On Friday 2nd September Lawrence Llewellyn-Bowen (a late replacement for Johnny Vegas) was the latest celebrity to switch on Blackpool’s Illuminations. Shining nightly all the way through until Monday 2nd January 2023, this period also marks the busiest time for Blackpool’s Heritage Tram Tours with Illumination Tours taking place on most nights during the Illuminations.
Once again in 2022 Illumination Tours will start from Pleasure Beach loop and then run north to Little Bispham, around the loop and back to Pleasure Beach. Tours take around an hour to complete end to end and its also possible for participants to alight at any of the regular heritage stops on the return journey – although once you’re off, you’re off!
The pricing structure for 2022 is as follows:
Saturday
Adults – £12
Children (aged 3-15): £6
Sunday to Friday
Adults – £10
Children (aged 3-15): £5
Under 3s can travel for free if not occupying a seat. If a seat is required a child ticket would have to be purchased.
Whilst tours will operate on most nights during the Illuminations there are a few exceptions: 17th September (World Fireworks Championships), 25th December, 26th December and 1st January.
To ensure you can get on an Illumination Tour, tickets are now available for booking at https://blackpoolheritage.com/illuminations-tours/. This includes a day by day availability and includes the type of tram due to run the tour. Of note, this includes some booked turns for the Trawler whilst there are also frequent outings for the Western Train and Frigate as well as Balloons Cars and the odd duty for a Boat Car. As always, this is subject to availability and the tram may have to be substituted at short notice.
The Western Train back out for another season of Illumination Tours. Seen here heading north past the Comedy Carpet.
The Frigate in action on tour duty as well. (Both Photographs by Mark Cufflin, 2nd September 2022)