Blackpool gets set for return of Christmas by the Sea

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas on Blackpool seafront with the countdown underway for the return of a spectacular outdoor festive village.

Christmas By The Sea will open on Friday (November 17), with a thrilling range of new festive family attractions - plus extended opening hours for the free skating rink, which will open every day until January 1 (barring Christmas Day).

The official opening will take place at around 5.30pm on the Tower Festival Headland, which will be transformed into a winter wonderland.

The opening event will feature a festive performance from the students at Scream Theatre Schools, followed by a skating performance with children from the Blackpool Ice Drome Charities Association (BIDCA) and young skater Amelia Kislitsyn performing a special routine before the rink is opened to the public.

With the free-to-use skating rink as its centrepiece, the village includes festive light installations and projection shows, themed log cabins, artificial snowfalls, Christmas trees and tram rides.

The village will also see themed children’s attractions including a new 100ft-long snow slide and the return of the Star Flyer, which, at 196ft tall, is one of Europe’s tallest swing rides.

Last year, Christmas By The Sea, which is staged on the headland opposite The Blackpool Tower, delivered the highest visitor numbers ever recorded on the seafront during the winter months.

The staging of the village is in association with the Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID), Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Triangle Attractions.

The village will be complemented by a full Illuminations display along the seafront after VisitBlackpool announced earlier this year that the Illuminations would once again be extended by two months to run from September 1 through to January 1. The annual display includes nightly projection shows on the front of The Blackpool Tower, sponsored by Northern Rail.

Cllr Lynn Williams, Leader of Blackpool Council, added: “The opening weekend of Christmas By The Sea promises to be a really special one.

“Not only will we see the opening of the free rink and some fabulous family attractions, it coincides with the return of BBC’s Strictly to the Tower Ballroom. “It is a glorious opportunity for Blackpool to be showcased as the home of ballroom dancing and the UK capital of affordable family fun.”

Full details, including opening times of the rink and other attractions