Planning a trip to Blackpool and not sure where to start? Good news: there is no shortage of things to do here. Blackpool has been pulling visitors to its seafront for more than 150 years, and the mix of classic seaside fun, live entertainment, and genuinely world-class attractions makes it one of the UK’s most versatile short-break destinations.
Here is a straight-talking guide to the top 20 activities in Blackpool, covering everything from drag cabaret and waterparks to museums, rollercoasters, and free beach walks.
1. See a Show at Funny Girls
Start here. Funny Girls is Blackpool’s number one rated drag cabaret show and, by most accounts, one of the best nights out in the North West of England. The show runs in a beautifully restored 1939 Art Deco theater on Dickson Road seven nights a week at 7 pm and has been voted Best Show in Blackpool for five consecutive years.
Here is what you actually get: a two-hour cabaret show with high-energy dance routines, sharp comedy, glittering costumes, and audience interaction that keeps the whole room laughing. The cast is professionally trained, the production is polished, and the atmosphere is warm and welcoming for groups of all kinds.
Tickets run from £10.00 on weeknights to £34.00 on Saturdays. Add a three-course pre-show dinner at Garbo’s, the Art Deco restaurant inside the venue, for £29.85 per person. Funny Girls holds over 35,000 five-star reviews across TripAdvisor, Google, and Facebook. Book at their website.
2. Ride the Coasters at Blackpool Pleasure Beach
Blackpool Pleasure Beach has been drawing visitors to England’s northwest coast for over 120 years. The 42-acre park has ten rollercoasters, the most of any UK theme park, including the record-breaking Big One, the iconic Big Dipper, and ICON, the UK’s first double-launch coaster featuring 15 interactions across five different rides. There is also Nickelodeon Land for families with younger children. Pre-book to save money and time.
3. Climb the Blackpool Tower Eye
The Blackpool Tower Eye sits 380 feet above the promenade with indoor and outdoor observation decks and a glass SkyWalk platform directly above the street. Before you reach the top, there is a 4D cinematic journey through Blackpool’s history. The Tower is one of Britain’s best-loved landmarks and one of Blackpool’s most popular attractions year-round.
4. Dance at the Blackpool Tower Ballroom
Dating back to 1894, the Tower Ballroom is one of Blackpool’s most iconic venues, with ornate Baroque-style interiors, enormous chandeliers, a sprung dancefloor, and the famous Wurlitzer organ that rises up from below the stage. You can join the tea dances, watch from the balcony, or book afternoon tea at around £25 per person and spend 90 minutes watching the dancers while an organist plays. It is unlike anything else in the country.
5. Explore Showtown: Blackpool’s Museum of Entertainment
Showtown opened in March 2024 on Bank Hey Street, next to the Tower, and has quickly become one of Blackpool’s standout attractions. Tickets cost £9.50 for adults and £4.50 for children. Inside, you will find over 800 objects covering circus, magic, variety, and ballroom dance, including items on loan from the Victoria and Albert Museum. You can design your own illuminations display, step inside a recreated seaside, and explore Houdini’s daring stunts. Visitors consistently rate it as one of Blackpool’s hidden gems. Blackpool residents with council tax get free entry.
6. Walk the Blackpool Illuminations
Blackpool’s annual Illuminations display will shine nightly from 4 September 2026, covering six miles of festoons, tableaux, and interactive features along the Promenade. Entry is free. The display has been running since 1879 and is commonly described as the greatest free light show on Earth. Walk the Promenade from North Pier southward, timing your arrival for just before sunset to catch the full transition from daylight to the full display. Ride the heritage tram back to save your legs.
7. Get Wet at Sandcastle Waterpark
Sandcastle Waterpark is the UK’s largest indoor waterpark, with 18 slides and attractions, including the Master Blaster, the longest indoor roller coaster waterslide in the world, as well as Sidewinder, Aztec Falls, and Thunderfalls family slides. It is open year-round, making it a solid choice for rainy days. There is also a spa area for adults who prefer a calmer experience. Sandcastle Waterpark is now managed directly by Blackpool Tourism, the council’s tourism body.
8. Watch a Show at the Tower Circus
The Blackpool Tower Circus returns for 2026 with a fantastic array of adventurous acts delivering death-defying stunts. This is Blackpool’s longest-running show, having operated since 1894. The show features world-class clowns, acrobats, and musicians in a spectacular venue inside the Tower itself. The arena fills with water for the finale, which remains one of the most memorable circus tricks in British entertainment. Pre-book for half-term and peak season dates.
9. Visit SEA LIFE Blackpool
SEA LIFE Blackpool is home to more than 2,000 sea creatures, covering the marine life of UK shorelines and the world’s deepest oceans. You will find sharks, rays, seahorses, reef fish, and turtles across a series of themed zones. It is popular with families and works well as a 90-minute to two-hour visit before or after another activity nearby.
10. Meet the Stars at Madame Tussauds Blackpool
Madame Tussauds Blackpool is the only UK branch outside London. The attraction has lifelike wax figures of celebrities, musicians, athletes, and royalty, with interactive zones throughout. Couples can create double wax hand keepsakes as a memento of their visit. The friendly staff and range of interactive zones make it a good choice for groups of mixed ages.
11. Spend a Day at Blackpool Zoo
Blackpool Zoo sits about two miles inland from the Promenade, set within attractive gardens that are worth exploring in their own right. The zoo is home to over 1,000 animals and offers keeper experiences and educational talks throughout the day. It is easily accessible from the M55 motorway and makes a good choice for families who want something quieter than the Pleasure Beach.
