The world-famous Blackpool Illuminations have been one of the UK’s most endearing and enduring visitor attractions for more than a century. Thanks to new investment and innovation year after year, the seafront show remains as compelling as ever.
Once again, the season was extended over the festive period, shining nightly from 29 August, 2025 - 4 January, 2026.
New features for 2026
Beachside Boulevard
Location: South Promenade
For many people, Blackpool Illuminations signal the end of summer as we edge into the colder, darker nights of autumn and winter. The hot summer days relaxing in a striped deckchair, building sandcastles and playing ball games on the beach might be almost over for this year, but we’re embracing all that we love about the seaside in this year’s Illuminations display.
Hang on to summer nostalgia with this new road section for the ‘26 season, featuring brightly lit neon sandcastles and a festoon canopy of white and yellow strobe lights.
Sky Forest
Location: Between Central Pier & RNLI
Welcome to Sky Forest, a delightful light installation where nature and technology come together in harmony. With charming LED cherry blossom trees adorned with thousands of vibrant LEDs, you'll step into a magical woodland that resembles a starry night or a twinkling forest path. It’s a serene, dreamlike space where the beauty of nature meets the wonders of digital art.
Light of Life by PJ Crook MBE
Location: North of Gynn Roundabout
Light of Life brings together a series of paintings that explore timeless human experiences, connecting stories from the past with issues that remain relevant today.
Drawing on themes from history, mythology, religion and everyday life, PJ Crook's work reflects on subjects including migration, conflict, climate change, family and human ambition. References to stories such as Noah's Ark and the biblical parting of the waters sit alongside observations of contemporary life, highlighting how many of the challenges faced by previous generations continue to resonate in the modern world.
Several paintings explore powerful symbols that have endured through the centuries. Towers, for example, appear as landmarks of aspiration and achievement, from ancient structures to Blackpool's own iconic Tower. In Echo, Crook considers how stories, memories and ideas are passed from one generation to the next.
The recurring image of mother and child draws inspiration from daily life, celebrating the enduring bonds of family and care that connect people across cultures and generations.
Works such as The Garden and Volcano invite visitors to reflect on the contrast between the comforts of everyday life and the wider forces shaping our world. Together, the paintings encourage us to consider the links between past and present and how ancient stories continue to offer insight into contemporary society.
Through rich imagery and storytelling, Light of Life reminds us that while times may change, many of the hopes, challenges and experiences that define humanity remain remarkably familiar.
Flower Shower
Location: Tableaux
Inspired by the simple shape of an umbrella, Flower Shower transforms an everyday object into a striking illuminated artwork. Clusters of glowing umbrellas ascend elegant steel structures, creating the impression of flowers in bloom or a shower of light drifting skyward.
As darkness falls, the umbrellas come to life in warm golden light, forming an impressive display that stands out against the coastline and night sky.
Wishing Star by Toyah Wilcox
Location: Tableaux
Step into the inspiring world of Wishing Star, a heartwarming story of courage, resilience and self-discovery from acclaimed performer Toyah Willcox.
Follow Ellie on an adventure as she faces challenges, finds inner strength and learns valuable lessons from the pages of her favourite storybook characters. Along the way, audiences are encouraged to discover that true power comes not from magic, but from the choices we make and the determination to keep moving forward.
Blending storytelling, words and music, this uplifting performance shines a light through the darkness, celebrating perseverance, hope and the importance of the people who support us on our journey.
Teddy Bear photo op
Location: Tableaux
Get ready to strike a pose with one of the most lovable attractions around. Take a seat beside our giant teddy bear inside our Illuminated car and capture a fun-filled photo to remember your visit.
Perfect for families, children and teddy bear fans of all ages, this larger-than-life installation offers a fantastic backdrop for selfies, group photos and holiday snapshots.
Seaside Giggles
Location: Tower Festival Headland
Step back in time to the golden age of British coastal humour with our oversized entertaining postcard photo opp. Pop your head through our hand-painted cutout, strike your best holiday pose and become the star of your very own vintage seaside greeting. It’s a guaranteed laugh and the perfect keepsake!
