Showzam - Blackpools February Festival

13 - 22 February 2009

Showzam! is Blackpool's new festival of Circus, Magic and New Variety taking place during February Half Term.

Showzam is a ten day festival of circus, magic and new variety that runs every year in the town during February, coinciding - with the school half term holidays.

This extraordinary and unique festival includes a number of high profile performers, street artists and never before seen acts, showcased throughout Blackpool’s famous landmarks and on the streets.

With a mix of ticketed and free events, family friendly and adult only shows, there's something for everyone, with everyone encouraged to engage and interact with the performances as well as enjoy the workshops and talks by established industry experts.  

New Shows and events are constantly being added to the Showzam programme so make sure you register on the Showzam! website to be kept up to date on the latest info.

These include the Queen’s of Magic - featuring the very best female conjurers and illusionists (and their glamorous male assistants) and Ukulelescope – with the  Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain accompanying  rare and unseen black and white movie footage with their unique ‘uke’ soundtrack.

There will also be Mooky’s Star Parade, featuring some of the best young international circus performers (drawn from as far afield as Moscow, Mexico, Kazakhstan and Moldova) and the stunning aerial theatrics of Ockham’s Razor’s in their new show The Mill.
 
In addition to these, Showzam! will see Blackpool’s historic Winter Garden’s transformed into Showzam Central. Here you will get to experience traditional sideshows from the 1950s, cabaret and new variety performances, film screenings and an exhibition focussing on the infamous American showman and circus founder PT Barnum.

A further highlight will be Showzam!’s sizzling Carnival Ball. This will see Blackpool’s historic Tower Ballroom filled with Brazilian beats and risqué rhythms courtesy of salsa superstars Coco Xpress together with appearances from some of the UK’s very best new variety performers. Burlesque beauty Amber Topaz and calypso queen Marawa will be joined by the outrageous ballroom banter of the Sugar Dandies and the teasing trickery of Romany - Diva of Magic while the irrefutable Miss Behave will be in attendance to ensure none of the evening’s strictly-for-adults antics get out of hand. 

All the energy and excitement of Showzam! will build into Heat The Streets on Saturday 20th February. In the afternoon a lively, colourful parade will snake its way around the town centre - but by night Blackpool will be transformed into a cauldron of flames, music and light.
France’s acclaimed La Machine will be at the heart of this fiery furnace, generating explosive sights and sounds via their mysterious mechanical devices whilst the surrounding streets will come alive with some of the country’s finest street theatre Complementing this will be a thrilling display of lights, fire and pyrotechnics designed by the UK’s premiere light and firework producers Walk The Plank.