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  • 3 months ago
Ahead of Friday's big Switch-On night, here's everything you need to know about the new Blackpool Illuminations season.
Transcript
00:00Every autumn, something magical happens on the Lancashire coast.
00:17Welcome to the Blackpool Illuminations, the world-famous light show
00:20that has been dazzling visitors for over a century.
00:24First switched on in 1879, the Illuminations began with just eight arc lamps
00:29on Blackpool Promenade. Back then, they were called Artificial Sunshine.
00:33Today, they stretch for over six miles, featuring over a million bulbs,
00:37stunning installations and jaw-dropping digital projections.
00:41This isn't just a light show, it's a piece of living history.
00:44Over the years, celebrities who have flicked the famous switch include
00:47Ken Dodd, Doctor Who, Peter Kaye, Robbie Williams, Frank Bruno, the Bee Gees,
00:54and even racehorse, Red Rum.
00:55And this year is no different. This Friday, the iconic switch-on event returns,
01:01kicking off the 2025 season with a bang.
01:04Held at the Tower Festival headland, it'll feature live performances,
01:07celebrity guests and, of course, singer Olly Murs,
01:10switching on the world-famous lights for the very first time.
01:14The free switch-on event is ticketed and sold out,
01:17but live screens on the promenade will allow anyone who missed out
01:20to still be a part of the show.
01:22The illuminations will go on at 9.15,
01:25and the lights will stay on until one in the morning.
01:28They'll be then lit nightly from eight o'clock,
01:30with earlier switch-on times as the nights draw in.
01:33On the last day, the 4th of January 2026,
01:36they'll shine from 4.30 in the afternoon till half-past ten.
01:43Whether you're here for the nostalgia, the family fun,
01:45or just to soak up the spectacle,
01:47the Blackpool Illuminations continues to be
01:49one of Britain's brightest traditions, literally.
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