Artemis
Location: Tableaux
Prepare to be inspired by breathtaking footage of deep space, the Moon and our home planet Earth. Celebrating humanity's return to lunar exploration, this immersive display showcases incredible high-definition imagery captured by NASA's Artemis mission aboard the Orion spacecraft.
One of the best scenes reveals a crescent Earth emerging above the lunar horizon, its vibrant blue oceans and swirling white clouds shining against the darkness of space, before gently disappearing behind the Moon's rugged landscape of ancient craters and dramatic grooves.
The iconic spacemen figures have been carefully repainted and transformed to represent the Artemis crew, bringing this exciting new era of space exploration to life.
Credit: Courtesy of NASA.
Lollies in Love with Light by Chila Kumari Burman MBE
Location: Tableaux
Bursting with colour and creativity, this display brings together three fantastic collections from celebrated artist Chila Kumari Burman.
The 26-metre-wide animated tableau, Lollies in Love with Light, is a stunning kaleidoscopic celebration of Blackpool, featuring around 760 metres of LED neon lighting and a technicolour ice cream van at its centre. The artwork was inspired by the artist's parents, who ran an ice cream business.
Chila Welcomes You was a major art commission for IWM North, offering a personal perspective on the heritage of conflict and the stories of Indian migration to Britain following the Second World War. The exhibition featured four giant light-based neon installations, each measuring 4m x 5m and manufactured by Lightworks: Chilled Out Tiger, Jhansi Ki Rani Resistance, Peacock Showing Off and Lotus Love Flower.
Specially commissioned for the exterior of Grundy Art Gallery and manufactured by Lightworks, Blackpool Light of My Life is the artist's love letter to the town she visited regularly as a child. The installation features works from the exhibition, including Mermaid and Tree of Life.
New Tower Projections
Doddz Presents: The Ballroom
Step into a world where imagination takes centre stage at The Blackpool Tower.
In this brand-new projection by British artist Doddz, strange and wonderful characters arrive from another world to transform one of Blackpool's most iconic landmarks. As dancers, acrobats and aerial performers move through the Ballroom, the familiar surroundings begin to change, evolving into a vibrant and dreamlike new creation.
Created using motion-capture technology with the talented performers of House of Mash, this spectacular show blends movement, art and digital storytelling to celebrate creativity, transformation and togetherness.
The experience doesn't stop when the projection ends. Visitors can also access an interactive digital experience on their phone.
Illuminations' sponsors
Thanks to the generous support of our new and returning commercial sponsors and public donations, the world-famous Blackpool Illuminations continue to attract and entertain millions of visitors each year.
Returning sponsors for this year’s display:
We are always proud to welcome back companies and organisations that have supported us financially and operationally over several years.
Barclaycard
In 2019, the public were encouraged to make cashless donations to support one of the UK’s most-loved free attractions. In collaboration with Barclaycard, fast contactless systems were introduced at kiosk collections points at the north and south gateways to the display.
Barclaycard’s support in agreeing a greatly reduced merchant charge enables us to receive the maximum amount of donations to help maintain the fantastic light show. Find out more about how you can donate to help the Lights shine for many years to come.
Beaverbrooks
We are always delighted to welcome back Beaverbrooks, our longest standing sponsor of Blackpool Illuminations. Following the all-new Beaverbrooks’ display in 2023, the roadway section, featuring three styles of illuminated diamond pendants, dazzled passers-by for the third year running.
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon returned for another year with their family-friendly road section, featuring Spongebob and his pals next to Blackpool Pleasure Beach.
Partingtons Holiday Parks
We were pleased to welcome back Partingtons Holiday Parks. They returned for a fifth season with their blinging display of lights that wow spectators on foot or in the car.
Sooty and Friends
To honour the town’s long-term association with Sooty, the Illuminations team created some additional features of Sooty, Sweep, Soo and Richard. These appeared across the roadway along the promenade in the form of 3D neon characters.