12. Walk Along the Three Piers
Blackpool is the only British seaside resort with three piers, each with its own character. North Pier is the most traditional and peaceful. Central Pier is the liveliest, with a famous Ferris wheel and a range of rides and food stalls. South Pier offers wide pavements and open sea views. Walking all three in a day is an easy way to see much of Blackpool at your own pace without spending much money.
13. Discover the Great Promenade Show
The Great Promenade Show is an outdoor collection of public sculptures and art installations along the promenade by the South Pier. Highlights include a large rotating dance hall mirror ball and the High Tide Organ, a musical instrument powered entirely by the movement of seawater at high tide. Entry is free, and the walk takes around 45 minutes at a relaxed pace.
14. Browse the Grundy Art Gallery
The Grundy Art Gallery on Queen Street holds a significant collection of watercolors, oils, prints, and Oriental and British paintings in an Edwardian building from the early 20th century. Entry is free. It is quiet, well-curated, and a good option if you want to balance the louder side of Blackpool with something more contemplative. The gallery also hosts temporary exhibitions throughout the year.
15. Relax in Stanley Park
Stanley Park covers 257 acres east of the town center, with Italian gardens, an art deco café, a boating lake, formal borders, ornate fountains crafted from Italian marble, and miles of walkways. There is also a golf course, cricket ground, and tennis courts within the park. It is free to enter and one of the most genuinely peaceful places in Blackpool, particularly on a weekday morning before the day-trippers arrive.
16. Try the Blackpool Tower Dungeon
The Blackpool Tower Dungeon takes visitors through a theatrical walk-through experience covering the dark history of Lancashire. It features actors, special effects, and a ride element, all designed for ages 12 and above. It runs inside the Tower complex and pairs well with the Tower Eye or Ballroom as part of a full Tower day out.
17. Ride a Heritage Tram Along the Seafront
The Blackpool Tramway is one of the oldest electric tramways in the world, and heritage trams run along the seafront during the Illuminations season. A ride from Stargate to Bispham gives you the full length of the Illuminations display from a seated, elevated position. It is a relaxed and nostalgic way to see the lights, especially on a cold autumn evening when walking the whole stretch feels less appealing.
18. Visit the Blackpool Model Village and Gardens
Located near Stanley Park, Blackpool Model Village is a 2.5-acre attraction with hundreds of handcrafted model figures and scenes spread across well-maintained gardens. It is particularly good for families with younger children, with themed activities and trail cards running throughout the year. The gardens alone are worth a slow walk through on a sunny afternoon.
19. See a Production at the Grand Theatre
The Blackpool Grand Theatre opened in 1894 on the site of a former circus, designed to be the “prettiest theater in the land.” Today it is Lancashire’s premier touring theater, with a program spanning West End productions, comedy nights, drama, and heritage tours of the building itself. The restored Victorian interior is worth seeing regardless of what is on stage. Check the calendar before you visit and book ahead for popular shows.
20. Watch the World Fireworks Championship
The World Fireworks Championship takes place at Blackpool every year, with displays fired from the beach in front of the Tower synced to music. Over 50,000 people attended each date last year, with displays taking place over the beach in front of the tower. It is a free spectator event and one of the most atmospheric nights of the Blackpool calendar. Midweek visits are less crowded than weekends.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Blackpool Visit
Let’s break it down into a simple plan.
If you only have one day: Start at Funny Girls in the evening, book dinner at Garbo’s beforehand, and spend the daytime on the Promenade, walking the piers and the Great Promenade Show. If the illuminations are on, time your promenade walk for after dark.
If you have two days: Add the Tower complex on day one (Ballroom, Eye, and Circus) and Showtown, then save Pleasure Beach or Sandcastle Waterpark for day two.
If you have a full weekend: Work through the list above, mixing paid attractions with free ones like Stanley Park, the Grundy Art Gallery, and the beach walks. The activities in Blackpool spread well across two to three days without feeling rushed.
5 FAQs About Activities in Blackpool
1. What is the number one thing to do in Blackpool?
Most visitor review platforms place Funny Girls at or near the top of Blackpool’s rated attractions. For daytime activities, Blackpool Pleasure Beach and the Blackpool Tower complex consistently rank highest. Showtown is newer but is quickly building a strong reputation.
2. Are there free activities in Blackpool?
Yes, and there are quite a few. The Blackpool Illuminations, the Promenade walk, the Great Promenade Show, Stanley Park, the Grundy Art Gallery, and all three piers are free to enter. You can have a genuinely full day out in Blackpool without paying for entry anywhere.
3. What can adults do in Blackpool at night?
The evening entertainment in Blackpool is one of its strengths. Funny Girls runs nightly at 7pm and is one of the most consistently rated adult nights out in the North West. The Grand Theatre and Winter Gardens also have evening programs throughout the year.
4. Is Blackpool good for a day trip, or does it need a weekend?
Both work. A day trip covers the Promenade, the piers, and one or two main attractions. A full weekend lets you get through the Tower complex, Pleasure Beach, an evening show, and some of the quieter spots like Stanley Park and Showtown. Two nights is the sweet spot for most visitors.
5. What is Showtown Blackpool?
Showtown is Blackpool’s museum of entertainment, opened in March 2024. It covers circus, magic, variety, and ballroom dance through immersive and interactive exhibits, with over 800 objects on display, including items on loan from the Victoria and Albert Museum. Adult tickets cost £9.50. It sits on Bank Hey Street, next to the Tower.
