, a new Doctor Who display appeared, featuring monsters from the TV show. At Gynn Square, a "Space Invasion" display showed an amazing mothership hovering 40 feet in the air! This display used colour-changing LEDs.
Green Energy and the Future
It takes 22 weeks to set up all the lights each year and nine weeks to take them down. Most of the lights now use low voltage (12 V and 24 V) to save energy. In 2004, wind turbines started helping to power the Illuminations.
Today, the Illuminations use only green electricity from renewable sources. This includes wind power, small hydropower plants, and biogas. The goal is to be very environmentally friendly!
Friends of the Illuminations
In 2008, Blackpool Council started a group called "Friends of the Illuminations." This group helps shape the future of the lights and encourages support from all over the world. They want the Illuminations to be even more interactive and exciting!
Illuminated Trams
Blackpool has special trams that are rebuilt and decorated with lights! These "illuminated theme trams" run along the Promenade during the Illuminations.
One famous tram, the Western Train, first ran in 1962. It was restored in 2008 with a grant of £278,000. Another iconic tram, the Rocket tram, was also restored and returned to service in 2009.
Artists and Designers
Many talented people help create the amazing Illuminations. Here are a few:
- Emilios Hatjoullis – Designed nursery rhyme tableaux in the 1960s.
- Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen – Creative Director for displays like Decodance and DinoDoom.
- Sarah Myerscough – Artist for displays including Doctor Who and Alice in Wonderland.
See also
- Festivals in the United Kingdom
