Blackpool 2029
UK City of Culture
For over two centuries, Blackpool has been the beating heart of competitive and social dance. From young dancers taking their first steps on regional floors to international champions at the Tower Ballroom, Blackpool isn't just a host — it is culture.
Our journey
1800s – early 1900s
The golden era of Tower & Empress Ballrooms
Blackpool’s great floors became the stage where social dance turned into spectacle — and the town became inseparable from the music.
Mid – late 1900s
The global mecca of competitive dance
Champions, adjudicators and teachers travelled here for the International and countless area events. The Winter Gardens and Tower defined the calendar.
Modern day
Strictly, Internationals & a living cultural capital
From first medal tests on regional floors to world titles under the Tower — Blackpool is still where dance culture is made, not merely hosted.
Back the Bid
Join dancers across the globe in backing Blackpool's 2029 UK City of Culture bid — the spiritual home of dance, asking the country to recognise what the floor already knows. It's a short form only — not a donation.
Back Blackpool's Bid