In 1934 Blackpool Council started the tradition of getting a famous figure of the day to switch on the Blackpool Illuminations with a ceremony to mark the start of the illuminations season, Lord Derby was the first to perform the switch on ceremony.
This tradition has continued, with the exception of the war years, to this day and much excitement and anticipation is generated around which celebrity will be performing the switch on ceremony.
The Blackpool Illuminations 2026 will run from Friday 4th September .
The celebrity switching on the lights is traditionaly announced shortly before the switch on date, this year (2026). The switch on date for 2026 is Friday September 4th.
A preview of the 2026 Blackpool Illuminations takes place on Tuesday 1st September 2026 Known as Ride The Lights
The switch on ceremony over the years has been performed by the folowing:
- 2025 Olly Murs
- 2024 Spice Girl Mel B (Scary)
- 2023 Sophie Ellis-Bextor
- 2022 Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen (replacement for Johnny Vegas)
- 2021 Shirley Ballas (Strictly Come Dancing Head Judge)
- 2020 A group of Britains Coronavirus Heroes.
- 2019 Lucy Fallon (Coronation Street Actor)
- 2018 Alfie Boe
- 2017 Diversity (dance troupe) assisted by Star Trek's Captain Lorca (Jason Isaacs)
- 2016 Dame Barbara Windsor.
- 2015 Tim Burton.
- 2014 Peter Kay.
- 2013 Jonathan Ross.
- 2012 6 of Team GB's London Olympics 2012 medalists. (Beth Tweddle, Greg Rutherford, Karina Bryant, Luke Campbell, Max Whitlock and Sophie Hosking).
- 2011 Keith Lemon.
- 2010 Robbie Williams
- 2009 Alan Carr.
- 2008 The Stig with Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond from BBC Top Gear.
- 2007 David Tennant.
- 2006 Dale Winton.
- 2005 Chris Evans.
- 2004 Geri Halliwell.
- 2003 Blue.
- 2002 Ronan Keating.
- 2001 Steps.
- 2000 Westlife.
- 1999 Gary Barlow.
- 1998 Chris de Burgh.
- 1997 Michael Ball.
- 1996 Eternal.
- 1995 Bee Gees.
- 1994 Shirley Bassey.
- 1993 Status Quo.
- 1992 Lisa Stansfield.
- 1991 Derek Jameson and Judith Chalmers.
- 1990 Julie Goodyear and Roy Barraclough.
- 1989 Frank Bruno.
- 1988 Andrew Lloyd Webber and Sarah Brightman.
- 1987 Frank Bough, Anne Gregg and Kathy Tayler, all from the BBC's Holiday programme.
- 1986 Les Dawson.
- 1985 Joanna Lumley, BBC Children in Need, and Audrey Mossom (50 year anniversary).
- 1984 Johannes Rau (Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia) and David Waddington,(Minister of State, the Home Office).
- 1983 Cast of Coronation Street, switched on by Doris Speed.
- 1982 Rear Admiral Sandy Woodward.
- 1981 Earl & Countess Spencer.
- 1980 Cannon and Ball.
- 1979 Kermit the Frog and The Muppets.
- 1978 Terry Wogan.
- 1977 Red Rum (The Grand National winning racehorse).
- 1976 Carol Jean Grant (Miss United Kingdom).
- 1975 Doctor Who: (TV show) Tom Baker (as The Doctor) with Elisabeth Sladen and Ian Marter.
- 1974 Wendy Craig.
- 1973 Gordon Banks.
- 1972 Danny La Rue.
- 1971 The cast of Dad's Army.
- 1970 Tony Blackburn.
- 1969 Canberra Bomber.
- 1968 Matt Busby.
- 1967 Horace King.
- 1966 Ken Dodd.
- 1965 David Tomlinson.
- 1964 Gracie Fields.
- 1963 Cliff Michelmore.
- 1962 Shirley Anne Field.
- 1961 Violet Carson.
- 1960 Janet Munro
- 1959 Jayne Mansfield.
- 1958 AE "Matty" Matthews (Alfred Edward Matthews).
- 1957 John H. Whitney (American Ambassador).
- 1956 Reginald Dixon.
- 1955 Jacob Malik (Soviet Ambassador).
- 1954 Gilbert Harding.
- 1953 George Formby.
- 1952 Valerie Hobson.
- 1951 Stanley Matthews.
- 1950 Wilfred Pickles.
- 1949 Anna Neagle.
- 1939 - 48 Blackpool Illuminations are cancelled due to World War II.
- 1938 Councillor Mrs Quayle.
- 1937 Prince George, Duke of Kent.
- 1936 Sir Josiah Stamp.
- 1935 Audrey Mossom (Railway Queen of Great Britain).
- 1934 Lord Derby.