Blackpool's Lightpool Festival 2023: Everything you need to know about the award-winning event including dates, times and venues

What is the Lightpool Festival?

Lightpool Festival celebrates all things art, light, music and projection in the home of world's most famous light festivals Blackpool Illuminations.

This year it will feature a spectacular array of international works with world premieres and installations never before seen in the UK, including artworks from Australia, France, the Netherlands and Spain, this year’s event promises to be the most visually spectacular light festival ever!

When will it take place this year?

This year's festival, will run over nine nights from 20-28 October, which will see outdoor spaces and iconic buildings transformed by spectacular light works between 6pm-10pm.

The festival programme will be complemented by the world-famous Blackpool Illuminations, the Lightpool 3D projection shows, which will be projected each night onto The Blackpool Tower building, and the grand finale of the World Fireworks Championship Blackpool.

Where is the free art trail?

Every year, Lightpool Festival offers a fantastic free Art Trail suitable for all ages.

The festival began in 2016 as a way to celebrate the Illuminations by bringing contemporary light and fire artists to Blackpool.

It subsequently went on to win the Large Tourism Event at the Lancashire Tourism awards in 2017.

The Lightpool’s Art Trail will be split into four zones.

Zone One

Location: Tower Festival Headland

Take your place on the Tower Festival Headland to immerse yourself in a series of gripping Tower Projections and, at select intervals, The Blackpool Tower will be brought to life with a sound and light spectacular.Grab a bite to eat or a hot drink and experience Odyssey, the largest 3D installation ever seen in the Blackpool Illuminations display, watch in awe as inflatable tentacles invade the Tower building or match your heartbeat to the ethereal Parabolic Lightcloud.

Zone Two

Location: St John's Square

After experiencing the buzz on the Tower Festival Headland, stroll over to Zone Two around St John's Square. View a giant ball of wool made up of neon yarn, explore musical theory at Polyrhythms and discover the curiosities exhibited in a cage.

Zone Three

Location: Winter Gardens and Victoria Street

This zone brings an explosion of colours. Look out for Supercube, a cube made up of 448 glass jars each containing a miniature tableau, Laurence Llewlyn-Bowen's first ever digital installation and be dazzled by Medusae.

Zone Four

Location: Talbot

Take a moment at Firefly, a mesmerising light installation simulating the movements of nocturnal insects, then head up Talbot Road to Sacred Heart Church where you will find Seraphic, then wander up to Bickerstaffe to see Lightpool favourites Aqualux and Big Bird.

What live performances will be on offer?

Prepare to be amazed by a selection of gripping performances – from the carnival magic of Global Grooves, an explosion of dance, music and colour, to the Butterfly Ball with Silent Disco, new to this year’s Lightpool Festival.Plus, why not stop by and embrace the finale of the annual World Fireworks Championship at Blackpool Tower Festival Headland on Friday, October 20.

You can find out more about Lightpool Festival by clicking HERE.