New Illuminations for 2021

After a year of Covid we’re all ready to enjoy the Lights! And there’s plenty of new illuminations for 2021. It’s going to be an exciting season! Above photo: Sean Conboy

New Illuminations for 2021

Take a look at the new features and collaborations that will be in this year’s Blackpool Illuminations display. We went for a walk along Blackpool seafront on Monday 23 August as set-up installation was getting underway –

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Designer Style

Two of Britain’s leading designers are preparing to bring a unique twist to Blackpool’s annual Illuminations display.

Blackpool-born Jack Irving is best known for creating wildly-theatrical outfits for Lady Gaga. He’s created Astral Dreams, a stunning new laser-mapped show, projected nightly on to the front of The Blackpool Tower building.

Meanwhile, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, is the Illuminations’ creative curator and star of Channel 4’s new remake of Changing Rooms. He’s re-imagined the popular water feature from South Beach. Turning it into Venus Remixed – a drag-themed sound and light show.

These two new features are being unveiled on Switch On night, when Strictly’s head judge, Shirley Ballas, flicks the switch. And, of course, 2021 is only the second time in history that the famous lights have shone throughout the Christmas period!

Jack and Laurence’s designs are just two of the exciting features in the 2021 display. Others include a series of interactive new light-based installations on the Tower Festival Headland, the return of the hugely-popular Spitfire Island and a recreation of a historic section of lighting that was first visited by royalty more than a century ago!

Projection Shows on The Blackpool Tower

The new Astral Dreams laser show created by Jack will transform The Blackpool Tower building. It becomes a sea of light, sound and colour when five high-powered lasers beam on to the historic frontage. The air comes to life with a new soundtrack composed by local music composer and producer, George Cornes.

Jack explains “The show is a journey through light and sound. It’s a depiction of the abstract visions we have when we dream. It’s so incredible to work on this laser show. To be able to use the Blackpool Tower building as our canvas for the installation is just amazing.”

Jack says “The Blackpool Illuminations are a huge part of my life. They have been since I was a child growing up here. The lights were always such a huge driving inspiration behind my work – they mean so much to me.”

George Cornes, composer of the new soundtrack, is also local, based in Lytham St Annes. He added: “The Astral Dreams project has brought together a group of artistic-minded people to create this laser show. It’s unlike anything Blackpool has ever seen before. The original musical scores and tailored laser programming create a unique experience.”

Venus Remixed

Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen originally created The Venus Reborn tableau at South Beach in 2008. It featured Greek gods, a gigantic water tank and LED lighting.

Fast forward to 2021 and it’s back with a glamorous makeover as Venus Remixed, featuring three giant digital screens. Inspiration comes from local drag talent and it incorporates a brand new sound and light show every 10 minutes.

Laurence said: “Turning the lights on has always inspired an optimism and positivity of which Blackpool is understandably proud. But this year, perhaps more than any other year, switching on Blackpool Illuminations is important. It marks a moment of brightness as the country moves into autumn and winter.”

New Light Installations and Selfie Moments

Head for the seafront and look at the new light-based installations on the Tower Festival Headland. Guaranteed to provide you with some unique selfie and Instagram moments, they include:

Spiro Light Tunnel: An immersive walk-through tunnel of light spanning more than 25 metres created with individually-mapped LEDs that create an extraordinary lighting effect. First unveiled at the resort’s Lightpool Festival two years ago, it returns to the seafront for the full Illuminations season.

Sandcastle & Beach Balls: Two giant pixelated beach balls – seven metres tall to be exact – on the Golden Mile between the RNLI lifeboat house and the iconic Comedy Carpet. 7,000 tiny lights make up each ball! It’s a walk-through experience and a fun photo opportunity.

Located at Tower Festival Headland, the laser show projection trailer is also being transformed… It’s going to be an illuminated sandcastle – and watch out for the giant deckchair too!

