Before taking over of the Norwood Guesthouse last year, Sharon and I knew Blackpool as visitors. Not regular visitors as we were living in Stratford-upon-Avon at the time but enough to get to know the resort character and liveliness. That is why we kept coming back as a couple and with our children. Now that we live and work here, the truth is that Blackpool has so much to offer for all types of guests, all year long and regardless of their age.
This makes Blackpool very unique, and this is why we think that the bid for Blackpool 2029 as UK City of Culture is the best.
Why Blackpool is the perfect fit for UK City of Culture 2029
Holiday Making Capital
Blackpool can be considered as the cradle of holiday-making in 19th century England. It was offering then affordable, working-class entertainment to booming industrial and cotton-mill towns in Lancashire and Yorkshire. Crowds were coming for fun from Manchester, Liverpool, Bolton, Blackburn, and Preston. Today, we still see a fair amount of visitors from these areas.
Scotland also carries on sending a fair contingent of holiday makers. That goes back to when ship-building workers on the Clyde river were flooding down for the Glasgow Fair Fortnight. Hoteliers still refer to it as the Scottish week-end, it is good fun in September each year. If you want to book a room then, here is the best rate link for the Norwood Hull Road.
Showbiz Heritage
With this amount of visitors, the town had to provide entertainment hubs like the Winter Gardens (150th anniversary in 2028), The Blackpool Tower (135 years old in 2029), and the Grand Theatre.
These landmarks align perfectly with Blackpool 2029 Bid for UK City of Culture. But most of all is the 150 Years of the Blackpool Illuminations: that probably is the centerpiece for the anniversary of the world’s first free light show. And we know it matters to guests as we are fully booked for 2026 and 2027 on those dates. Please reserve early if you want a good spot for the 2028 Illuminations anniversary.
Resort Extraordinaire
To cater for masses, smaller towns will have to construct new infrastructure to host nationwide events. Blackpool already attracts millions of visitors annually for global events like the Rebellion festival and World Dance Line Championships. For these and Blackpool 2029, there is hotel capacity, transport links, and large-scale venues to host UK City of Culture 2029.
Regeneration and Impact
Just like Coventry and Hull, both UK City of Culture in the past, this will help rejuvenate Blackpool. Let’s be honest, the English seaside resort has been faced with socio-economic challenges since holidaymakers started shifting their habits in the 60s and 70s. Indeed it had become affordable to fly to the Mediterranean where the sunshine is guaranteed.
The £10 million ticket will definitely boost long-term regeneration, job creation and public places improvements. Plus Blackpool already proved that it can be done with a recent history of government developments: the DWP Civil Service Hub in 2025 and the new MOD Building due to open next year.
Global City of Culture
Our guests come from all over the world and they said it all! Whether it is for dance, music or plays, they love coming to Blackpool for that special and unique event. When we asked them what they thought of the Blackpool bid, this is what they answered.
Jean-Claude and Anne-Sophie, Line Dancing World Champions 2026:
“Blackpool venues are top-class for highly competitive dancers, that is why our organization picked the Winter Gardens in the first place. Dance is in the DNA of the town. It is a dream come true to perform in such a historic venue. Blackpool would be perfect for this yearly cultural event.“
Richard and Lisa, Rebellion 30th anniversary:
“Let’s put it simply, there is nowhere else in the world where you have such a great line-up for live punk music! We have been coming for years and each year, there is something new. That is why more and more punk fans visit Blackpool in August. And yes, punk is a big part of the UK Culture still, nowadays.“
John, Blackpool Magic Conference 2026:
Magicians around the world come to Blackpool for the biggest conference of this kind in the world. All the hotels and bars nearby make it simple for us to enjoy our stay and rest. I have no doubts that Blackpool can cope with extra visitors all year, good luck Blackpool!
How can you help?
If you love Blackpool as we do, please consider backing the bid at www.blackpool2029.co.uk. We know you will find plenty of good reasons in your own words to make 2029 a historical year for Blackpool.