Sir Ken Dodd exhibition coming to Blackpool’s Showtown with rare memorabilia and unseen treasures
A major new exhibition celebrating comedy icon Sir Ken Dodd is coming to Blackpool this summer as Showtown prepares to welcome a joyful collection of rare memorabilia, personal treasures and theatrical artefacts.
Blackpool’s award-winning museum of fun and entertainment is set to host its first-ever visiting exhibition this summer with a major showcase dedicated to comedy legend Sir Ken Dodd.
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Happiness! The Ken Dodd Exhibition opens at Showtown on June 24 and runs until January 3, next year, bringing a deeply personal collection of artefacts from the Museum of Liverpool to one of the comedian’s favourite places to perform.
The exhibition celebrates the life and career of the much-loved entertainer while highlighting his decades-long connection with Blackpool, where audiences flocked to his famously marathon performances that often continued long into the night.
Visitors will be able to explore archive programmes and photographs, flamboyant stage costumes, original props and puppets including the infamous Dicky Mint, as well as exclusive extracts from Ken’s private notebooks and footage of his performances.
A life-size waxwork of Sir Ken, complete with his trademark tickling stick and loaned by Madame Tussauds Blackpool will also feature as part of the exhibition, alongside an interactive “giggle map” charting stories from his tours around the country.
Ken Dodd famously described Blackpool as “the showbiz temple of the UK”, and his ties to the resort stretched far beyond the stage.
He switched on the Illuminations in 1966, helped save Blackpool Grand Theatre in the 1970s and opened the Comedy Carpet on the Promenade in 2011.
Spencer Phillips, chairman of the Blackpool Museum & Heritage Trust, said: “Ken Dodd holds a truly special place in Britain’s entertainment story and his long-standing relationship with Blackpool makes this exhibition even more meaningful for the town.
“We’re incredibly proud that Showtown will be hosting this major celebration of Ken’s life and career, giving visitors the chance to experience the warmth, humour and extraordinary talent that made him such a beloved national figure. Whether you grew up watching Doddy or are discovering him for the first time, we hope people leave smiling, laughing and feeling wonderfully tickled.”
Lady Dodd, who will officially open the exhibition, said her late husband: “Ken absolutely adored Blackpool.
“He always said there was nowhere quite like it for entertainment and audiences, and some of his happiest memories were made from performing there over the years.
“He called Blackpool ‘the greatest show town in the world’ and so he would be thrilled to know that this exhibition featuring so many treasured pieces from his life and career is to be held at the museum whose name he inspired! I hope visitors leave smiling, laughing and remembering the joy he loved to share with everyone.”
Cllr Lynn Williams, said: “Ken Dodd is truly part of the fabric of British entertainment, and his connection and love for Blackpool makes this exhibition even more special.
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“The exhibition also supports our wider ambitions for the town’s future as a leading hub for arts, culture and entertainment, while adding momentum to our City of Culture bid, for which we’re proud to be currently longlisted.”
Happiness! The Ken Dodd Exhibition will run from Wednesday 24 June 2026 until Sunday 3 January 2027 at Showtown, Bank Hey Street, Blackpool, FY1 4TQ.
Tickets cost £3 for adults, while entry for children is free.