A very warm welcome to Lancashire!

Attending this fantastic event doesn’t have to break the bank! Here’s your guide to enjoying Radio 2 in the Park for a lower cost with cheap parking at Fishergate Shopping Centre Car Park.

There's so much going on in Lancashire this weekend including the return of the iconic Blackpool illuminations and the popular Vintage by the Sea. Take a look at the list below for some more exciting events, but for even more ideas check out our events guide here.

Thousands of pounds worth of Lancashire experiences and prizes are up for grabs throughout September as part of BBC Radio Lancashire’s new competition.

A rare opportunity to see thousands of pink-footed geese leaving and returning to roost at WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre, Burscough, awaits visitors of its North West Bird Watching Festival on the 19 and 20 October 2024

What's on at the Winter Gardens Blackpool this September

Following the success from last year’s ‘A Christmas Carol’, this holiday season, the Dukes invites audiences of all ages to embark on a tiny adventure into the world of ‘The Borrowers’ this Christmas from the 22nd November till the 31st December.

Dear Diary... Remember to make it even more of a fun-packed trip to Blackpool Lights this season with top show picks for everyone at the glorious Grand Theatre including the wickedly funny West End smash HEATHERS THE MUSICAL.

Accrington Stanley recently opened its doors for football fans to enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour of the club’s world class facilities.

The beautiful Marine Gardens, Fleetwood plays host to Fleetwood’s Food and Drink Festival on Sunday 1 September from 10am to 4pm.

A handy list of all the fantastic shows taking place at Blackpool Grand Theatre this September.

The St Annes Kite Festival is set to return on the Fylde Coast from Friday 13 to Sunday 15 September, promising a weekend of awe-inspiring aerial displays and family-friendly fun.

Horses and Ponies Protection Association (HAPPA) is thrilled to invite you to an action-packed, fun-filled Family Fun Day that has something for everyone.

A critically endangered Bornean orangutan born at Blackpool Zoo earlier this year has been named Rufus in honour of an organisation that supports children affected by an acute and chronic medical condition.

The first woman singer to win Britain’s Got Talent is joining the Blackpool Illuminations Switch-On party.

Get ready for a lively day out as the Whalley Artisan Market returns this Bank Holiday Sunday, 25th August, offering a vibrant mix of local craftsmanship, gourmet food, and chilled-out tunes.

PHASE 2 GENERAL ADMISSION TICKETS RELEASED THIS FRIDAY AT 5PM, plus an extra 100 VIP tickets will go on sale for the iMEP Music Festival, headlined by global superstar Jess Glynne.

The three nations that will compete in this year’s World Fireworks Championship in Blackpool have been unveiled.

Discover what’s in Angelica Sprocket’s pink pockets as the much-loved children character is brought to life in an outdoor theatre performance at Brockholes.

Thousands of people will flock to Accrington this Saturday as the free-to-attend #AmazingAccrington Soapbox Challenge returns to the town.

The festival is a chance to get involved with lots of family-friendly and creative activities, or you can simply relax and listen to the performers on the music stage, visit a floating museum or browse the arts & crafts on sale at the Makers Market.

Blackpool is preparing for one of the most magical nights in its calendar when, for one night only, the six miles of Promenade will be closed to give cyclists a sneak preview of this year’s Illuminations.

Browsholme Hall's Tithe Barn will be the setting for an early autumn lecture delivered by Neil Whalley on the evening of Tuesday 1^st October.

To celebrate Radio 2 in the Park 2024 coming to Moor Park in Preston next month, Jo Whiley, with a co-host, will broadcast her Radio 2 and BBC Sounds evening show live from a legendary music venue in the city on Thursday 5^th September. 

Visitors to this year’s Vintage by the Sea festival in Morecambe will take a journey through time with a programme celebrating the decades from the Twenties  to the Nineties.

WWT Martin Mere is celebrating a great success as seven bittern chicks hatch for the first time in the reserve’s recorded history.

St. Anne’s on the Sea Town Council are proud to announce the return of the St. Anne’s Music Festival 2024 in Ashton Gardens from 6.45pm Thursday 22^nd to 6pm Monday 26^th August 2024. This FREE event for the residents of St. Anne’s on the Sea is in its 3^rd year.

The stage is set at Blackpool Grand Theatre for unforgettable 130th anniversary dinners this September with extra special guest hosts Jodie Prenger, Steve Royle and Basil Newby MBE

Gareth Gates, Psychic Sally and The Making of a Murderer – The Real Manhunter are just some of the performances that feature as part of Guild Lounge’s events programme running from October 2024 through to March 2025.

Further plans have been announced for the eagerly anticipated Great British Rhythm & Blues Festival, which takes place in Colne over the August Bank Holiday Weekend.

Preston’s free festival of arts and culture, Encounter Festival has launched its programme for 2024

Staying fit and healthy in pregnancy is super important….especially when you are growing a 250lb fetus!

The annual Feast Bowland week returns from the 21st to the 27th of September, offering a week-long celebration of the rich culinary heritage and local produce found across the Forest of Bowland

We'll tell you what we want, what we really, really want

August bank holiday is just around the corner and there's lots to do and see in Lancashire, including a range of exciting events which will be taking place all over the county.

