Gay Blackpool · City Guide

Gay Blackpool · City Guide

First visit to Blackpool? Then our gay Blackpool city guide page is for you

view of Blackpool North Pier and Blackpool Tower

 

Blackpool

Blackpool is a major seaside resort town in Lancashire in North West England, UK.

A railway line, built in 1840, resulted in Blackpool becoming one of the first Victorian tourist destinations. The late 1800's saw the famous promenade being built along with piers, tram lines and music theatres.

Much of this Victorian heritage is still there today, along with major attractions such as the Pleasure Beach, Blackpool Zoo and the Winter Gardens.

 

Gay Scene

Blackpool has a sizeable gay community and an extensive gay nightlife scene that is popular all year round.

Most of Blackpool's gay bars and clubs are located around Dickson Road, just a short distance from Blackpool Tower and just a couple of minutes' walk from the North Pier.

The town has its nightclubs (Flamingo's being the most famous), but it's the gay bar scene that really stands out with top-notch venues like Funny Girls and The Flying Handbag.

 

Getting to Blackpool

By train

From London, take a high speed Virgin Pendolino train north to Preston. From Preston, there are four trains an hour to Blackpool North Station (the Station is right next to the gay district). There are also direct services from Manchester and York.

By car

Blackpool has excellent road connections, with a motorway that takes you almost to the beach (M55)

Blackpool's trams run along the coast from Starr Gate in the south to Fleetwood in the north

 

Getting around Blackpool

With its famous Promenade, walking is often the best option. However, Blackpool also has an excellent tram and bus network.

Trams run every 1o minutes from 8am until around 1am (at Blackpool North Pier).  Fares start at £1.30 for a short trip. 1 and 3-day passes can be bought online.

Travelling with a dog? Buy a Rover24 ticket for £1 for unlimited travel for your pet on buses and trams.

 

Where to Stay in Blackpool

The city has an almost endless choice of accommodation, click here for our list of recommended hotels and gay-owned guesthouses in Blackpool.

Surprisingly, for a town where everything is relatively cheap, taxis are quite expensive. So, if you are planning a late night out, then staying with walking distance of the nightlife will save you some cash.

Blackpool Illuminations

 

Things to See & Do

Blackpool Illuminations - a 6-mile long lights festival that lasts from late August to early November. Originally conceived in 1879, the Illuminations attract hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city to see this amazing display of more than a million lights.

Blackpool Tower - iconic landmark near the North Pier with stunning panoramic viewing platform.

Opera House and Winter Gardens - one of the UK's largest theatres with a seating capacity of 3000.

Blackpool Zoo - 32 acres of parkland that is home to lions, tigers, elephants, gorillas, giraffes, sea lions, pengiuns and more.

SEA LIFE Blackpool- with more 1000 aquatic creatures including sharks, turtles, jelly fish, lobsters, rays and more.

Grundy Art Gallery - contemporary visual art exhibitions that featuring established and emerging artists from the UK and abroad.

Madame Tussauds Blackpool - get up close and personal with UK celebrities and international stars.

Blackpool Pleasure Beach - one of the UK's best amusement parks and home to some of the most adrenaline-fuelled roller-coasters in the UK.

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