29th August - 3rd November 2008

Blackpool Illuminations 2008 Switch On Show

The line up for the 2008 Switch On concert has been announced and what a line up it is! Headlining the show will be Boyzone with Scouting for Girls, David Jordan, Sarah Whatmore, Mama´s Gun, Billium, Janice Long will be presenting the BBC Radio 2 live show from Blackpool with the show build up by Blackpool North Pier´s Joey Blower. The Switch On show starts in the afternoon on the 29th August and it´s FREE! The Concert arena for 2008 is located close to Blackpool Tower just behind the Sealife Center and the Dr Who exhibition in the central car park.

Boyzone

If you failed to notice Boyzone reformed in late 2007 with all the original members, Ronan Keating, Stephen Gately, Mikey Graham, Keith Duffy and Shane Lynch. Boyzone have spend 2008 on a 29 day tour of the UK which will finish on 23rd August in Carlisle, just days before their appearance at the Illuminations Switch On show. They are due to release a new single called "Love you anyway" in September so hopefully they will give the Blackpool crowd a rendition of it. They will also release a greatest hits album in October. Some of their hits include "Love Me for a Reason", "Father and Son", "Words", "A Different Beat", "All That I Need", "When the Going Gets Tough" and "You Needed Me". Boyzone have a few tour dates available so if you cant wait till the 29th August to see them have a look here for ticket and venue information.

Scouting for Girls

Following their recent appearance at T in the Park and their UK number 1 album "Scouting for Girls" they will be entertaining the Blackpool Illuminations Switch On crowd on the 29th August. The band formed in 2005 and consists of Roy Stride, Greg Churchouse bass guitar and Peter Ellard on drums. They have had hits such as "She´s So Lovely", "Elvis Ain´t Dead" and "It´s Not About You". Scouting for Girls are currently on a UK tour dates and tickets can be found here.

Janice Long will be presenting BBC Radio 2´s live show from the stage in Blackpool will start at 8:30pm till 9:30pm with the Illuminations to be switched on by the BBC´s Top Gear Team at approximately 9:25pm

Supporting Acts

In addition to Boyzone and Scouting for Girls, David Jordan, Sarah Whatmore, Mama´s Gun, and Billium will also be performing in the run up to the BIG Switch On.

David Jordan

At only 21 this singer, songwriter and natural, live performer is throwing contemporary British pop in exciting new directions with searing rock guitars, throbbing party rhythms, blissful melodies and charismatically executed nods to his own childhood idols. His hits include "Sun Goes Down", "Place in My Heart" and his recent album "Set the Mood".

Sarah Whatmore

Sarah first came to our screens in 2001 on Pop Idol, she didn't´t get through to the last 10 but did get two proposals! The first was from Simon Cowell and it was a proposal of marriage, the second from another Simon. This time it was Simon Fuller offering her a recording contract that she accepted. During the creation of her first album "Living Proof" and the subsequent release of the first single "When I Lost You" which reached number 6 in the UK charts that she realised that it was becoming more about her images than the music. She decided not to release the album and instead to concentrate on her first love, writing songs which she had been ding since she was 14.

Since then she has been working very hard writing and has come back to performing her songs as she is so passionate about them. Her album "Time To Think" is just that, since the nation was first introduced to Sarah in 2001 she has had time to think and is back to performing at the Blackpool Illuminations Switch On.