Every autumn, Blackpool comes alive with the world-famous Blackpool Illuminations, the biggest lights festival in the UK! Stretching for almost six miles, this dazzling display of every light imaginable attracts an astonishing 4 million visitors each year and features over a million bulbs, mixing traditional motifs with contemporary displays to create a dazzling entertainment spectacle.
So, get your woolly hats on and get ready to munch hot sugared doughnuts and world-class fish and chips along the illuminated Blackpool promenade!
We have some fantastic coach breaks visiting the UK's most famous light display, so light up your year with our brilliant Blackpool Illuminations breaks!
The Illuminations: A History
Mention Blackpool to most people and the first thing that springs to mind is the world-famous Illuminations that runs from early September to November.
What started out as a small scale decoration scheme with 10,000 lights to mark Blackpool’s first royal visit in 1912, has gone on to become an iconic British institution and a popular coach holiday destination.
Today, the Blackpool Illuminations is the largest free lighting display in the whole world, that’s as famous as the resort’s fish n chips, rock and Tower Ballroom, attracting over 3.5million visitors to the town every year.
Like most things in the nation's most entertaining seaside resort, there’s nothing reserved about the Blackpool Illuminations, as over a million lamps cover the entire promenade in a sea of colour, including LEDS, searchlights, spotlights, lasers, fibre optics, floodlights and projections.
Featuring over 74 miles of cabling, this quirky light exhibit takes a team of artists, specialist engineers, joiners, electricians and mechanics work over 65,000 man-hours throughout the year to perfect the scheme.
The best way to experience the illuminations is on foot, with a bag of chips, hot sugared doughnuts and a stick of Blackpool rock.
Alternatively jump on an open-top tram along the golden mile or enjoy a romantic horse-drawn carriage for a totally different view.