Public Artworks in Blackpool

Have noticed that the town centre, promenade and busy areas of town are brightened up with public artworks in Blackpool? Find them inside buildings and outside in the street – pause to look next time you spot one!

Public Artworks in Blackpool

There’s a wide variety of shapes and styles – some modern others traditional. They enhance the environment and support ongoing highways and shop front investment taking place to make the town more attractive to shoppers, residents and investors. They’re usually paid for with grant funding.

In the Town Centre

Blackpool’s Fancie Bench

Have you spotted this sweet bench design in King’s Square? Designed by children from St John’s Church of England Primary School it’s located near to their school at Church Street.

The contemporary design, named the ‘Fancie Bench’ because of its resemblance to Mr Kipling’s famous fondant fancies, is the creation of local artist, Tina Dempsey. She secured the commission through an open competition for artists to submit their ideas for public art works.

The project was a collaborative effort with the Blackpool Illuminations team who put their specialist skills into practice to fabricate the work. The skilled team at the towns Lightworks Depot first cast the fibreglass shell. Then Tina and artists from the Illuminations team hand painted the designs using an overhead projector to transfer the individual features onto the body of the bench.

A second, similar bench, is also installed at nearby Edward Street.

Mermaid at Talbot Square

Cast from a 3D scan of a real-life Blackpool girl, is this mermaid sculpture at Talbot Road. Find her opposite North Pier where she proclaims a story of hope for the future. More about the mermaid at Talbot Square here.

Street Art

All around Blackpool you’ll find large-scale pieces of street art (more here), all painted by different artists. Some date back to the Sand, Sea and Spray Festival – but all of them are striking and unmissable. This one is adjacent to Nando’s window, opposite the entrance to the Grand Theatre.

Church Street

This stunning piece is in St John’s Square, outside the church. A diver freefalls from a huge rippling steel wave, with bubbles below.

Neatby Panels

You need to know where these are before you’ll know how to find them – they’re not something you’ll stumble upon. A series of beautiful, original art-deco tiled panels, they’re inside Quilligan’s cafe at St John’s Square, Church Street. More about the Neatby Panels here.

Morecambe and Wise

Tow of the UK’s favourite comedians, immortalised in a beautiful bronze sculpture, on view for everyone to enjoy. Find them forever laughing in the entrance to the Floral Hall at the Winter Gardens. More about the Morecambe and Wise statue here.

Grundy Art Gallery

An attractive and period building in its own right, the Grundy Gallery also houses its own permanent collection. Throughout the year you can visit the galleries and enjoy visiting exhibitions from modern and contemporary artists. More about the Grundy here.

At the Seafront

Comedy Carpet

This is certainly the largest of the public artworks in Blackpool, covering a huge section of Tower Festival Headland outside the Blackpool Tower. The Comedy Carpet immortalises gags, jokes and comedians through the ages and you’ll always see something new! Much more about the Comedy Carpet here.

New South Promenade Artwork Trail

This is a great place for a walk, all through the year. Enjoy the big wide skies and loads of space on the promenade and beach. As you walk from Squires Gate to the Pleasure Beach you’ll also pass the various large scale pieces of the New South Promenade Artwork Trail. The centrepiece of which is the beautiful mirror ball – official name ‘They shoot horses don’t they’. All about the New South Promenade Artwork Trail here.