The world-famous Blackpool Illuminations have been one of the UK’s most endearing and enduring visitor attractions for more than a century. Thanks to new investment and innovation year after year, the seafront show remains as compelling as ever.
Once again, the season will be extended over the festive period, shining nightly from 30 August - 5 January, 2025.
New features for 2024
Disco Donkey Cavalcade
By Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen
Get ready to hee-haw! Introducing the Disco Donkey Cavalcade, a quirky new installation by the brilliant Laurence Llewellyn Bowen.
Twelve donkeys, including five fabulous females and seven magnificent males, each with their names painted on, are all decked out in funky 70s-inspired swimwear, prancing around a 16-foot high platform. The installation is topped with a revolving mirror ball acting as a giant scoop of ice cream. In fact, the ice cream is an impressive 2.75 meters tall, just shy of the world’s tallest ice cream at 3.08 meters! You have to see it to believe it!
Laurence says: “What says BLACKPOOL better than Donkeys! I’ve created a celebratory monument to the iconic quadrupeds who’ve been heroically carrying millions of happy holiday making bottoms for over a century and a half.”
Where else could you see such a fun and funky fusion of seaside charm and disco dazzle? Only in Blackpool, of course!
Light Around the World
By Leigh Francis
Set your sights on a brand new tableau, created by Leigh Francis (aka TV star Keith Lemon). The second to be created for the “Light Around The World” series at the northern end of the display is based on Leigh’s wildly imaginative childhood memories.
Inspired by Leigh’s love for both space and dinosaurs, this tableau brings to life his fascination with flight to life. Expect a 12ft tall dinosaur, space ship, astronaut, an airborne BMX bike, and Leigh himself flying through the skies towards The Blackpool Tower! The trellis itself stands at an impressive 18 feet tall and 34 feet wide, featuring eight main light elements.
You might know Leigh Francis as the hilarious Keith Lemon, but he's also a talented television personality, comedian, actor, and writer. Fun fact: he even switched on the iconic Illuminations back in 2011!
Aliens Reimagined
Lightworks x Blackpool Sixth
Get ready for a blast from the past with a reimagined twist! A brand-new overhead roadway section is set to pay tribute to the beloved Aliens feature that graced the Illuminations display several years ago. This extra-terrestrial addition has been designed by students at Blackpool Sixth Form and showcases 10 unique illustrations of alien life!
From a donkey landing on an unexplored planet, a colourful spaceship beaming up five groovy extra-terrestrials to glamorous alien superheroes, the students' imaginations have run wild designing these out-of-this-world installations.
Measuring 2.4metres by 3m, the roadway section features LED laser effects shooting across the carriageway.
Laura Goodinson, Assistant Head of Visual Arts at Blackpool Sixth, said: "It was such an honour to have been considered to create art work for the Illuminations team. Even more so when we heard Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen judged the work and chose ten of our students’ art pieces, 8 of whom were Lower Sixth.
Chandelier Causeway
By Lightworks
A shimmering spectacle awaits! Reimagined for 2024, the Chandelier Causeway roadway section features a series of stunning LED giant chandeliers and strobe lighting festoon, giving a glamorous and glitzy nod to the decadent chandeliers of The Blackpool Tower Ballroom. The two giant chandeliers are in full glitz mode with 4,000 LED pixels, while the smaller ones each sparkle with 2,000 LED pixels.
Buzz Wire
By Lightworks
Ready to test your skills? Step up to the Buzz Wire challenge! This larger-than-life arcade game, stretching five meters long, lets you test your nerve and precision against a backdrop of Blackpool’s iconic skyline.
Steady hands and patience are key as you navigate from one end of the giant buzz wire to the other without setting off the buzzer. Created by the talented Lightworks team, this electrifying installation will be housed on the Tower Festival Headland. Are you game?
Spitfire Island
By Lightworks
As a special tribute to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-day landings, all three of the replica Spitfires on Gynn Roundabout will display special markings for the 2024 display.
Up Close and Personal
Experience the Blackpool Illuminations tableaux section like never before. For just a £1 per person (suggested donation), get up close and personal to a selection of tableaux during the weekends and immerse youself in the magic. Snap some epic photos as you get up close to Freddie Flyer, Postman Pat, SpongeBob and Spacemen - and that's only just a few!
This year's Illuminations' sponsors
Thanks to the generous support of our new and returning commercial sponsors and public donations, the world-famous Blackpool Illuminations continue to attract and entertain millions of visitors each year.
New sponsors for this year’s display:
Virgin Media O2:
We welcome Virgin Media O2 as a brand new sponsor to the Illuminations. Virgin Media O2 is taking the North and South arches in the display.
Returning sponsors for this year’s display:
We are always proud to welcome back companies and organisations that have supported us financially and operationally over several years.
Airfix
Airfix will return as a sponsor of Spitfire Island at Gynn Roundabout. The world-renowned brand has been inspiring generations of model-making enthusiasts and families since 1939. With an extensive range of meticulously detailed plastic scale model kits, Airfix offers a gateway to the world of aviation, military history, and beyond.
Limited edition Airfix Spitfire kits are available to buy at VisitBlackpool’s Tourist Information Centre (TIC) during the Illuminations season or online.
Barclaycard
In 2019, the public were encouraged to make cashless donations to support one of the UK’s most-loved free attractions. In collaboration with Barclaycard, fast contactless systems were introduced at kiosk collections points at the north and south gateways to the display.
Barclaycard’s support in agreeing a greatly reduced merchant charge enables us to receive the maximum amount of donations to help maintain the fantastic light show. Find out more about how you can donate to help the Lights shine for many years to come.
Beaverbrooks
We are always delighted to welcome back Beaverbrooks, our longest standing sponsor of Blackpool Illuminations. Following the all-new Beaverbrooks’ display last year, the roadway section, featuring three styles of illuminated diamond pendants, is set to dazzle passers-by for the second year running.
Coral Island
Ahoy me hearties! For the fourth year running, Coral Island is a returning sponsor of the much-loved Pirate tableau. Find more about the history of this longstanding tableau.
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon returns for another year with their family-friendly road section, featuring Spongebob and his pals next to Blackpool Pleasure Beach.
Partingtons Holiday Parks
We were pleased to welcome back Partingtons Holiday Parks. They are now returning for a fourth season to celebrate its 80th anniversary with their blinging display of lights that wow spectators on foot or in the car.
Sooty and Friends
To honour the town’s long-term association with Sooty, the Illuminations team created some additional features of Sooty, Sweep, Soo and Richard. These will appear across the roadway along the promenade in the form of 3D neon characters.
*A selected number of features in this year's Blackpool Illuminations are supported by the Towns Fund. The Towns Fund is part of the Government’s plan for Levelling Up the UK economy.
Towns across England are working with the Government to address their growth constraints, deliver economic benefits and improve the lives of people within their communities. The overarching aims of the Towns Fund are to drive sustainable economic regeneration and productivity across the UK.