Blackpool Live launches at Winter Gardens in spectacular style as Feeder headline unforgettable opening night

Blackpool Live is far more than another concert series.

It is a bold and ambitious project designed to re-establish the town as one of the UK’s premier destinations for live music, bringing nationally recognised artists back to the iconic Winter Gardens while showcasing the next generation of talent.

If the opening night on July 24 was intended to announce that Blackpool is once again serious about live music, then the message could hardly have been delivered more convincingly.

That sense of occasion was shared by the artists themselves. Before taking to the stage, we asked Balancing Act frontman Kai Roberts what it meant to become the first band ever to perform at a Blackpool Live event.

“To see your name next to bands like Feeder at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool is something really special. There’s a real buzz in Blackpool and it’s wonderful to be here and to experience it.”

With four bands spanning different generations of alternative and guitar-driven music, the inaugural event celebrated not only established favourites but also the future of the genre.

Opening the evening, Balancing Act perfectly justified their place on the bill. Confident, polished and brimming with belief, they demonstrated exactly why they are regarded as one of the UK’s most exciting emerging acts. Drawing heavily from material across their first releases, Who’ve You Come As (Parts 1 & 2), the Manchester quartet delivered one infectious song after another, combining memorable hooks with an assured stage presence that belied their years.

It proved to be a fitting way to begin a concert series designed to showcase tomorrow’s stars alongside established names.

Next came A, and if there was one objective, it was clearly to inject the room with as much energy as possible. From the moment they walked on stage, they transformed the atmosphere into one enormous celebration. Naturally, the unmistakable opening to Starbucks produced one of the loudest singalongs of the evening, reminding everyone why the song remains such an enduring fan favourite more than two decades after its release.

The Futureheads followed with a performance that effortlessly combined precision, charisma and sheer enjoyment. Their trademark vocal harmonies were as sharp as ever, but what stood out just as much was the obvious delight they took in performing. Rarely did a smile disappear from their faces as they fed off the audience’s enthusiasm and returned every ounce of energy.

By the time Feeder took to the stage, anticipation had reached fever pitch. They wasted no time in justifying it. Opening with Feeling a Moment, frontman Grant Nicholas and company immediately had the audience in the palm of their hands, delivering the song with all the power and emotion that has made it one of the defining tracks in their catalogue.

Throughout the set, Feeder demonstrated why they have remained one of Britain’s most consistently outstanding rock bands for over three decades. There were no elaborate visuals, no theatrical production and no unnecessary gimmicks. The stage set-up was refreshingly simple, allowing the songs to take centre stage, and when your catalogue is packed with classics delivered by musicians of this calibre, nothing more is needed.

As opening nights go, Blackpool Live could scarcely have wished for a stronger statement. Four outstanding bands, a packed and enthusiastic audience and a venue steeped in musical history combined to create an evening that perfectly captured everything the organisers are striving to achieve.

More importantly, it has reminded audiences, artists and the wider music industry that Blackpool’s rich entertainment heritage belongs not only to its past but also to its future. On the evidence of this unforgettable opening night, Blackpool Live has made a compelling statement of intent and taken its first confident step towards putting Blackpool firmly back on the live music map.

The next Blackpool Live gig will feature The Fratellis.

For tickets or more information about dates visit the Blackpool Live website here.