Blackpool Mirror Ball's return is delayed

Work to repair the art installation, which was removed last November, has been delayed due to the Covid pandemic.

It had been expected to take six months to replace the 47,000 mirror tiles with the structure due back in place this summer.

But council chiefs have now confirmed it will be at least October before the work is finished.

A Blackpool Council spokesperson said: “The pandemic has presented challenges we have had to work round so we haven’t been able to progress the completion of work on our popular Mirror Ball as originally planned.

“We are hoping it will be back in position later in the year for the Lightpool Festival in October.”

The refurbishment is being undertaken by partners including the council’s own Illuminations team at the Lightworks depot and students from Blackpool and the Fylde College.

As well as being re-mirrored, work includes an overhaul of the internal bearings so the Mirror Ball can rotate in full circle once a minute.

The six metre diameter artwork, by Michael Trainor, was originally installed in 2002 and last refurbished in 2010.

It was inspired by and named the work after the 1969 Hollywood film They Shoot Horses Don’t They, about US dance marathons and which features a large mirror ball.

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