Blackpool street running past Showtown Museum renamed Sir Ken Dodd Avenue in tribute to legendary comedian
“I was so delighted and thrilled when I first heard that there would be a street called Sir Ken Dodd Avenue.”
A street in the heart of Blackpool's Golden Mile has been renamed Sir Ken Dodd Avenue in honour of the late comedian.
Adelaide St West, which runs from Bank Hey Street past the front doors of Showtown museum down to the Promenade, was officially unveiled under its new name by Ken's wife, Anne, Lady Dodd, on Monday 21 September.
Showtown made the request to Blackpool Council to recognise Dodd's deep connection to the resort. The change follows the museum's opening in June of Happiness! The Ken Dodd Exhibition.
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“Thank you so much!"
Lady Dodd said of Blackpool’s homage to Ken: “I was so delighted and thrilled when I first heard that there would be a street called Sir Ken Dodd Avenue after my wonderful husband. I know he would say he was immensely discomknockerated at this tattyfilarious and plumpshus honour!
“He always said Blackpool was the 'Showtown' of Britain - so it is especially appropriate that the street on which it stands should be renamed after him! And of course, it's just around the corner from his particularly beloved theatres The Opera House and The Grand! This is all a very thoughtful act of 'Happiness' to me.
“Thank you so much!"
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Dodd in Blackpool
Dodd's ties to Blackpool spanned more than six decades, during which audiences packed the town's theatres for his marathon shows. He switched on the Blackpool Illuminations in 1966, helped save Blackpool Grand Theatre in the 1970s and opened the Comedy Carpet in 2011.
The exhibition, developed with National Museums Liverpool and The Ken Dodd Charitable Foundation and adapted by Showtown, combines highlights from the Museum of Liverpool's Happiness! 2024 exhibition with previously unseen material from Blackpool's Ken Dodd archive.
It features archive photographs and programmes, stage costumes, props and original puppets, including Dicky Mint, as well as footage of his performances. Visitors can also see excerpts from his private notebooks and use an interactive Giggle Map charting the places and people he encountered on tour.
One visitor described it as "the most thoughtful & wonderfully curated exhibition I've ever seen".
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“Brought happiness to millions”
Spencer Phillips, Chairman of the Blackpool Heritage and Museum Trust, which operates Showtown, said: “There couldn’t be a more fitting tribute to Sir Ken Dodd than to give him his own avenue right outside Showtown.
“Ken’s relationship with Blackpool was extraordinary. He brought happiness to millions here over the decades and played such an important part in the town’s entertainment heritage.
“We’re absolutely delighted that visitors arriving at Showtown can now quite literally walk down Sir Ken Dodd Avenue and into an exhibition celebrating his incredible life, career and connection with Blackpool. It’s a very fitting way to honour a true legend, and one that would, I’m sure, have left Doddy thoroughly tickled!”
Leader of Blackpool Council and Cabinet Member for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Cllr Lynn Williams, added: “Ken Dodd brought so much happiness to Blackpool and to generations of our visitors, so it feels right that his name should now be part of the town itself.
“Sir Ken Dodd Avenue is a wonderful tribute to a true Blackpool legend and a lasting reminder of the incredible story behind the man who made millions laugh. I know this new avenue will bring a smile to the faces of residents and visitors for many years to come.”
How to see the exhibition and other events
To mark the new street name, the exhibition is now included in general Showtown admission. Blackpool residents can see it free through their complimentary admission to the museum.
Two further events are also planned. First, a guided tour with a Showtown curator, Happiness! The Exclusive Tour, will run on Thursday 24 September from 11am to 12pm and on Friday 13 November from 3pm to 4pm.
Then An Afternoon with Lady Dodd will take place on Sunday 15 November from 2pm to 3pm, when she and Dodd's biographer Tony Nicholson will discuss his life and legacy. The event has been made possible with the support of Lady Dodd, described as a valued friend and supporter of Showtown.
The exhibition will remain open throughout 2026.