Ride the Lights 2024

Get on your bike for Ride The Lights!

Ride the Lights is the fabulous, traffic free way to preview the Illuminations! Get on your push bike or pull on your walking shoes for the brilliant car free evening at Blackpool Illuminations.

It’s one of your favourite annual events, held on Tuesday night the week before Switch On. It’s your invite to a full and FREE preview, just three days before the Lights officially go on!

Bikes of all shapes and sizes can take advantage of the seafront route in a free family event that is suitable for all ages. With the Promenade closed to traffic from 6.30pm until 10.30pm, Ride the Lights event starts at 7pm and finishes at 10pm. You can participate at any time during that period – join the event at either the Starr Gate or Red Bank Road gateways to the promenade.

It’s Ride the Lights Night!

Tuesday 27 August 2024

It’s a great, FREE fun family evening out that’s absolutely full of atmosphere. People young and old, who live here or visit, all come along to enjoy being part of the evening.

Take a look at what to expect –

In 2021, the ‘Tea Boys’ from Brew at 2 went along and made their first ever video!

Have a look at our gallery of 2018 photos here

Ride the Lights, a fun evening for all the family, on foot or on a push bike
Ride the Lights, a fun evening for all the family, on foot or on a push bike

Road Closures for Ride the Lights

Officials close the Promenade throughout the full length of the Illuminations, usually between 6pm and 10pm on the night.

Yellow signs and cones appear from tea time, with traffic diverted off the Promenade between Red Bank Road at Bispham and Squires Gate Lane at Blackpool South Shore.

If you’re travelling north to south that day it’s best to use the back roads. Traffic is diverted along Fleetwood Road, Devonshire Road, Whitegate Drive, Waterloo Road and St Annes Road to Squires Gate Lane.

Get on your Bike and Ride the Lights!

Everyone looks forward to Ride the Lights on the Tuesday night before the big Switch On! Cycle as much or as little of the route as you like. Or come along for a walk to soak up the atmosphere. There’s no sense of competition about it – it’s just a race to have fun!

The Blackpool Illuminations always have to be checked and tested ahead of Switch On night. It makes for a great opportunity for us to enjoy them. Now it’s a great big, free event for all of the family. And with the promenade completely closed to traffic, it’s the one day of the year when you can safely ride your bike down the middle of the road.

Ride the Lights, traffic free preview of Blackpool Illuminations
Ride the Lights, traffic free preview of Blackpool Illuminations

Join the route anywhere between Starr Gate at South Shore and Red Bank Road at Bispham in the north. It’s still light when the promenade is first closed to traffic. The event gets really busy, right from the beginning. Tens of thousands of cyclists congregate at Blackpool Promenade for the annual Ride the Lights event. It’s a really big thing, that holidaymakers, Fylde Coast residents and visitors all enjoy.

Ride or walk in either direction and join at any point on the promenade. It’s just about fun and atmosphere so enjoy as much or as little of the route as you want to.

Ride the Lights, a fun evening for all the family, on foot or on a push bike
Ride the Lights, a fun evening for all the family, on foot or on a push bike

Light Yourself up for Ride the Lights

Get into the spirit and light yourself up for Ride the Lights!

Light yourself up for Ride the Lights
Light yourself up for Ride the Lights

Honestly, anything goes, so go to town with your own personal light show and really get into the spirit of the event. Lots of people wear fancy dress, and decorate their bikes with all kinds of lights. You’ll see lots of interesting sights on the night!

Light yourself up for Ride the Lights
Light yourself up for Ride the Lights

Stop at the Comedy Carpet at Tower Festival Headland with the other thousands of cyclists, to admire each others creations!

Aerial view of Ride the Lights 2016, credit Photo Wings
Aerial view of Ride the Lights 2016, credit Photo Wings

Book your stay with the Visit Fylde Coast and StayBlackpool accommodation guide. Know that you’ll have a great place to stay with a choice of Trusted accommodation.

All the properties listed on the Visit Fylde Coast websites by StayBlackpool are annually inspected. This means that you can book with confidence, safe in the knowledge of a great stay.

Bookings from these sites are also zero commission. This means that more of the money from your booking helps to support the local economy.

Search for Accommodation

Accommodation you can trust from StayBlackpool

Arrival Date:
Type:
Area:
Keyword:

Bike Safety for Ride the Lights

In order to keep safe on your bike, there are a few things to remember:

  • All bikes should have safety lights
  • Cycle helmets are advised for all riders
  • Children must be accompanied by a responsible adult
  • The tramway will be operational throughout the ride so DO NOT cycle on it
  • Marshalls and first aiders will be on hand along the route
  • Support vehicles will be on hand to assist with bike breakdowns
  • The road will be closed from 6pm and will re-open to traffic at 10pm. Try to plan your ride to reach your destination by 10pm and be aware of traffic after this time
  • Access to the Pleasure Beach is at the North Gate, to cycle North to South only through the Park, with no access for pedestrians just cyclists. Please note, rides will not be open during this time.

While you’re here…

Love Blackpool and the Illuminations? Sign up for your email newsletter. Packed full of interesting things it arrives in your inbox all 52 weeks of the year.

Join us on Facebook at our Visit Fylde Coast Facebook Group and follow us on Twitter @visitFyldeCoast
Plus hundreds of videos to watch on our YouTube channel – from all over the Fylde Coast!

Booking a stay? Pick a safe, clean and legal place to stay, at the very best price. Book with the Visit Fylde Coast and StayBlackpool guide.

What do you think? Leave a comment below

Share on

9 thoughts on “Get on your bike for Ride The Lights!”

  1. Is it ok to push a wheelchair as we don’t cycle and my wife can’t walk too far but we would love to take part

          1. Does that include e-bikes as I’m 65 and was planning on bringing it across on the train so I could participate?

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Most Recent

Recent Updates from Local Businesses

Scroll to Top