Council bosses have vowed the town centre will "look its best" when the eyes of the world turn to Blackpool for the glittering show in December.

And - it was revealed today - a new private seating area for the Royal family will be built in The Opera House before the big event.

As much as possible of the new £70m seafront will be open, along with the revamped St John's Square, which will open in time for this year's Lights switch on. The Illuminations will be switched back on for the event.

And now, town hall chiefs have announced new work will not start on the headlands development until after Christmas in preparation for the Queen's arrival on December 7.

The Winter Gardens will also be spruced up before celebrities descend on the resort.

John Donnellon, assistant director of built environment at the council, said: "Everything will be in place at St John's.

"And we will be ensuring the rest of the town centre looks it best.

"As much of the new seafront as possible will also be open.

"Meetings are already being held to plan this. We will also ensure that any new work is not started until after the event, probably after Christmas, in order to minimise disruption."

A spokesman for Leisure Parcs, owners of the Winter Gardens, said: "We are currently working with Blackpool Council, the producers of the show and ITV to schedule the works ahead of the Royal Variety Show in December.

"There will be a new, specially built, private seating in the circle for the Royal party and more details will be announced as they are confirmed."

Tickets for the event, which will feature performances from winners of Britain's Got Talent, dance group Diversity, among a host of stars yet to be announced, are still selling fast.

People who have applied will find out in coming weeks if their applications have been successful.

The Entertainment Artistes' Benevolent Fund (EABF) which is bringing the show to the Opera House, has been inundated with requests for tickets.

It is now writing to successful applicants but if not everyone contacted as part of the first wave replies, other people could still secure tickets if they have already ordered one.

The fund's charity director Peter Elliott said: "We are going to give it another couple of weeks to see what response we get.

"The show is always a sell out but since we have been involved with Britain's Got Talent the demand has been that much greater.

"We are so pleased to be going to Blackpool because it is the home of variety. It is the Las Vegas of the North."

There are 2,900 tickets for the Royal Variety Performance. The 654 balcony seats cost £55 each, 762 in the circle up to £200, with the best of the 1,504 seats in the stalls £295.

The (EABF) said they had had thousands of applications for tickets and could have sold the venue out two or three times over.

They added that the line-up for the big night was not expected to be announced until November.

It will be the first time the Royal Variety has been staged in Blackpool since 1955 when George Formby, Arthur Askey, Reginald Dixon and Morecambe and Wise were on the bill.