Why did everyone want to visit Blackpool?
Blackpool is famous for its light display, roller coasters and tower. How did these attractions help to cement the seaside resort’s place in the cultural landscape?
Image: Jason Wells / Shutterstock.com
When you think of Blackpool, what images first spring to your mind? Probably those of sandy beaches, eye-catching lights and thrilling amusements. Indeed, Blackpool has long been regarded as one of the UK’s premier seaside resorts.
So, how did this coastal corner of Lancashire build such an enviable reputation — and is it one it still lives up to?
Below, Sky HISTORY explains the origins of Blackpool’s heyday, and why it’s largely down to three attractions still around today. Those are the Illuminations, the Tower and the Pleasure Beach — all of which first came about in the Victorian period.
Blackpool’s early history
The emergence of Blackpool itself can be traced back to medieval times. What really sparked the area’s rise to prominence was the Georgian-era craze for sea bathing, which was thought to bring health benefits.
Blackpool’s ascendency was further fuelled by the 19th-century arrival of the railways, with one route extending to the seaside town itself. This made it easier for tourists from far and wide to visit.
Blackpool Illuminations
Every autumn, an intricate display of decorative lights known as the Blackpool Illuminations runs for about six miles along Blackpool Promenade.
This festival of electric light was first held in 1879, when the use of candlelight was still widespread. In the more than a century since, many celebs have had the honor of switching on the Illuminations — from Jayne Mansfield to Frank Bruno.
Blackpool Tower
It’s hard not to spot Blackpool Tower when in the town. This 518-foot-tall structure, modelled on the Eiffel Tower in Paris, was opened in 1894. Today, the name ‘Blackpool Tower’ is used for a complex comprising not only the physical tower but also much more besides.
That ‘much more besides’ includes the Blackpool Tower Eye, a 380-foot-high observation deck where visitors brave enough can walk on a glass viewing platform! (It is five centimetres thick, if that helps keep the jitters at bay…)
Other attractions at the Tower complex provide much more insight into its fascinating history…
Tower Circus
The circus at Blackpool Tower’s base opened in 1894 and has been an iconic mainstay of the town’s cultural scene for decades. It even ran during the two World Wars!
Frank Matcham designed the 1,300-capacity circus arena as attendees see it today. This circus interior dates from 1900 and has seen performances from stars including comedian Peter Kay and legendary clown Charlie Cairoli.
Tower Ballroom
Blackpool Tower has had a ballroom, too, since 1894. However, the ballroom’s current form really emerged in the late 1890s.
Even many Brits who live nowhere near Blackpool will have seen this ballroom more than a few times. That’s because it’s an annual feature on TV’s consistently popular Strictly Come Dancing.
Blackpool Pleasure Beach
That’s what it’s colloquially called, anyway. It’s now officially known as Pleasure Beach Resort — but whatever you call it, it’s an amusement park founded in 1896.
The oldest of the park’s rides still standing today is Sir Hiram Maxim’s Captive Flying Machine, which opened in 1904. The current rides also include The Big One, originally the world’s tallest roller coaster when it opened in 1994. Other roller coasters at the site include the Grand National and the Nickelodeon Streak.
Why Blackpool largely escaped wartime bombing
By the 1940s, Blackpool was so well-regarded that even Adolf Hitler was a fan. That’s according to military documents revealing that Hitler had special plans for Blackpool in the event that he conquered Britain.
These plans included attaching a swastika flag to Blackpool Tower and making the town a go-to holiday retreat for Nazis in need of rest. It all helps to explain why the Luftwaffe avoided bombing Blackpool during World War II.
Has Blackpool since fallen from grace?
Blackpool’s long-prestigious image started faltering around the 1960s, when affordable overseas holidays became increasingly viable for many Brits. In ensuing decades, there was still a market for Blackpool’s classic attractions, but it was largely based on nostalgia.
One saving grace for Blackpool today is the impressive value for money it offers in our economically turbulent times. In the summer of 2024, Blackpool put on a number of free events — and saw monthly visitor numbers peak at 6.8 million.
Blackpool is like a microcosm of how Britain as a whole has developed in recent centuries — from relative obscurity to a cultural powerhouse.
To learn more about this national story, subscribe to the Sky HISTORY Newsletter. You’ll get email updates about shows that — like Blackpool Illuminations — shine brightly and are destined to leave lasting memories as a result.
