From variety, musicals and comedy giants to Shakespeare, ballet, drama and dance. Blackpool Grand Theatre caters for every age, pocket and personality. Take a look at what’s coming up and book your tickets today!
- Heritage Tours at Blackpool Grand Theatre
- Friends of the Grand Theatre Coffee Mornings
- Cinderella – Pantomime 2024-25 at Blackpool Grand Theatre!
- What's On at Blackpool Grand Theatre – in 2024
- Cinderella – Pantomime 2024-25 at Blackpool Grand Theatre!
- What's On at Blackpool Grand Theatre – in 2025
- Blackpool is the home of entertainment
Heritage Tours at Blackpool Grand Theatre
Backstage Secrets Tours – 10.30am on 13 Oct & 19 Dec. 90min | £20pp
Stand on the raked stage and discover the backstage workings of theatre. (Tour includes Stalls, Dress Circle, Walkway, Royal Box and Stage Door. Plus Fly Floor, Gallery, Dressing Rooms, Matcham Court & Stage). This tour ends with delicious cake and tea in the Dress Circle Bar.
Grand Opulence Tour – 11am & 12 noon on 21 November. 45min | £12.50pp
Discover the theatres history, front-of-house Grandeur and Opulence. (Tour includes Stalls, Dress Circle, Walkway, Royal Box & Stage Door).
Book your tickets here. Call 01253 290 190 or pop-in to the Box Office to book (& please mention Visit Fylde Coast!)
Friends of the Grand Theatre Coffee Mornings
The Friends of The Grand were formed in 1973 to save Blackpool’s beautiful Grand Theatre from demolition. An independent organisation, it’s provided financial and voluntary support to the theatre for nearly half a century. Early Friends included such names as Violet Carson (Ena Sharples), Alistair Cooke, Leslie Crowther, Tim West and Prunella Scales. Billy Pearce, Johnnie Casson and founding member Sir Ken Dodd OBE. Over the last 25 years, The Friends have contributed in excess of one million pounds towards much-needed Grand Theatre projects. Including the provision of new carpets, seating and technical equipment.
The Friends of The Grand hold a popular monthly Coffee Morning. They take place at 10.30am on the third Thursday of each month. Tickets are £5 and include choice of coffee or tea and a delicious cake selection. Each includes a fascinating live speaker and of course the famous Friends raffle with the chance to snap up some great prizes. Here’s the forthcoming guest speakers!
- 21 November is Pat Abram presenting the 200th anniversary of the RNLI.
Annual membership of Friends of The Grand is just £20, with an under-18s and over-65 price of £10 per year. For more info please visit: www.blackpoolgrand.co.uk/join-and-support-us/how-to-support-us/friends-of-the-grand
Cinderella – Pantomime 2024-25 at Blackpool Grand Theatre!
6 December to 5 January including matinee and evening performances. Accessible performances are also available.
Please call the Box Office on 01253 290190 or visit www.BlackpoolGrand.co.uk for bookings and further information.
Blackpool Grand Theatre announced that TV and stage sensation HAYLEY TAMADDON will be casting an enchanting spell this Christmas as the glittering Fairy Godmother! And Blackpool’s very own Kitty Harris will thrill her millions of TikTok followers as CINDERELLA! She’s digital dynamite, now world famous on TikTok for her hilarious comedy sketches and behind-the-scenes glimpses into daily life. Her unique blend of humour and storytelling hasearned her a whopping 1.2million followers! She’s also trained in musical theatre and has graced the stage in top musicals from Greatest Days to Chicago and is currently starring in the smash-hit UK tour of Burlesque the Musical.
Kitty’s debut on the famous Blackpool Grand Theatre stage marks a special moment in entertainment history. She’ll appear at the very same theatre as her father – the late ventriloquist Keith Harris. He performed to delighted audiences for many years with his hilarious puppets Orville the Duck and Cuddles the Monkey. Keith also still holds the record for the number of seats sold in a summer season at the Grand Theatre for his legendary five-month run in 1983!
Martin Dodd for UK Productions Ltd in association with Blackpool Grand Theatre presents Cinderella Pantomime 2024-5. It’s one of the most enchanting rags-to-riches fairy tales of them all.
Starring Britain’s Got Talent finalist, Comic and Panto favourite Steve Royle as Buttons. Jamie Morris and Tarot Joseph return once more as the incredibly gorgeous Ugly Sisters, Melody and Harmony Hard-Up. PLUS an all-star cast and of course, the Sensational Shetland Ponies…
Blackpool’s No.1 Pantomime, Cinderella, features sumptuous costumes, magnificent scenery and the unmissable and magical rags-to-riches transformation. The fabulous family pantomime at Blackpool’s Grand Theatre is always a laugh-a-minute extravaganza! Enjoy stunning sets, top musical hits, fantastic costumes and exciting special effects for audiences both young and old!
