4th September - 8th November 2015

Blackpool Illuminations 2015 Details

Switch on Celebrities

Tim Burton will switch on the 2015 Illuminations?

Who will Switch On 2015 Illuminations?

The celebrity who will switch on the 2015 Blackpool Illuminations is Hollywood Legend Tim Burton. Tim is the award winning film director, producer, artist, writer, and animator behind some amazing movies such as Batman, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Alice in Wonderland and many many more. He has also directed music videos including The Killers´ 2006 single "Bones" and the 2012 single "Here with Me". He also recently filmed scenes from his yet to be released film, Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children, in Blackpool, it is to be released 4th March 2016.


The Switch on concert will be headlined by The Vamps. With performances from Lawson, Professor Green, Toploader, Little Boots, Only the Young, Becky Hill are all set to perform. Recently added to this already impressive line-up are Jedward, Alexa Goddard, Nicholas McDonald, Jack Walton Bailey McConnell, Tiger Heart, Room 94 and Gabz.
iFest Saturday Vintage Pop – The evening will be presented by legendary Fun House star Pat Sharp who is set to bring ´a whole lot of fun´ to Blackpool iFest´s Saturday night show which is being held in association with Vintage TV.
The Sunday event will feature an hour-long set from Murray as well as performances from a number of other leading stand-up stars.

Be quick as the first 5000 tickets sold for the Saturday & Sunday combined will also give entry to the Friday Switch on concert and ceremony.

The Saturday evening concert will be presented by legendary Fun House star Pat Sharp who is set to bring “a whole lot of fun” to Blackpool iFest’s Saturday night show which is being held in association with Vintage TV



For Sunday´s show will feature an hour-long set from Al Murray as well as performances from a number of other leading stand-up stars, including Chris Ramsey, Alun Cochrane, Tiff Stevenson, Carl Hutchinson and Craig Campbell.





Previous celebrity switch on stars have included:

  • 2014 Peter Kay
    2013 Jonathan Ross
    2012 Olympic medal winners - Beth Tweddle, Greg Rutherford and Luke Campbell & Smooth/Real Radio
    2011 Keith Lemon & Smooth/Real Radio
    2010 Robbie Williams & Smooth/Real Radio
    2009 Alan Carr & Radio Two
    2008 BBC Top Gear Team & Radio Two
    2007 BBC Dr Who - David Tennant & Radio Two
    2006 Dale Winton & Radio Two
    2005 Chris Evans & Radio Two
    2004 Geri Halliwell & Radio Two
    2003 Blue & Radio Two
    2002 Ronan Keating & Radio Two
    2001 Steps & Radio Two
    2000 Westlife & Radio Two
    1999 Gary Barlow & Radio Two
    1998 Chris De Burgh & Radio Two
    1997 Michael Ball & Radio Two
    1996 Eternal & Radio One
    1995 Bee Gees & Radio One
    1994 Shirley Bassey
    1993 Status Quo & Radio One
    1992 Lisa Stansfield
    1991 Derek Jameson and Judith Chalmers
    1990 Bet & Alec Gilroy "Coronation Street" (Julie Goodyear & Roy Barraclough)
    1989 Frank Bruno
    1988 Andrew Lloyd Webber and Sarah Brightman
    1987 Frank Bough, Ann Gregg & Kathy Tayler, BBC "Holiday" programme
    1986 Les Dawson
    1985 Joanna Lumley, BBC "Children in Need"
    1984 Johannes Rau (Minister-President, North Rhine Westphalia & David Waddington, QC, MP (Minister of State, Home Office)
    1983 Cast of "Coronation Street" (Doris Speed aka Annie Walke)
    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
    1976 Carol Ann Grant (Miss United Kingdom)
    1975 Tom Baker (Dr Who)
    1974 Wendy Craig
    1973 Gordon Banks
    1972 Danny La Rue
    1971 Cast of "Dad´s Army"
    1970 Tony Blackburn
    1969 Canberra Bomber
    1968 Sir Matt Busby
    1967 Dr. Horace King (Speaker)
    1966 Ken Dodd
    1965 David Tomlinson
    1964 Gracie Fields
    1963 Cliff Michelmore
    1962 Shirley Ann Field
    1961 Violet Carson
    1960 Janet Munro
    1959 Jayne Mansfield
    1958 A E ´Matt´ Matthews
    1957 John H Whitney (American Ambassador)
    1956 Reginald Dixon
    1955 Jacob Malik (Russian Ambassador)
    1954 Gilbert Harding
    1953 George Formby
    1952 Valerie Hobson
    1951 Stanley Mathews
    1950 Wilfred Pickles
    1949 Anna Neagle
    1939 Cancelled when war broke out, no display during War years or indeed until 1949
    1938 Councillor Mrs Quayle
    1937 Alderman Ashton and the Duke of Kent
    1936 Sir Josiah Stamp
    1935 Audrey Mossom (Railway Queen)
    1934 Lord Derby

The concert during which the guest will throw the switch marks the start of Blackpool´s Big Switch On Weekend. We hope that thousands of fans of the celebrity, and of Blackpool, will join us in the celebrations and that they stay to enjoy all the free events Blackpool will be hosting throughout the weekend and indeed during the Illuminations Season.