The biggest night in Blackpool’s event calendar – the Blackpool Illuminations Switch-On event - took place on Friday 4 September 2026.
The Blackpool Illuminations are now shining nightly until 3 January, 2027. Find out more information on the Illuminations, along with the nightly Switch-On times, the larger-than-life Tableaux and how to donate to the light display.
The Switch-On concert marked the start of the season with a free outdoor event on the Tower Festival Headland, in the shadow of The Blackpool Tower. British pop band Five headlined, joined by rock quintet The Feeling and chart‑topping singer‑songwriter Lucy Spraggan with BBC Radio 2's Paddy McGuinness tripping the lights fantastic at the end of the night.
This year’s event saw VisitBlackpool collaborate with the BBC, with the evening hosted by BBC Radio Lancashire presenters Graham Liver and Sharon Hartley.
There will be live filming and photography at this event. Any pictures provided maybe used by VisitBlackpool for promotional purposes. If you do not wish to be included, please contact VisitBlackpool Web Team.
Please note that Live Facial Recognition technology will be in operation during the event. For further information, please refer to Lancashire Police.