Overview

• Gates open at 4pm on Friday, performances start from around 5:30pm, and the lights are due to be turned on at 9:15pm at Tower Festival Headland.
• VisitBlackpool issued 24,000 complimentary tickets, but admission is first-come, first-served and attendees are advised to be inside the arena by 8:15pm.
• A live screening zone near Central Pier will show all performances and the switch-on for those without arena access.
• Blackpool Transport plans bus diversions away from the Promenade at busy times, regular Friday and Saturday diversions from August 29 to November 1, and a split tram service with Manchester Square for Starr Gate and North Pier for Fleetwood and Cleveleys.
• The six-mile Illuminations run through January 4, 2026, with new features including Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen’s fire-breathing ‘Guardians of the North’ and works by Robert E. Fuller, Jason Wilsher-Mills, My Dog Sighs and others.