What’s On at Blackpool Grand Theatre – in 2024
Most Haunted: The Stage Show – Tues 19 Nov at 7.30pm
Most Haunted is the original and most successful worldwide Paranormal investigation series ever made and premiers its Spine-chilling theatre show. Go on the darkest, most terrifying journey of your life, presented by Yvette Fielding, the first lady of the paranormal, with Karl Beattie and the Most Haunted team.
You’ll be shaking in your seats as Yvette and the team present MOST HAUNTED’S ALL-TIME TOP 10 SCARES complete with unseen video footage from Haunted Castles, Manor Houses, Hospitals and Prisons. Most Haunted Live will take the theatrical experience to a new level with audience members taken back to the Victorian age of séance and Ouija board and invited to conduct their own ghostly investigation. In this show, no one is safe and “Seeing is believing”
BOOK YOUR TICKETS – Call the Box Office on 01253 290 190. (Please mention you saw it on Visit Fylde Coast!) or visit the website
Rhythm of the Dance Christmas Special – Weds 20 Nov at 7.30pm
Rhythm of the Dance celebrates 25 years of bringing worldwide audiences to their feet and returns to the UK with a brand new Christmas production in 2024.
Join us on this festive journey and let the magic of Christmas begin with all your favourite festive songs performed live by world-class musicians, star vocalists and world-champion dancers. Prepare for a special journey that is Irish in essence with that added touch of Christmas magic.
BOOK YOUR TICKETS – Call the Box Office on 01253 290 190. (Please mention you saw it on Visit Fylde Coast!) or visit the website
Dreamcoat Stars: A Musical Christmas – Sat 23 Nov at 7.30pm
The Dreamcoat Stars return to light up your Christmas! Experience the UK’s biggest night of musical smash-hits and festive classics, in this star-studded concert.
Feel the spine-tingling vocal power of four incredible singers from the global hit show Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat coming together for an unforgettable evening of musical theatre and jingle-bell magic. Packed full of Christmas carols, festive favourites and a sprinkling of musical hits showcased by the stars of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in this seasonal family concert.
Come on a sleigh ride through a hand-picked selection of everyone’s favourite West End and Broadway classics, Les Misérables, The Sound of Music, Dirty Dancing, and West Side Story. As well as beloved yuletide songs and carols with dazzling West End flare, Silent Night, White Christmas, O’ Holy Night, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, and many more. This is a show that will raise your spirits in a night of musical merriment and festive celebration you’ll never forget.
BOOK YOUR TICKETS – Call the Box Office on 01253 290 190. (Please mention you saw it on Visit Fylde Coast!) or visit the website
Here You Come Again – The New Dolly Parton Musical – 26-30 Nov at 7.30pm
PROUDLY PRESENTED BY ARRANGEMENT WITH DOLLY PARTON PRIOR TO WEST END. For the first time ever, all of Dolly Parton’s biggest hits can be experienced together in a rollicking and joyous new musical comedy.
Packed with the iconic songs Jolene, 9 to 5, Islands in the Stream, I Will Always Love You, Here You Come Again and more, this lively and touching new musical tells the story of a diehard fan whose fantasy version of international icon Dolly Parton gets him through trying times. With her wit, humour and charm, Dolly teaches him a whole lot about life, love and how to pull yourself up by your bootstraps…even if your bootstraps don’t have rhinestones! This is one musical that is sure to make you smile.
After several successful productions across the United States, Here You Come Again was originally written by two-time Emmy award-winning comedy and songwriter Bruce Vilanch with Gabriel Barre (who also directs) and Tricia Paoluccio (who also plays Dolly), and has now been adapted for the UK by acclaimed British playwright Jonathan Harvey (Gimme, Gimme, Gimme and Coronation Street).
BOOK YOUR TICKETS – Call the Box Office on 01253 290 190. (Please mention you saw it on Visit Fylde Coast!) or visit the website
Cinderella – Pantomime 2024-25 at Blackpool Grand Theatre!
6 December to 5 January including matinee and evening performances. Accessible performances are also available.
BOOK YOUR TICKETS – Call the Box Office on 01253 290 190. (Please mention you saw it on Visit Fylde Coast!) or visit the website
Strawberry Jack: A Tale from Paradise Heights – 7 & 8 Dec at 7.30pm
From the award winning writer/director of The Haunting of Blaine Manor, written & Directed by Joe O’Byrne. THIS SHOW WILL BE PERFORMED IN THE BLACKPOOL GRAND STUDIO
A childhood accident left Strawberry Jack Grundy horrifically scarred – a wild child that grew into a ferocious man. Once the War Horse of Paradise Heights, recent events have stacked the deck firmly against the One Eyed Jack, doorman of The Ace of Spades Nightclub. He is now a fading shadow of the man he once was. He blames himself for the death of Corny McGeehan and he’s worried about his stepfather, Mel, who says they are being visited regularly – by an angel, an angel named Shirley, an apparition encountered by others on the streets of Paradise Heights. Who, or what, is she?
