Blackpool 80s Weekender

About Blackpool 80s Weekender

Winter Gardens puts the weekender indoors on Church Street, inside Blackpool’s connected entertainment complex. Blackpool 80s Weekender 2027 runs there on Friday 10 and Saturday 11 September as a music weekender built around 80s pop, synth-pop, new wave and post-punk.

The event was first announced in December 2025 ahead of a September 2026 debut at the same venue. The second edition keeps the format inside the Winter Gardens, moving between the Empress Ballroom, Arena and Pavilion.

Lineup and Programme

Announced acts include Marc Almond, Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey, Heaven 17, Altered Images, The Fizz, China Crisis and Jaki Graham. The Empress Ballroom carries the main headline room, with additional programming in the Arena and Pavilion.

DJs extend the retro brief. The programme also includes an 80s-themed quiz and after-show parties across the weekend.

Who Is It For?

The weekender is aimed at nostalgia-focused 80s music fans rather than a general outdoor festival crowd. Entry is 14+, and under-18s must be accompanied by an adult.

It is not a camping weekender. The format points to an indoor weekend crowd moving between live sets, DJs, quiz programming and late after-show parties.

The Venue and Site

Winter Gardens Blackpool is a large indoor entertainment complex on Church Street, using the Empress Ballroom, Arena and Pavilion for the weekender. Headline performances are in the Empress Ballroom.

Food and drink service runs on site, with named venue spaces including Empress Coffee Bar & Bistro, The Floral Lounge and The Old Victoria bar. VIP upgrades include access to a private bar, with cloakroom and private rest room options also attached to VIP packages.

Travel to Blackpool 80s Weekender

Winter Gardens Blackpool sits on Church Street in central Blackpool, with rail access from Blackpool North and road access from the M55.

• Nearest station: Blackpool North, around 10 minutes’ walk from the venue.
• By road: use M55 junction 4, then the A583 into central Blackpool.
• Parking: there is no on-site public parking. Nearby options include Houndshill car park, open-air parking at Adelaide Street and Alfred Street around 200m from the Church Street entrance, and limited metered street parking.
• Venue access: the Coronation Street entrance sits opposite Houndshill Centre.

Blackpool is 27 miles north of Liverpool, 40 miles north-west of Manchester and 84 miles by road from Leeds.