Let's Party on the prom to say "goodbye 22, Hello 23"

Blackpool is preparing to bid a fond farewell to a hugely successful tourism season with a free family celebration on New Year’s Eve.

The Dancing On The Carpet family party will take place on the Tower Festival Headland between 4pm and 7pm on Saturday 31 December.

The outdoor party will take place in and around the Comedy Carpet and will include music and entertainment for children and parents, as well as a spectacular light and laser show set to music on the famous Blackpool Tower, which will be shown twice during the event (at 5pm and 6pm).

The celebration, sponsored by TalkTalk, will take place within the magical Christmas By The Sea village, which opened on November 18 and runs daily until the end of the extended Illuminations season on January 2.

With a free-to-use skating rink as its centrepiece, the village includes festive light installations and projection shows, themed log cabins with a wide range of festive food and drink, artificial snowfalls, sparkling trees and Christmas tram rides. The village also includes themed children’s attractions and the return of the Star Flyer which, at 60m tall, is one of Europe’s tallest swing rides.

On New Year’s Eve, the skating rink will be open until 9.30pm and the rides, food and drink cabins will be available until midnight, when the light and laser show will be repeated to officially welcome in the New Year.

Visitors to the village can also take the opportunity to experience Odyssey, the largest 3D installation ever produced for the Illuminations display. Co-created by international designer Jack Irving and a team from Lancaster University, the installation stands 11metres high and comprises six towers that are combined with state-of-the-art technology to create an immersive and interactive projection show themed on undiscovered creatures lurking in the depths of the deep sea.

The Blackpool Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID), which represents scores of tourism operators, has joined forces with sponsors TalkTalk, along with partners Blackpool Council and VisitBlackpool, to stage the event.

Last year, Christmas By The Sea delivered the highest visitor numbers ever recorded on the seafront during the winter months and since its opening night on November 18, this year’s event has already drawn in tens of thousands of people from across the region.

Cllr Lynn Williams, Leader of Blackpool Council, said: “This has been the resort’s first full year of tourism since 2019 and it has been a highly successful one with record numbers attending major events such as Air Show Weekend, World Fireworks Championship Blackpool and the Christmas By The Sea village.

“The long-awaited return of Strictly Come Dancing to the Tower Ballroom on the weekend that we launched the Christmas village was the icing on the cake – a joyous celebration of all things Blackpool!

“We want to celebrate that success with something everyone can enjoy. We know that it has been a challenging few months with the rising cost of living and increased fuel bills, and we are delighted to be able to welcome in the start of a new year with an event that is both family-friendly and free.

“We are also aware that midnight is too late for many youngsters so part of our New Year’s Eve celebration has been deliberately timed for late afternoon. That way, people can enjoy the light show, the music and all of the other attractions at Christmas By The Sea.”

The village and New Year’s Eve celebration form part of a resort-wide festive programme which includes attractions, grottos, late night shopping and a special discounted parking offer giving three hours of parking for just £1 on most Blackpool Council car parks.

For full details of rink opening times and other Christmas By The Sea attractions go to: visitblackpool.com/cbts

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

Elf The Musical: The hit Broadway and West End show based on the Hollywood blockbuster movie will bring some Christmas cheer to the Winter Gardens Opera House with a sleigh full of laughs from December 15 - 26.

Don’t be caught napping! Sleeping Beauty is the show of the season at Blackpool Grand Theatre from December 2 – January 1, featuring Dancing On Ice Champion Hayley Tamaddon and Britain’s Got Talent finalist Steve Royle.

Blackpool Pleasure Beach is staging a production of ‘Cinderella: The Pantomime’ until December 24. Get ready for a Christmas cracker full of family fun with their fantastic festive production. You shall go to the pantomime this Christmas!

Following on from Viva’s hit Santa’s Magical Workshop Christmas production last year, head to VIVA Blackpool for The Santa Adventure from December 17 - 24 and enjoy an afternoon of festive fun as Santa’s crazy elf helps Santa on a whirlwind adventure.

Alternatively, if panto isn't your thing but you love a good laugh, check out High Jinx's Illusion Show at The Blackpool Tower Circus, open on selected dates throughout the festive season.

For more details on what’s happening on New Year’s Eve, visit www.visitblackpool.com/nye.