Category: Blackpool News and Events
Queens Jubilee Celebrations in Blackpool
1 May 2022
Blackpool will be celebrating the Queens Jubilee with a wide range of events across the resort in June.
The headline event will be a unique one off ‘Heritage Tram’ parade on the afternoon of Thursday 2nd June – as a fleet of trams will come out of retirement and travel in convoy from Blackpool Pleasure Beach to the North Pier, before being available for the public to take journeys on them North and South on the promenade.
Other Queen’s celebrations will take place on the Blackpool Comedy Carpet, including a giant picnic, a special beacon lighting at three locations across Blackpool (including the iconic Blackpool Tower Ballroom), and a spectacular fireworks display launched from Blackpool Pleasure Beach on the night of Saturday 4th June.
To commence the two bank holidays at the start of the four-day holiday weekend. on Thursday 2nd June a grand parade of heritage trams will take place along the seafront, a giant outdoor picnic and free entertainment on the Comedy Carpet, a light and laser show, and a burst of fireworks at the top of The Blackpool Tower.
Staged in association with Blackpool Transport and the Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID), the parade will see around a dozen trams from the heritage fleet travel in convoy from the Pleasure Beach to Little Bispham, creating one of the largest tram parades the resort has seen.
The convoy, which sets off at 2.30pm, will pause at the Tower Festival Headland opposite the Viva Showrooms and the Viva Vegas Diner for a unique photo opportunity.
Between 3pm and 7pm, people will be able to relax at The Big Comedy Picnic, an al fresco eating out area opposite The Blackpool Tower and the Viva venues, with free live entertainment – including our very own Jersey Beats and Viva cast!
Then, between 9pm and 9.45pm, there will be further entertainment before the resort joins the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Beacons, followed by a light show and a burst of fireworks on The Blackpool Tower.
Although the historic trams were officially “retired” when new European-style trams were brought into service on the seafront route in 2012, a number of them were retained and thanks to an army of volunteers have been brought back into regular use. They now form one of the finest heritage fleets in the world.
Blackpool is one of thousands of locations and landmarks across the UK where beacons will be lit. In true Blackpool style, it will be adding its own unique twist to the ceremony. Beacon lighting has long been associated with celebrating major milestones, including Royal Jubilees, weddings and coronations. Dating all the way back to 1897, beacons were lit to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. Most recently, beacons have been used to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day and Her Majesty’s 90th birthday in 2016.
A spokesperson said: “We are thrilled that Blackpool Transport and the Tourism Business Improvement District are partnering with us to create a unique celebration of this very special royal milestone.
“A parade of heritage trams on this scale is something that has not been seen for many years and it promises to be a spectacular sight. The addition of a burst of fireworks at the top of The Blackpool Tower will create a magnificent finale at the end of the first day of the holiday.”
The parade and beacon lighting ceremony form part of a brilliant programme of events across the resort to celebrate the special royal milestone. These include:
- The lighting of The Blackpool Tower in red, white and blue throughout the four days.
- Jubilee-themed events and live entertainment at Blackpool Pleasure Beach throughout the four-day holiday weekend including late night riding, fireworks and a Jubilee Concert on Saturday 4 June.
- A chance to take afternoon tea in one of Blackpool’s magnificent heritage venues including the magnificent Blackpool Tower Ballroom, the Imperial Hotel, the magnificent Mazzei Café in the Winter Gardens, and the Art Deco Café overlooking the Italian Gardens in the award-winning Stanley Park.
Other recent news
Brand New Peter Rabbit Attraction HOPS Into Blackpool Opening 2022
25 November 2021
The well loved classical character PETER RABBIT will burrow into Blackpool Promenade next year with a new £1 million attraction set to open in 2022 in partnership with Merlin Entertainments.
Beloved characters from the award-winning PETER RABBIT™ animated TV series are set to make a new home on Blackpool’s famous seafront next year in a partnership that marks the first stand-alone Merlin visitor attraction to be based on the series
The attraction will open on Blackpool Promenade, next door to Madame Tussauds on the seafront as a stand-alone attraction – the first time Merlin has ventured on such an attraction based upon the series and is a World first! The addition will join Merlin’s six other attractions in Blackpool including The Blackpool Tower and SEA LIFE Blackpool.
The brand-new concept is the first time Merlin has created a stand-alone visitor attraction experience based on the series.
The new experience will provide the opportunity to hop into the over-sized world of Peter and his friends to embark on an adventure across five fluffy-tailed themed zones. Guests will need to think like a rabbit, move like a rabbit and deploy rabbit-like senses with a whole burrow-full of creativity in order to complete the challenges and earn badges – seeing if they have the skills to join the secret treehouse club!
Guests will also be able to meet, greet and ‘high-paw’ with Peter himself – making the experience a bumper bunny day out! All of Peter’s friends will be joining him on the promenade – an exciting trip for thousands of pre-schoolers who will visit the resort in years to come and part of Blackpool’s strategy to become a year round destination!
The new experience will provide the opportunity to hop into the over-sized world of Peter and his friends to embark on an adventure across five fluffy-tailed themed zones. Guests will need to think like a rabbit, move like a rabbit and deploy rabbit-like senses with a whole burrow-full of creativity in order to complete the challenges and earn badges – seeing if they have the skills to join the secret treehouse club!
Developed in partnership with Silvergate Media, Penguin Ventures (on behalf of PETER RABBIT™ brand owners Frederick Warne & Co.) and Blackpool Council, the attraction is set to open next door to the famous Madame Tussauds Blackpool as part of a new standalone experience. The addition will join Merlin’s six other attractions in Blackpool including The Blackpool Tower and SEA LIFE Blackpool.
Kate Shane, Regional Director for Merlin Entertainments, said: “We are thrilled to be welcoming such an icon to Blackpool! Peter Rabbit is a well-loved household name for young and old and is globally renowned. We are delighted that this new attraction concept will be created here in Blackpool first. We firmly support Blackpool’s overall ambition to be the UK’s number one family seaside resort and with such a family-favourite brand joining our Blackpool Cluster of attractions we can’t wait to ‘hop’ to it and get the experience open next year.”
Cllr Lynn Williams, Leader of Blackpool Council, said: “This new attraction will be another fabulous addition to Blackpool’s growing portfolio of world-class attractions that are aimed at a family market.
“The creation of a standalone experience featuring one of the world’s best-known children’s characters will provide another compelling reason to visit what we believe is the UK’s ultimate family resort.”
Lisa Macdonald, SVP Consumer Products and Content Sales at Silvergate Media, said: “We’re excited to partner with Merlin Entertainments on a new stand-alone attraction that brings the animated adventures of Peter Rabbit and his friends to life for families in Blackpool. Harnessing the multi-generational appeal of Peter Rabbit to create a unique brand experience and unforgettable day out will enhance its enduring popularity for generations to come.”
Thomas Merrington, Creative Director Live & Experiential at Penguin Ventures, said: “Working with Merlin on creating this attraction over the past year, pulling together ideas and new themes from the show and seeing them come to life has been such a thrill. This really will deliver a brand new experience and I am so excited to see how our young fans will engage with the multiple aspects of this highly interactive play attraction.”
© Frederick Warne & Co Limited and Silvergate PPL Limited, 2021. Based on the works of Beatrix Potter. PETER RABBIT and BEATRIX POTTER are trademarks of Fredrick Warne and Co. All rights reserved.
Other recent news
Bobby Ball (1944-2020)
29 October 2020