BOOK YOUR TICKETS – Call the Box Office on 01253 290 190. (Please mention you saw it on Visit Fylde Coast!) or visit the website
I’m Frank Morgan – Rewired: A Tale from Paradise Heights – 14 & 15 Dec at 7.30pm
From the award winning writer and director of The Haunting of Blaine Manor, written & directed by Joe O’Byrne. THIS SHOW WILL BE PERFORMED IN THE BLACKPOOL GRAND STUDIO
Frank’s a hard man in a dirty old town. Loan shark, poker player, owner of The Ace of Spades Club in Paradise Heights. He’s taken on some of the hardest that have ever drew breath, they’ve all ended up broken…or buried. But a new threat has risen, an immigrant crime wave has threatened his position at the top of the hill. Frank’s never been one to walk away from a fight…
Tonight he’s walled up inside his club, and you are trapped in there with him as the ghosts and the demons are queuing up to take him down. But there’s still some bite left in the shark, wounded and raging – he’s at his most dangerous. And waiting in the dark is his toughest opponent of all…
BOOK YOUR TICKETS – Call the Box Office on 01253 290 190. (Please mention you saw it on Visit Fylde Coast!) or visit the website
Grand Christmas Concert – Mon 16 Dec at 8pm
Join us for a truly magical start to your festive season! The beloved Poulton-le-Fylde Brass Band returns to Blackpool’s Grand Theatre for the heartwarming Grand Christmas Concert, hosted by the wonderful Hayley Kay.
This festive tradition is a delight for all ages, offering a perfect evening out for the whole family. With joyful carols and all your favourite Christmas melodies, the Poulton-le-Fylde Brass Band will fill the theatre with the spirit of Christmas in grand style.
Don’t miss this cherished Christmas event – a heart-warming evening to make memories that will last a lifetime!
BOOK YOUR TICKETS – Call the Box Office on 01253 290 190. (Please mention you saw it on Visit Fylde Coast!) or visit the website
What’s On at Blackpool Grand Theatre – in 2025
Romeo And Juliet – Mon 13 Jan at 7.30pm
Raymond Gubbay presents Romeo and Juliet. Varna International Ballet returns for a new season in 2025 brought to life by magical special effects
Shakespeare’s tale of primal passion and timeless tragedy is brought to life by Prokofiev’s soaring score, set in bustling Renaissance Verona and with an emotionally charged choreography that befits the world’s greatest love story. From the grandeur of the masked ball to the intimacy of the lovers’ balcony, this star-crossed story of duels, bitter family feuds and love that cannot be, is unmissable.
Performed by Varna International Ballet. Accompanied by a live orchestra Varna International Ballet Orchestra
BOOK YOUR TICKETS – Call the Box Office on 01253 290 190. (Please mention you saw it on Visit Fylde Coast!) or visit the website
Swan Lake – Tues 14 Jan at 7.30pm
Raymond Gubbay presents Swan Lake. Varna International Ballet returns for a new season in 2025 brought to life by magical special effects
Swan Lake is the greatest romantic ballet of all time is brought to life by Tchaikovsky’s haunting and unforgettable score. From the impressive splendour of the Palace ballroom to the moon-lit lake where swans glide in perfect formation, this compelling tale of tragic romance has it all. From Odile, the temptress in black tulle as she seduces the Prince by spinning with captivating precision to the spellbound purity of the swan queen, Odette as she flutters with emotional intensity, the dual role of Odette/Odile is one of ballet’s most unmissable technical challenges.
Performed by Varna International Ballet. Accompanied by a live orchestra Varna International Ballet Orchestra
BOOK YOUR TICKETS – Call the Box Office on 01253 290 190. (Please mention you saw it on Visit Fylde Coast!) or visit the website
The Nutcracker – Weds 15 Jan at 2.30 & 7.30pm
Raymond Gubbay presents The Nutcracker. Varna International Ballet returns for a new season in 2025 brought to life by magical special effects.
