The lights illuminating Blackpool prom since 1879

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Image source, Showtown Blackpool
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The Illuminations (pictured in June 1893 when Blackpool Tower was being built) started in 1879 with eight arc lamps erected on 60ft (18m) poles along the seafront. At a time when people still lit their homes with candles, locals and tourists alike marvelled at the "artificial sunshine"
Image source, Showtown Blackpool
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By 1912, huge numbers people flocked to the resort to see the lights display when the promenade and Blackpool Tower - which was completed in 1894 - were decorated with 10,000 lights.
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The Illuminations had an 11-year break following the outbreak of World War One in 1914 but made a dazzling return in 1925 with lights stretching several miles along the Promenade from Manchester Square to Cocker Square.
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After World War Two and the austerity in the four years that followed, the Illuminations did not return to Blackpool until 1949. The Jubilee Gardens near the Savoy Hotel - pictured in 1952 - shows how the display evolved at Queen's Promenade.
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The number of lights continued to increase - as shown in this dazzling display from 1969
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Some of the world's biggest stars have switched on the lights including Hollywood star Jayne Mansfield in 1959 and rock star Robbie Williams in 2010
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This year Olly Murs - who also performed at the switch-on event in 2010 when his friend Robbie Williams flicked the famous switch led the countdown
Image source, Blackpool Council
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Who doesn't get excited when they see an illuminated tram during the Illuminations?
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Celebrity designer Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen has a special affinity with the Illuminations. The creative curator has been designing works for Blackpool's lights display since 2007 and he even stepped in to switch them on in 2022 when comedian Johnny Vegas had to pull out of the switch-on ceremony.
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The lights traditionally shone from the end of August until the beginning of November but in 2020 following the Covid pandemic they were extended for the festive season to boost the town's economy. This new tradition continues

27 September 2025, 07:20 BST

They started back in 1879 with eight carbon arc lamps and were described as "artificial sunshine".

From humble beginnings, Blackpool Illuminations grew into six miles (9.5km) of immersive light and art displays and almost 150 years on they still attract millions of visitors to the resort.

The famous Illuminations switch-on ceremonies which date back to 1934 are still one of Blackpool's busiest weekends of the year.

We take a look back at how the lights display which now runs from September to the first week of January has evolved over the years.

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