2nd September 2022 - 2nd January 2023
Blackpool Illuminations 2022 Details
2022 Switch On
The annual Blackpool Illuminations Switch-On event, one of the biggest in Blackpool’s calendar, moved indoors to the Tower Ballroom during 2020 and 2021 due to pandemic restrictions, but has proved so successful that it is being repeated for a third successive year – this time with a full-capacity audience in the ballroom.
The Switch On celebrity has been announced. TV star and designer Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen will turn on this year’s Blackpool Illuminations as part of a live switch-on concert at the Tower Ballroom. He replaces actor and comedian Johnny Vegas, who announced last week that he would have to pull out due to ‘unforeseen personal circumstances’.
Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen:
Lawrence, who has collaborated with the Illuminations for several years, and has designed a number of spectacular installations, including a brand new section by the Tower, will switch on the lights on Friday, 2nd September 2022. He said: 'The Blackpool Illuminations represent something really special in the hearts of the British people and I am thrilled to be able to pull that famous switch in th magnificent Tower Ballroom.'
Nigel C Gull:
The voice of the Only In Blackpool TV ad campaign, spearheaded by ‘spokesbird’ Nigel C Gull, a puppet created by award-winning puppeteer Andy Heath and voiced by Johnny Vegas.The concert, which is being produced in association with MTV, will feature performances from Blue, one of the UK’s most successful bands over the past two decades, singer-songwriter Tom Grennan and Mae Muller, one of music’s most exciting new talents. This year’s Switch-On concert will be played out to a live audience made up of more than 2,000 winners of a free-to-enter ballot. Although the ballot has now closed, there will be a limited number of golden circle tickets going on sale later this month. The concert and Switch-On moment will also be live streamed to a global audience across MTV and VisitBlackpool channels, and event organisers are exploring the possibility of streaming the event to an outdoor audience on the Tower Festival Headland.
Celebrity Switch On stars have included:
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2022 Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen
2021 Shirley Ballas
2020 Corona Heroes
2019 Lucy Fallon
2018 Alfie Boe
2017 Star Trek - Discovery & Diversity
2016 Barbara Windsor
2015 Tim Burton
2014 Peter Kay
2013 Jonathan Ross
2012 Olympic medal winners - Beth Tweddle, Karina Bryant, Luke Campbell, Sophie Hosking, Max Whitlock, Steven Burke & Smooth/Real Radio
2011 Keith Lemon & Smooth/Real Radio
2010 Robbie Williams & Smooth/Real Radio
2009 Alan Carr & Radio Two
2008 BBC Top Gear Team & Radio Two
2007 BBC Dr Who - David Tennant & Radio Two
2006 Dale Winton & Radio Two
2005 Chris Evans & Radio Two
2004 Geri Halliwell & Radio Two
2003 Blue & Radio Two
2002 Ronan Keating & Radio Two
2001 Steps & Radio Two
2000 Westlife & Radio Two
1999 Gary Barlow & Radio Two
1998 Chris De Burgh & Radio Two
1997 Michael Ball & Radio Two
1996 Eternal & Radio One
1995 Bee Gees & Radio One
1994 Shirley Bassey
1993 Status Quo & Radio One
1992 Lisa Stansfield
1991 Derek Jameson and Judith Chalmers
1990 Bet & Alec Gilroy "Coronation Street" (Julie Goodyear & Roy Barraclough)
1989 Frank Bruno
1988 Andrew Lloyd Webber and Sarah Brightman
1987 Frank Bough, Ann Gregg & Kathy Tayler, BBC "Holiday" programme
1986 Les Dawson
1985 Joanna Lumley, BBC "Children in Need"
1984 Johannes Rau (Minister-President, North Rhine Westphalia & David Waddington, QC, MP (Minister of State, Home Office)
1983 Cast of "Coronation Street" (Doris Speed aka Annie Walke)
1982 Rear Admiral "Sandy" Woodward
1981 Earl & Countess Spencer
1980 Cannon and Ball
1979 Kermit the Frog and the Muppets
1978 Terry Wogan
1977 Red Rum
1976 Carol Ann Grant (Miss United Kingdom)
1975 Tom Baker (Dr Who)
1974 Wendy Craig
1973 Gordon Banks
1972 Danny La Rue
1971 Cast of "Dad´s Army"
1970 Tony Blackburn
1969 Canberra Bomber
1968 Sir Matt Busby
1967 Dr. Horace King (Speaker)
1966 Ken Dodd
1965 David Tomlinson
1964 Gracie Fields
1963 Cliff Michelmore
1962 Shirley Ann Field
1961 Violet Carson
1960 Janet Munro
1959 Jayne Mansfield
1958 A E ´Matt´ Matthews
1957 John H Whitney (American Ambassador)
1956 Reginald Dixon
1955 Jacob Malik (Russian Ambassador)
1954 Gilbert Harding
1953 George Formby
1952 Valerie Hobson
1951 Stanley Mathews
1950 Wilfred Pickles
1949 Anna Neagle
1939 Cancelled when war broke out, no display during War years or indeed until 1949
1938 Councillor Mrs Quayle
1937 Alderman Ashton and the Duke of Kent
1936 Sir Josiah Stamp
1935 Audrey Mossom (Railway Queen)
1934 Lord Derby
The concert during which the guest will throw the switch marks the start of Blackpool´s Big Switch On Weekend. We hope that thousands of fans of the celebrity, and of Blackpool, will join us in the celebrations and that they stay to enjoy all the free events Blackpool will be hosting throughout the weekend and indeed during the Illuminations Season.