This most famous fantasy ballets for all the family begins as night falls on Christmas Eve. As snowflakes fall outside, the warm glow of the open fire sends flickering shadows across the boughs of the Christmas tree and all the presents beneath. When midnight strikes, we are swept away to a fairy-tale world where nothing is quite as it seems, toy dolls spring to life, the Mouse-king and his mouse-army battle with the Nutcracker Prince and we travel through the Land of Snow to an enchanted place where the magic really begins…
Performed by Varna International Ballet. Accompanied by a live orchestra Varna International Ballet Orchestra
BOOK YOUR TICKETS – Call the Box Office on 01253 290 190. (Please mention you saw it on Visit Fylde Coast!) or visit the website
Blackpool is the home of entertainment
Presiding over it is the ‘Grand’ Old Lady. From opera, ballet and Shakespeare to variety, musicals and comedy giants. The Grand Theatre caters for every age, pocket and personality.
Go into the Victorian auditorium of the Blackpool Grand Theatre and you’ll understand what ‘the glorious Grand’ means. This Frank Matcham designed masterpiece offers ornate, gilded plasterwork, baroque ceiling and cavorting cherubs. The cantilevered balconies give every seat a clear view of the stage.
125 Glorious Years!
The Grade II* listed Grand Theatre celebrated its 125th Birthday in 2019. The doors opened on 23 July 1894 – now one of the few surviving examples of the work of Frank Matcham.
The Grand Theatre has hosted a multitude of stars since its opening. From Lily Langtree to Michael Macintyre, Gracie Fields to Ken Dodd, Arthur Askey to Lee Evans…and the list goes on!
Photo: Sean Conboy
It attracts the very best in award-winning touring companies. Including The National Theatre, English Touring Theatre, The Royal Shakespeare Company, Opera and Ballet International and the Russian State Ballet.
A varied programme
It’s a programme of quality drama, comedy, dance and children’s theatre at The Grand Theater Blackpool. They also play host to the outstanding talents of local performers from groups across Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde.
By the early 1960s theatres across Britain were closing due to loss of audience to television. In July 1972 the then owners, the Tower Company, applied for permission to demolish it. In its place they proposed to build a department store. By then, the theatre is listed as a Grade II* building. So there had to be a full public enquiry.
Early in 1973 the Friends of the Grand Theatre was formed. After legal and financial wrangling, together with EMI and the local council, put together a deal. It involved leasing the theatre for £10,000 per annum and final purchase for £250,000.
- Find out more about the history of this amazing building here
Grand Returns to its Original Footprint – for the first time in more than 40 years
The Friends of The Grand, after thirty-five years of fundraising, have, at last, achieved their long-held ambition to return the Grand Theatre to its original architectural footprint.
When Frank Matcham, the famous Victorian theatre designer, was commissioned to create the Grand Theater Blackpool in 1893 its owner, Thomas Sergenson, briefed him to incorporate a number of small shops on Church Street into the design.
However, back in 1981, when the Friends purchased the Grade II* listed building from the then owners, EMI, these units were not included in the sale. Ever since, the Friends have been saving in a special fund for the day when it might be possible to buy them.
Well, that day has come and John Buck, Chairman of the Friends of the Grand said “it’s like a dream come true. We’ve been saving for this day for years; selling raffle tickets, lapel badges, holding coffee mornings and, even as recently as April we received a bequest from our long-serving Treasurer, Alan Sears, who sadly died earlier this year. It came with the specific instruction that it should only be spent of the purchase of the shops. Alan will be smiling down on us this day”.
Reopening The Grand Theater Blackpool
John was one of the original group who raised the money to save the theatre from demolition in 1973. Along with other passionate and dedicated Friends, he cleaned, repaired and painted in their spare time. They got the building back on its feet ready for its reopening and dedication from HRH The Prince of Wales in 1981.
“We were invited to buy the shops back in the 1990’s” remembers John. “But, back then, the owners wanted more than a million pounds for them. We thought we’d never be able to raise that much. And we were right! Obviously, times have changed, and, thankfully, we’ve been able raise enough to buy them for less than half that price”. With the purchase complete, the deeds of the properties will be donated to the Grand Theatre Trust. The heritage conservation charity which owns and cares for this beautiful historic building.
Roger Lloyd Jones is Chairman of the Trust. He said “there are many, many people who have made this wonderful purchase possible. I would like to thank everyone who has helped. The theatre is now 122 years old and, as you can imagine, needs constant care and attention. We hope the shops will prove an asset to the theatre. It’s a small but much-needed rental income to be re-invested in the upkeep of this precious architectural gem”.
The Friends of the Grand is a registered Charity.
The Friends of the Grand volunteer their services as Front of House staff, envelope-stuffers and runners of the theatre’s coffee stall. Last year, they provided 13,174 hours of voluntary service for the theatre at a value of £88,000.
We Need Your Help
We Need Your Help
