Shows at Promenade

Military jets, historic warbirds and aerobatic display teams perform over Blackpool's seafront, with the Tower as a backdrop. Free to watch from the Promenade — the town launched the world's first official air show back in 1909.

Category

Free

A night-time 10K and 5K along Blackpool Promenade, passing the Tower and Pleasure Beach after dark. Chip-timed, family-friendly and run in aid of Trinity Hospice, with a medal for every finisher.

Category

Free, Sport

For one evening the Promenade closes to traffic and thousands of cyclists get a sneak preview of the Illuminations before the official switch-on. Ride any stretch of the six-mile route from Starr Gate to Red Bank Road — free, no booking needed.

Category

Free

Blackpool's Illuminations season kicks off with a free open-air concert on the Tower Festival Headland, headlined in 2026 by Five, The Feeling and Lucy Spraggan. Entry is by free ticket ballot (closes 9 August), and the night ends with the famous flick of the switch lighting up six miles of Promenade.

The Tower Festival Headland becomes a free festive village with an outdoor ice rink, log-cabin market stalls, giant light installations and hourly 'snowfalls' beneath the Tower. Open daily from noon to 9pm throughout the season (closed Christmas Day).

A flat, fully traffic-free two-lap course along the seafront promenade — a favourite for PB chasers. Starts at 9am with water stations every three miles, chip timing and a finishers' medal, alongside a half-marathon on the same festival weekend.

Category

Sport

Run, jog or walk 10K along Blackpool's traffic-free promenade, starting at the Savoy Hotel and heading south past the Pleasure Beach before turning for home. Open to ages 11+ with a wheelchair category, and every entry supports Trinity Hospice's care services.

Category

Charity, Sport

More from Promenade

An evening 10K along the promenade in the shadow of Blackpool Tower, raising money for Cancer Research UK. The double-lap course is fast and flat, everyone gets a medal, and runners, joggers and walkers are all welcome.

Category

Charity, Sport

More from Promenade