I Love BPL Installation: Show (and share) your love for Blackpool with this specially-commissioned installation. It’s eight feet tall and made at Lightworks, the home of Blackpool Illuminations. It uses traditional manufacturing methods and lamps.

Other features to watch out for in 2021 include:

Princess Parade: The closest to our modern-day Illumination displays first appeared in May 1912. They commemorated Blackpool’s first royal visit, when Princess Louise opened the new section of promenade named after her – Princess Parade.

Nearly 110 years later, Princess Parade still holds its original place in the Illuminations. Look out for the revamped display. It’s been completely relit using traditional tungsten lamps. See how it looked during that special royal visit, all those decades over a century ago.

Spitfire Island: Back by public demand, a replica Spitfire returns to Gynn roundabout courtesy of Blackpool’s Hangar 42 Visitor Centre. The fighter plane will be tastefully illuminated once again this year with sweeping search lights.

Have a good look around this iconic flying machine –

Thanks to this years Sponsors

BIG thanks go to this year’s commercial sponsors which include:

• Access Fylde Coast; Affinity Lancashire; Barclaycard; Beaverbrooks; Better Start; City Fibre; Comedy Station; Coral Island; Fox Brothers; Fylde Coast Women’s Aid; Hangar 42 Visitor Centre; Hikvision; Houndshill Shopping Centre; Nickelodeon; Northern Rail; Partington’s Holiday Parks; Sooty; White Ribbon.

Featuring at Blackpool Illuminations 2021

• This year’s Illuminations season runs every night from Friday 3 September, 2021 to Monday 3 January, 2022. Click here for daily switch on times.

• The return of Ride The Lights, a unique opportunity to cycle along a traffic free promenade and get a sneak preview of the 2021 Illuminations. The free event takes place on Tuesday 31 August.

• The annual Illuminations Switch-On concert is in the Blackpool Tower Ballroom for the first time. Watch the concert on Friday 3 September live-streamed free of charge online.

• The World Fireworks Championship Blackpool is back for 2021. Enjoy free events on alternate Saturdays on the seafront. September 11 and 25, and October 9 and 23

• The return of the annual Lightpool Festival, a free programme of events running over 16 nights from October 15-30. The award-winning festival features a spectacular mix of light-based sights. Enjoy art installations and live performances. Parades, lasers and 3D projection shows. Plus a host of family-friendly activities.

• The biggest programme of Christmas entertainment that the resort has staged in years. There’s the Illuminations throughout November and December. An indoor festive market at the Winter Gardens. The Christmas By The Sea village with skating rink, and light projection shows. Traditional pantomimes and Christmas shows. And for the first time outside London, the FriendsFestive exhibition. Celebrate all the best seasonal moments from the hit TV show.

Arts Lottery Award for New Illuminations for 2021

Blackpool Illuminations is delighted to have secured an Arts Lottery Award for new Illuminations Commissions. The £48k Arts Council national arts lottery award will deliver an exciting new artists’ research and development programme. New works will be created for the Illuminations, Grundy Art Gallery and Lightpool Festival.

It includes working in collaboration with the Grundy Art Gallery and international artist Dr Chila Kumari Burman (more below). The new co-commission will become part of the gallery’s contemporary light collection.

Artist in Residence

Also, as part of the programme, there’ll be an artist in residence at Lightworks. Plus a series of digital commissions to create new work for the promenade, The Blackpool Tower and St John’s Square.

An Astonishing Piece!

Chila Kumari Burman is working with Blackpool Illuminations and the Grundy. She said “I just can’t believe I’m going back to Blackpool after 40 years to see the lights again. I still can’t believe I’ll be exhibiting there. I’m lost for words!

“It’s gonna be a magical trip. I’ll make an astonishing, dynamic piece.”

Paulette Brien, Curator at the Grundy added: “We’re really looking forward to working with Chila this year.  Her work is thoughtful yet playful, complex yet accessible. We know that it’s vibrancy will excite and engage our audiences. “

Watch out for the reveal of these new light installations during the Illuminations season.

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