OAK FEST, Lancashire’s newest music festival, was attended by over 2,000 people last month.

Ridgeway Farm is thrilled to announce the launch of its biggest and most intricate Maize Maze to date, in celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) 

The beloved Lytham 1940s Weekend returns on Saturday, August 17, and Sunday, August 18, 2024, bringing the past to life with a rich tapestry of historical reenactments, vintage vehicles, dancing, and more

Stanley House Hotel & Spa is thrilled to announce the launch of its "Great Nights Out" event series, marking the hotel's 20th birthday this September.

Today Michael Harrison and the Really Useful Group are delighted to announce that South Shields-born X Factor winner, Joe McElderry, will next year return to Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, where he is set to perform at Winter Gardens Blackpool from 3rd to 7^th June 2025.

Award-winning singer-songwriter Ella Henderson is to headline the Blackpool Illuminations Switch-On celebrations.

Visitors to Blackpool’s spectacular Air Show weekend will be able to get up close and personal with a Red Arrow jet.

Guests can look forward to the anticipated return of Sunset Screenings, the Dukes’ premier outdoor cinema experience.

A trail highlighting the wonderful wildlife of Wyre’s coastline is launching this week in Fleetwood.

This month sees the launch of a special photography competition to celebrate Bowland as a newly named National Landscape during our 60^th anniversary year.

The Olympics have well and truly started and with Team GB already doing us proud, we already know it's going to be a fantastic year for sport. If watching it has got you in the mood for sport, then Lancashire is the perfect place for you to visit this summer. 

The weekend will be here again before we know it and there's so many exciting events taking place across our county including plenty of family friendly events as well as the return of the fantastic Nestival at Brindle Distillery.

Pop icon and Grammy-nominated artist Kimberly Wyatt is to take the stage at the Blackpool Illuminations Switch-On party.

Bill Kenwright Ltd is proud to announce the cast for the globally acclaimed Ghost the Musical arriving in Blackpool 3-7 December 2024 ahead of a major national tour continuing into 2025.

There's lots going on at Blackpool Grand Theatre this August

Blackpool has unveiled a dazzling array of new, fun-packed features that will grace the 2024 Illuminations display.

Check in to The Grand Theatre if you dare for Joe O’Byrne’s spine-tingling tale of The Haunting of Blaine Manor, back in Blackpool by popular demand from Wednesday 31 July to Saturday 3 August!

The Fort Vale Colne Grand Prix celebrated its 20^th anniversary in style on Tuesday 23^rd July as thousands lined the streets to check out the action.

Whether you take a journey through time, get close-up to nature with your smartphone, or venture out for a guided nocturnal walk, the Festival Bowland events programme is a great way to discover the Forest of Bowland and surrounding countryside.

If you’ve not attended a park show before, it’s a unique experience, where the audience travel around the beautiful Williamson Park in Lancaster, moving to different locations to watch each scene unfold.

August is just around the corner and there's an action-packed calendar of events taking place at the Winter Gardens Blackpool. 

The weekend will be here again before we know it and there's so many exciting events taking place across our county including the return of the popular Chorley Flower Show.

Food lovers of Lancashire and beyond, get ready for an epic day of delicious dishes and drinks as the Colne Food & Drink festival returns to the town centre for its 3^rd year running on Saturday July 27^th. 

Blackpool Grand Theatre is proud to announce its 130th anniversary on Tuesday 23 July, an incredible 43 years after being formally re-opened by His Royal Highness King Charles III (the then Prince of Wales) in 1981.

WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre, Burscough, Lancashire, has introduced a new low-cost entry, as part of its aim to make the centre more accessible and allow people of all ages and incomes to enjoy a great day out, connect with nature and discover the superpowers of wetlands.

School’s out for summer – and Blackpool is rolling out a spectacular programme of free events and affordable entertainment over the holiday period.

International champion and Strictly Come Dancing star NIKITA KUZMIN is thrilled to be presenting his first ever UK solo tour MIDNIGHT DANCER.

The team at Barton Grange Garden Centre in Brock near Preston is celebrating after being named Destination Garden Centre of the Year in the North region at the Garden Centre Association (GCA) Awards.

The Dukes award-winning outdoor walkabout theatre show returns to Lancaster’s Williamson Park tonight as the Dukes present their annual award winning production Alice in Wonderland

Last summer, citizen scientists in Lancashire spotted 11,531 butterflies and day-flying moths during the Big Butterfly Count. Today, wildlife conservation charity, Butterfly Conservation, is issuing a rallying cry to people in the region to help beat that this year.

Bill Kenwright's mutli award-winning production of Willy Russell's international smash hit musical, Blood Brothers, is back in Blackpool this Autumn.

Accrington Stanley will open its doors for free stadium tours this August, with two dates announced for fans to take a closer look around the Wham Stadium.

Carnforth’s Leighton Hall's usually peaceful parkland will be resounding to the roar of high-horsepower machines, with the return of the popular Leighton Hall Motorcycle Hill Climb later this month.

