Blackpool's Lightpool Festival gets off to a dazzling start

Blackpool has unveiled an extraordinary programme of light-based art as the annual Lightpool Festival gets underway.

With the main Illuminations season in full swing, the traditional promenade display has been supplemented by a series of amazing light art installations from across Europe.

This year’s festival spans nine nights and features a total of 22 artworks and projection shows, including installations from France, Finland and Spain, as well as 11 brand new creations.

Lightpool, which runs until Saturday 26 October, is free to attend and sees some of Blackpool’s most iconic buildings and outdoor spaces transformed during an event that has grown into one of the UK’s biggest and best.

Supported by Arts Council England, the programme includes a spectacular Art Trail with installations on the Promenade and through the town centre, as well as spellbinding projection shows and live performance.

Speaking at the launch of the festival, held in Blackpool’s new Showtown Museum and attended by several of the artists including Blackpool Illuminations curator Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, and representatives from Arts Council England, Festival Artistic Director Philip Holmes said: “Lightpool Festival cements Blackpool’s position as a global leader in light attractions.

“Thanks to the steadfast support of Arts Council England, we are proud to be the only light sector organisation in their NPO portfolio, empowering us to dream big and invest in ambitious new commissions.

“Our commitment to nurturing artists through development programmes, enables us to bring in fresh talent and offer workshops to those exploring light and digital media for the first time. We take immense pride in championing the significance of Blackpool in the world of illumination.”

This year’s Art Trail includes:

A Kind Of Magic

Created by artist Severi Haapala from Finland, A Kind of Magic plays with optical illusion. It’s a modern version of the 19th-century Pepper’s Ghost illusion, a technique used in theatre, cinema, amusement parks and concerts in which an object off-stage is projected so that it appears to be in front of the audience. Watch in wonder as the magic trick is done and revealed at the same time. 

Flux Extended

Flux was commissioned and created in 2021 as part of the Constellations Festival in Metz, France. Its mutant and modular form has since made it an undisputed success.  Over the last three years, Flux has been in constant demand, appearing on music stages and at artistic events across the world. Its kinetic architecture, composed of lines of dynamic light, is motorized and controlled in real time.

 

Warren Street

This animation brings the magic of nature into unexpected places. Hundreds of light painting exposures are used to create a playful and lively piece where colourful rabbits move across the space and interact with each other.

Somnius

Created by Illumaphonium, a team that has successfully designed, manufactured and toured three large scale interactive musical installations, enjoyed by several million people over four continents. Here, a mesmerising sky of light and sound dances above us in response to our every movement. It presents an unrestricted reimagining of the world.

Supernova

Some stars burn out instead of fading. The super giants destroy themselves in a huge explosion called supernova. For a brief moment, supernovas can be so powerful and luminous that they have been known to outshine entire galaxies. Like the aftermath of an enormous cosmic explosion, the Supernova and surrounding Nova sculptures created by Studio Vertigo will come to life at night in Blackpool’s St John’s Square.

Big Yellow Blobs And The Box That Buzzes

An interactive, immersive artwork designed to transport viewers into an alternate, whimsical reality. This surreal playground is filled with spectacle, illusion, and a hearty dose of silliness. By engaging with the installation through touch, sight and sound, participants become part of the artwork itself.

The World In Your Hand

The World In Your Hands is a surreal, playful exploration of nature. Inspired by Cabinets of Curiosity, manipulated footage morphs a pair of hands into bizarre creatures – squids, sharks, birds and insects. A grotesque, yet disconcertingly, familiar view of the natural world and our connection to it.

Medusae

Are you ready for a fun aquatic adventure? This amazing interactive installation awaits you, featuring the most vibrant and mesmerising jellyfish you've ever seen! Immersed in a sea of colours and light shows, this experience is sure to uplift your spirits and dazzle your senses.

Blackpool Wings

Blackpool Illuminations curator Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen has conceived this piece to create the ultimate selfie opportunity for Lightpool visitors. Art Nouveau inspired fairy wings take inspiration from the historical links Blackpool has forged with the stained glass industry down the years.

Tiffany Lamp

Re-imagined for Lightpool, this is an original feature from the Tiffany Delights roadway section within Blackpool Illuminations, one of the most expensive and magnificent roadway features designed by Graham Ogden and comprising 24 Tiffany-inspired features. It was first installed in 1999.

 

Light Sphere

Created by the super talented team at Studio Vertigo, Light Sphere is a geodesic sphere measuring approximately 4m in diameter and constructed from 240 blown stainless steel triangular forms.

 

Spiro

A family-friendly immersive walk-through sculptural tunnel of light created by Blackpool Illuminations’ own Lightworks team. This 26m-long magical experience is made of individually mapped LEDs that allow complex patterns to dance around the audience.  Get your camera ready and capture the moment.

 

Aqualux Wall

Aqualux is an eye-opening feature with an educational twist. A 16m by 3m creative lighting installation composed of 48 unfilled water containers, which typically hold 1,000 litres of water each, specially adapted to create a stunning light feature.

Tower Projections

Step into a magical world and experience the delightful charm of the Blackpool Tower Projections. Let yourself be captivated by the enchanting display of lights, colours, and music that will transport you to an era full of vintage allure and soothing tunes. Multiple shows start nightly at 6pm.

Tower & Golden Mile Lightshow

Blackpool Tower is emblazoned with a glowing heart and 25,000 lights on the structure. Join us for sensational light show, as the Tower and Golden Mile are brought to life with a sound and light spectacular.

Tickets for the hugely popular Carnival Magic Show in The Blackpool Tower Ballroom have all been allocated, but other live performances and workshops include:

Growth

Hear local poet Nathan Parker’s words, as he teams up with visual artists to create a botanical light projection that grows up the wall behind a temporary public square in central Blackpool.

Glow With The Flow

Come to Showtown, Blackpool’s new museum of entertainment, for a special afternoon of wonder, featuring interactive touch screen sessions that transform short films into multi-sensory adventures. An immersive film experience suitable for all the family, especially our sensory seeking young visitors (ticketed event). Showtown will also be open to visitors every evening during Lightpool Festival.

Lightpool Festival forms part of an extended Illuminations season that started on Friday 30 August and runs until January 5, 2025. For the full festival line-up including details of all installations and artists, please head to www.visitblackpool.com/lightpoolfestival