The Blackpool Tower’s 125th birthday celebrations get underway

Join in the biggest birthday party in Blackpool this year

The Blackpool Tower celebrates its 125th birthday on Tuesday, May 14, with a glittering party befitting its iconic status, ahead of a full year of anniversary activities throughout 2019 and into 2020.

Lifetime free entry

And the celebrations for Blackpool’s big birthday go far beyond the Grade I-listed building itself: all babies born at Blackpool Victoria Hospital on May 14 will receive lifetime free admission to the attraction, while the team at the tower also plan to invite every child under 12 in the local area to visit the top of the landmark during its anniversary year.

“The Blackpool Tower resonates with the hearts and minds of all of its guests since it opened all those years ago,” says general manager Kenny Mew.

“From spotting it on your way into the resort, The Blackpool Tower is a staple of the town’s history and celebrates the very best of British. We hope that people continue to show the same love for the tower that they have over the decades and still visit in the years to come.”

Victorian splendour

On the big day, staff, local well-wishers and friends of The Blackpool Tower will be welcomed from 10am by tower staff in traditional Victorian outfits. Staff from yesteryear will be returning to their former workplace to see how the attraction has changed across the decades.

There's fun for all this family as the iconic tower marks its birthday

From midday The Blackpool Tower Ballroom will host an afternoon tea for VIP guests. There will be performances from Blackpool legends, including Phil Kelsall MBE, the tower’s resident organist for more than 40 years, who will lead the congregation in a rendition of Happy Birthday. Stars from The Blackpool Tower Circus will also give a sneak peek of this year’s show-stopping performance.

In the evening, the celebrations will continue in The Blackpool Tower Eye with Blackpool-born BBC Radio 1 DJ Danny Howard, who will be getting the party going until late with a special DJ set at the VIP Sky High Celebrations.

A symbol of the region and one of the most well-known attractions in the country, The Blackpool Tower opened to much fanfare on May 14, 1894. Dubbed the ‘Wonderland of the World’, it was the brainchild of Sir John Bickerstaffe, a former Mayor of Blackpool who was inspired by a visit to the Eiffel Tower.

Old attractions used to include an aviary, aquarium and menagerie, and famous faces who have visited over the years include Hollywood director Tim Burton, Princess Diana, Take That and even King Kong, who was seen swinging from the tower in 1984.

All Tower attractions – from the amazing SkyWalk with its 360-degree views, to the depths of the dungeon – will be open to the public on May 14, and every visitor on the big day will be given a limited edition Bickerstaffe badge.

Limited tickets are available for the afternoon tea party with free balcony seating space available for local residents in FY or PR postcode areas (pre-booking required).

For more information, including opening times and how to get tickets to visit, visit www.theblackpooltower.com or follow on social media. Fans are being invited to share memories of The Blackpool Tower with the hashtag #tower125.