A musician who rose to fame in the 2000s is to switch-on the 2023 Blackpool Illuminations.
Fresh from her appearance on Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage and on the back of the release of her brand new studio album, Sophie Ellis-Bextor will perform on the Tower Festival Headland on Friday, September 1.
Sophie will then pull the switch to trigger four months of illuminations.
Her guest appearance will be the finale at the free family event that includes a Nickelodeon float parade, live entertainment, light show and fireworks.
Sophie rose to fame as a vocalist on Spiller's huge number one single, Groovejet and her worldwide hit, Murder On The Dancefloor.
Her debut solo album, Read My Lips, sold more than two million copies.
She has since released seven studio albums, including her latest, HANA, which has already charted in the top 10 and enjoyed more than a million streams within weeks of its release. Earlier this year, she performed her first single from the new album, Breaking The Circle, alongside the BBC Concert Orchestra for an exclusive BBC Radio 2 Piano Session.
In 2020, her phenomenally successful Kitchen Discos, performed at home during lockdown with her five sons, recorded by her husband, musician Richard Jones, and shared on social media, were watched and enjoyed by 40million people around the world. That resulted in a regular Radio 2 show as well as the release of her first live album, Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s Kitchen Disco: Live From The London Palladium.
In November 2021, she embarked on a 24-hour Kitchen Disco Danceathon for Children In Need, raising more than £1m. This winter, Sophie will be taking her Christmas Kitchen Disco live show on a UK tour.
Sophie said: “I’m so excited to be coming back to Blackpool to perform a few of my favourite tracks and to switch on the iconic Blackpool Illuminations! I can’t wait to see you all there!”
Cllr Lynn Williams, leader of Blackpool Council, said: “We are thrilled to announce Sophie Ellis-Bextor as this year’s Switch-On star.
“She is a pop phenomenon with a fabulous recording career and someone who captured the hearts of the public during lockdown. We can’t wait to see her light up Blackpool.”
The switch-on is part of a programme of free entertainment which will start with a colourful float parade featuring the stars of Nickelodeon, the world’s favourite children’s TV channel.
Starting from central pier, the parade will feature larger-than-life characters from SpongeBob SquarePants, PAW Patrol, Baby Shark, Monsters High and Transformers.
They will be joined by around 100 dancers, musicians and street performers as they make their way to the Tower Festival Headland for a free family party including live music and entertainment leading up to the special moment when Sophie will switch on the famous lights.
That will be followed by a specially-commissioned sound and light show on The Blackpool Tower that will be synchronised with LED wristbands to be given out to spectators, and then topped off with a fireworks finale.
The whole event will be free to access with no tickets required.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel