Blackpool Unveils A Magical Christmas By The Sea Experience

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas as Blackpool prepares to unwrap its biggest ever package of free festive entertainment.

The resort is set to become an extraordinary winter wonderland over the coming weeks with a sackful of shows, entertainment, events and attractions.

The centrepiece of the Christmas programme will be a Christmas By The Sea village complete with an outdoor skating rink, simulated snowfalls, log cabins, magical forest, larger-than-life light installations, festive light projection shows and Magical Express tram rides along the Golden Mile.

Supported by Northern, the village is due to open on Friday 19 November and will remain in place until January 3 as part of an extended Blackpool Illuminations season.

Standing in the shadow of the iconic Blackpool Tower, the 40m-long synthetic ice rink will be free to use and includes skate hire. There will be 40-minute sessions from Thursday to Sunday from November 19 until December 17, and then daily until January 3. No advance bookings are required, simply turn up to the session you wish to attend.

Alongside the rink will be a magical forest with 35 twinkling Christmas trees, a dozen log cabins serving a range of food, drink, gifts and souvenirs, light installations including a giant illuminated bauble, and regular artificial snowfalls to create the full alpine experience!

The opening of the Christmas By The Sea village will also see the world premiere of Frost Fairies, a newly-created 3D light projection show on the front of the Blackpool Tower building.

Specially produced by video projection artists Illuminos, Frost Fairies is an enchanting children’s story of fairies, fireflies, precious jewels and ice palaces. It will be projected nightly along with several other projection shows until January 3.

Blackpool Transport will be adding to the festive feel with nightly Magical Express Tours on a Christmas-themed heritage tram, guaranteed to get you in the festive spirit. All tours will depart from the North Pole, a specially renamed tram stop located next to the Tourist Information Centre and otherwise known as the North Pier and Tower Heritage Tram Stop.

Tours will take you on a 25-minute journey and run every 30 minutes. Tickets are priced at £4 for adults and £2 for children. You can book your ticket in advance online or simply turn up on the evening.

Just a short walk away from the Christmas By The Sea village, visitors will find the Winter Gardens Wonderland with a fantastic range of indoor and outdoor Bavarian-style market stalls, funfair rides, a Santa’s Grotto with animated reindeer, and entertainment suitable for all ages. In the adjacent St John’s Square, there is a spectacular 40ft Christmas tree. Find out more information here.

Most of the resort’s major attractions, including Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Sandcastle Waterpark, The Blackpool Tower, Sea Life, Blackpool Zoo, Coral Island, and Madame Tussauds, will be open at selected times during the Christmas season, many offering a unique seasonal flavour.

There is also a fantastic range of shows and entertainment on offer across the resort including:

Friends Festive, showcasing seasonal moments from arguably the world’s favourite TV show. At the Winter Gardens every day until November 19.

Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs, traditional panto at its very best in the glorious surroundings of The Blackpool Grand Theatre. Performances from December 3 until January 2.

 Aladdin, starring Kevin Simm and Emmerdale’s Kelsey Beth Crossley, and showing at the Blackpool Pleasure Beach Globe Theatre from November 25 until December 24

And for those who prefer an alternative way of celebrating Christmas, the hit West End musical, Hairspray, will be at the Winter Gardens from December 13 to January 2.

Two of Blackpool’s most popular free events are also returning for the festive season.

The annual Ride The Lights event, which usually takes place at the end of August ahead of the Illuminations Switch-On, will see a repeat performance on Sunday 5 December. Ride The Christmas Lights will give cyclists of all ages a chance to ride along a traffic-free promenade beneath the famous Illuminations. It will start at 4pm in the afternoon and finish at 8pm.

And families will be invited to say “goodbye” to 2021 and get ready to say “hello” to 2022 with a celebratory fireworks display that will take place late afternoon on the Tower Festival Headland on New Year’s Eve. The free fireworks display, which will be launched around 5pm on December 31 from the beach in front of The Blackpool Tower, will create a stunning finale to end the year.

It has already been announced that from November 17 until January 3, visitors to Blackpool will be able to park on the majority of Council-owned car parks for just £1 for three hours. The offer, which is being funded by Blackpool Council and Blackpool Town Centre BID, is available using the PayByPhone app.

Cllr Lynn Williams, Leader of Blackpool Council, said: “We know that many families couldn’t do all that they wanted last Christmas because of the various restrictions and lockdowns. We are determined to make up for that by staging our biggest ever Christmas package of entertainment.

“Much of what we are offering in the Christmas By The Sea village is free to access and we hope that families will come along and enjoy these activities along with everything else that Blackpool has to offer. It has all the makings of a wonderful festive season.”

For full details of Blackpool’s Christmas programme, including opening times, booking details, Illuminations switch-on times and more information on shows, entertainment, Christmas nights out, accommodation and shopping go to www.visitblackpool.com/Christmas.

Some elements of Christmas By The Sea are part funded by the European Regional Development Fund.