A record number of parks and green spaces across the UK have reached the high standards required to receive a coveted Green Flag Award in 2024, including 67 within Lancashire.

The world’s ‘second best’ Celine Dion coming to Burnley. A Celine Dion tribute act heading to Burnley has proved so convincing she was asked to ‘ghost vocalise’ for the worldwide star known as the ‘Queen of Power Ballads’.

Three Lions on our Prom! Blackpool’s famous Golden Mile is to become a sea of red and white over the weekend to mark England’s bid for European football glory.

Two pregnant elephants at Blackpool Zoo have undergone successful ultrasound scans to check the progress of their calves.

The Muni Theatre, Colne, will be reopening this August with a full Autumn schedule filled with music, west-end stars, children’s favourites, 5-star reviewed comedy and more

With the school holidays underway parents looking to treat their children with a meal out during the summer can head to Marco Pierre White’s restaurant at The Holiday Inn in Blackpool, where they can feed the kids for free.

The very first Technicolour rock ‘n’ roll musical will be screened in Lancaster this July as part of a free event celebrating the Fifties and Sixties.

Chorley Flower Show returns to Astley Park on Friday 26 to Sunday 28 July, bigger and better than ever with brand new attractions and activities fresh for 2024.

The Dukes are excited to announce the launch of their new Autumn/Winter Season. A new season packed with big drama titles, the best comedy, cinema, dance and more!

The Bard meets the best of outdoor theatre in an exciting performance of Shakespeare’s ‘As You Like It’, by Folksy Theatre company.

Radio 2 in the Park is coming to Moor Park, Preston, this September and today the DJ line-up for the three dates is announced, with a host of big names from the Radio 2 presenting family hitting the decks across the weekend, as well as introducing the artists on the main stage.

Looking for all the HOTTEST SHOWS coming to Blackpool in 2025?  

The Darwen Festival of Fun, now in its fourth year, returns to Darwen on Saturday, July 27th. This free event, funded by Darwen Town Council and Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, promises a day filled with family fun, laughter, and culture..

Leighton Hall is delighted to announce the return of The Festival Players for a special evening of Shakespeare in the Garden on Thursday 25^th July, with a performance of Shakespeare's final play, The Tempest.

Dancers of all ages and abilities will be stepping out to celebrate Fleetwood Moves Festival this August.

Cross Hill Quarry nature reserve has seen an area of its precious wildflower meadow dug up to create jumps for mountain bikes.

Forestry England’s Gisburn Forest is gearing up to ignite Olympic-sized excitement in the nation’s forests this summer with a fantastic addition to their beloved Gruffalo 25th birthday trails.

WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre in Burscough has a brand new event this summer and is challenging families to venture around the wetland centre on its first ever Code Breakers Trail.

This weekend Visit Lancashire will be attending the National Festival of Making in Blackburn, where will be showcasing a range of delicious food and drink providers in our Taste Lancashire tent.

TK Maxx presents Lytham Festival will be throwing open the gates early on Saturday so football fans can watch England v Switzerland on the largest outdoor screen in Lancashire.

Escape2Make (E2M), the Lancaster and Morecambe-based youth-led charity, is excited to announce the return of its second Green Festival on Saturday, August 24th, 2024. Following the success of last year's event, this festival promises a day of fun and creativity for 11-18s in Morecambe.

David Ian for Crossroads Live is delighted to announce that The Vivienne will play the role of The Childcatcher in the new production of the most fantasmagorical musical of all time, CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG opening at WINTER GARDENS BLACKPOOL on 10^TH DECEMBER where it plays until 29^TH DECEMBER as part of a UK tour. www.chittyontour.com

What's on this July at the Winter Gardens Blackpool

Elmer’s Big Parade Blackpool came to an epic conclusion at Blackpool Tower last night, as the large sculptures and some surprise lots raised £143,550 for Brian House Children’s Hospice.

Blackpool Grand Theatre July Show listings...

The Spa Hotel at Ribby Hall Village is thrilled to announce that it has been awarded the title of Best Day Spa in the UK for the third consecutive year by the prestigious Good Spa Guide.

Step back in time to the era of Bridgerton and Jane Austen at Lancaster's latest exhibition, which promises to immerse visitors in the regal elegance of the Regency period.

Enjoy a free, family friendly event at the Burnley Canal Festival on Sunday 25 August. Join us at the beautifully refurbished Finsley Gate Wharf and along the towpath nearby.

Fun seeking families who visit Blackpool can enjoy a cut-price meal in the town’s newest restaurant thanks to a deal between Merlin Entertainments (Blackpool) Ltd and Marco Pierre White’s New York Italian.

HAPPA (Horses and Ponies Protection Association) are excited to welcome a new addition to the Farm this summer who doesn’t cost anything to feed.

The BBC’s biggest comedy talent search is back and they’re heading to Lancaster Town Hall, for the Northern Regional Final on 5^th October. 

Nestled in Lancashire’s picturesque Ribble Valley, Whalley is renowned for its historic abbey and stunning views. However, it’s the vibrant monthly Artisan Market that truly brings this village to life, drawing visitors from near and far.