In some sad news, it’s been confirmed that the Blackpool Illuminations will be switched off tomorrow at midnight. The iconic light display will be turned off from Wednesday night, November 4th, due to the upcoming national lockdown. The four-week lockdown is being rolled out from Thursday November 5th until December 2nd, although it may go on for longer.
@TheBplTower, which has become a symbol of hope and optimism throughout this pandemic, will remain lit.
Subject to lockdown restrictions being eased sufficiently at the start of December, the Illuminations will be switched on again and run through Christmas & New Year to Jan 3. pic.twitter.com/kRA0aqkVty
As such, Blackpool Illuminations will be suspended until further notice, although Blackpool Tower will remain lit, according to the council.
This year the light display was meant to go on for an extra two months, up until January 3rd, as a way of boosting the town’s tourism industry.
Mark-S-Jobling / Wikimedia
Blackpool’s tourism trade has been hit hard by coronavirus restrictions. Last month Blackpool Tower was lit up with an SOS message for Boris Johnson after local businesses were hit with ‘mass cancellations’ on an ‘unimaginable scale’ after moving into Tier 3. According to government figures, Blackpool has seen a drop in infection rates, with 371.5 cases per 100,000 people in the week up to October 30th, which is down from 518 per 100,000 the previous week.
In preparation for the new lockdown, Blackpool Pleasure Beach closed its doors on Sunday, with plans to reopen on February 6th, while other attractions like Blackpool Zoo said they will close on Wednesday.