---

The Easter holidays mean it’s the start of the brand new Summer 2023 season in Blackpool, and there’s so much going on across the whole resort that we can’t wait to tell you all about!

 

From magical mini golf to the Gruffalo’s Clubhouse, the return of big cats to Blackpool Zoo to the Ninja Assault Course at Ascent, there’s been over £15 million of investment into Blackpool for 2023. And that’s not forgetting a right royal celebration for the coronation of King Charles III, the Blackpool Air Show, the Fireworks Championships, and of course, Blackpool Illuminations!

 

There is a great selection of amazing West End shows coming to Blackpool’s theatres, new venues, new restaurants, and fun for the whole family.

 

Of course, there’s loads to see and do at Coral Island too, with new games, old favourites, rides, thrills, and the biggest and best Prize Shop in Blackpool! So let’s have a look at what to expect this summer!

 

The Gruffalo & Friends Clubhouse

 

The much-loved characters from the UK’s best-selling children’s author Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler will be making themselves at home on Blackpool’s Golden Mile in May, in the world’s first The Gruffalo & Friends Clubhouse!

 

The brand-new attraction will bring together six of the best-loved stories to create an indoor play adventure the likes of which have never been seen before. Guests will find themselves bristling through the pages of some of their favourite stories, and exploring a magical 3D world, including The Gruffalo’s deep dark wood and Princess Pearl’s castle in Zog.

 

There will be play zones inspired by The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo’s Child, Zog, The Snail and The Whale, Room on the Broom, and The Highway Rat, as well as soft play areas for toddlers.

 

The Pride of Blackpool

 

Opening soon is the new, £1.5 million facility for the big cats at Blackpool Zoo! The African lions and Amur tigers’ old enclosure has been extended and renovated and renamed, creating a new, state-of-the-art facility that better caters to the needs of the powerful big cats.

 

They will have more space indoors and out, improved paddocks and keeper facilities so that they can be provided with the best possible care, and there are new, larger windows providing visitors with a panoramic view of the magnificent lions and tigers!

 

Khari the African lion and Alyona the Amur tiger will be returning soon, and suitable companions are being sought for both, so maybe there could be the arrival of lion and tiger cubs in the future! Fingers crossed!

 

Blackpool Pleasure Beach

 

For thrill-seekers, Blackpool Pleasure Beach has always been a must-visit attraction on Blackpool’s seafront. This year, the famous wooden rollercoaster, The Big Dipper, celebrates 100 years of white knuckle rides, so why not take a ride on this historic rollercoaster?

 

Valhalla also reopens this year, a thrilling wider ride with amazing special effects and extreme elements like no other! Cone and brave the adventure this summer!

 

Ascent Trampoline Park

 

In addition to the trampolines, the climbing wall, and the indoor caving system, Ascent Trampoline Park will have an amazing Ninja-style assault course ready for visitors this summer! There are walls to climb, web towers to grapple with, huge army cargo nets to scramble across, and much more!

 

It’s the perfect destination for active kids who love to climb, crawl, jump and run all day long!

 

Magical Mini Golf

 

We’re happy to welcome some new friends and neighbours to the Promenade, including The Hole In Wand Wizard Golf! You’re sure for a spellbinding adventure as you play nine holes of magical mini golf that takes you through a forest full of venomous snakes, an ancient castle with a magical fountain, a trip to a train station and a chance to visit the magic of York’s mysterious Shambles.

 

At the end of your adventure, you’ll discover if you have gained the magical powers of a Serpent, Basilisk, Unicorn or Wizard and every player will receive a magic potion gift to take home. Meet Grobblenook the Gargoyle in the Wizard Tavern, and enjoy a delicious potion with poisonous options for grown-up spell makers.

 

Shows Galore!

 

There’s a huge selection of amazing shows coming to Blackpool this summer at some of the best venues in the country, including The Winter Gardens, The Grand Theatre, and The Pleasure Beach.

 

Why not get tickets to see Six The Musical, Annie, Shrek The Musical, The Spongebob Musical, The Mousetrap, and a new musical stage adaptation of Winnie The Pooh? There are also some great gigs in town too, including James, Billy Ocean, Joe Bonamassa, The Proclaimers, and Sir Cliff Richard will mark 60 years since his first performance in Blackpool!

 

Fabulous Food

 

New restaurants are opening this summer too, with offerings from Marco Pierre White, Turtle Bay, and the newly-regenerated Abingdon Street Market with multiple food and drink concessions.

 

Of course, Kids Eat Free all day every day, all throughout the season at Coral Island at our participating restaurants, including the mouthwatering three-meat Sunday carvery at The Buccaneer Family Bar & Restaurant, as well as award-winning fish and chips at our eat-in or take-out chippys!

 

A Right Royal Celebration

 

Blackpool will be marking the coronation of King Charles III in style this May, with a magnificent heritage tram parade along the seafront and a Big Lunch outdoor picnic with live entertainment on the Tower Festival Headland on Sunday 7 May. The resort will also take part in the Lighting Up The Nation event that evening with a unique, Coronation-themed Illuminations display.

 

There will also be special events at Coral Island to mark the historic occasion, with special dishes on offer at The Buccaneer and Peggy’s Snack Bar, decorations and bunting all around the arcade, special celebratory souvenirs in the Prize Shop, and exclusive Coronation vouchers to be found in the penny pushers for exclusive prizes! There’ll be party games and special prizes to be won on the Camel derby too! Come and join us for a right royal day of fun!

 

Crowd-Pleasing Events!

 

As always, there is a packed calendar of free events in Blackpool that will keep everyone entertained, including the return of the Red Arrows at the two-day Blackpool Air Show, the World Fireworks Championships, and the award-winning Lightpool Festival

 

The world-famous Illuminations will return at the end of the summer, running from 1 September to 1 January 2024, and the grand Switch-On ceremony will be once again returning to the outdoors, so more people can enjoy the spectacle on the Tower Festival headland after restrictions in previous years meant the switch on and the live entertainment were held indoors.

 

Plan your visit to Blackpool today!

 

There’s still more to come yet, with the opening of the Backlot Cinema & Diner later in the summer, events, shows, and many more things to be announced, so why not start planning your visit to the famous Lancashire seaside town today for a summer of fun!