A spectacular illuminated art trail has opened in Blackpool and you can visit it until the end of October.
The House Of Cards display takes centre stage but there are plenty of other gorgeous displays to feast your eyes upon on the trail.
The installation, situated on the seafront in the shadow of The Blackpool Tower, is one of more than a dozen works of illuminated art located in and around the promenade and town centre as part of the award-winning Lightpool Festival, which is running until October 30.
House Of Cards, comprising 128 light boxes in the form of playing cards, has been created through a collaboration of 35 internationally-acclaimed street and visual artists from all over the world.
Premiering in the UK for the first time, it is a multi-sensory, choreographed display that collapses and rebuilds before your eyes. The stunning installation has already wowed audiences in Amsterdam, Berlin, Bucharest and Milan.
It is part of an extensive art trail, which is free to access and staged across a range of indoor and outdoor venues, showcasing 15 new illuminated artworks including nine world premieres.
The trail is complemented by a festival programme of live performance, 3D projection shows and by the six mile-long Blackpool Illuminations display.
These are the art trail and festival programme highlights:
ART TRAIL (6pm to 10pm nightly until Saturday 30 October unless otherwise stated)
Spiro, Tower Festival Headland
Take a walk on the light side! Spiro is an immersive walk-through tunnel of light spanning 26 metres in length and made up of individually mapped LEDs.
Tower Projections, Comedy Carpet
Immerse yourself in the mesmerising 3D projections as they light up the historic Blackpool Tower building. Experience Astral Dreams, a stunning laser-powered performance; Moon Folk, an enchanting adventure of charming fantasy animals as they overcome their fears, and the spectacular Tower Light Show.
Aqualux, Tower Festival Headland
A stunning eco-friendly light feature to highlight the importance of water..
House Of Cards, Central Promenade
House Of Cards, comprising of 128 light boxes in the form of playing cards, has been created through a collaboration of 35 internationally-acclaimed street and visual artists from all over the world.
Digital Playground, Bickerstaffe Square
A walk-through forest installation of oversized robotic flowers. As visitors move around, the sculpture will subtly change in mood and appearance.
And Then I Slipped, Winter Gardens
New for 2021, slip under the shimmering lights of the waterfall and see where it takes you. This unique installation allows you to step into a scene reminiscent of childhood films, a dreamy space where anything could happen.
Luma (available 27-30 October), Winter Gardens
Luma is a huge, eight-metre long, robotic inflatable snail who loves an audience. She looms above visitors with a presence which is gentle, welcoming and very surreal!
Power the Tower, Winter Gardens
Can you pedal hard enough on our specially adapted light up bikes to generate enough power to light up our Blackpool Tower model? Put your pedal power to the test!
500, Pavilion Theatre, Winter Gardens
Since the 1800s, Blackpool has been Britain’s most popular beach resort. At 500, we showcase just four of the resort’s glittering entertainment venues that have been a mainstay of Blackpool for more than a century. Grab a deckchair, relax, and enjoy a taste of our wonderful history.
The Nature Take Over, St John’s Church
It’s not every day a landmark town centre building is reclaimed by nature as large vines, flowers, fruit, fungus and creatures take over the church exterior. This large-scale projection shows bold and colourful hand-drawn animations as they beautifully dance and sweep over the building’s surface, synchronised to music.
White Tiger*, Houndshill Shopping Centre
The beautifully bright White Tiger roars into Blackpool, also courtesy of Chila Kumari Singh Burman. The car was originally created to celebrate the launch of the critically-acclaimed film The White Tiger, which is based on the New York Times bestseller and 2008 Man Booker Prize-winning novel of the same name. Netflix partnered with Burman to bring the car to life.
Big Bird, Abingdon Street
New for 2021, this 3.5 metre high pigeon sculpture is made out of the parts of 10 London taxis and illuminated by the Blackpool Illuminations team! It’s a unique installation and not to be missed.
100 Local Lanterns (available 27-29 October), The Old Electric, Springfield Road
Beautiful lanterns created in a series of workshops will be on display in The Old Electric, forming an immersive community exhibition.
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