Museum plan gets £8m boost

By Ged Henderson

23 Mar 2018

Plans to create a new museum celebrating Blackpool’s unique place in entertainment have received a multi-million pound funding boost.

The Northern Cultural Regeneration Fund has allocated £4m towards the ambitious project which aims to bring £12.5m of additional spending into the resort.

And a Heritage Lottery Fund award will deliver £400,000 up front to support the development of the museum - with the prospect of a further £4m to make the attraction a reality.

The new museum will celebrate the town’s history as the UK’s first mass seaside holiday resort and the aim is to open its doors to visitors in 2020.

The biggest new museum development in the North West, it is expected to attract almost 300,000 visitors a year and will be developed on the world-famous Golden Mile.

The aim is to “engage younger audiences” in the history of Blackpool and further strengthen the town’s growing tourism offer.

Councillor Gillian Campbell, deputy leader of Blackpool Council, said: “This is great news and we are delighted to have secured such significant funding. This is a major step forward to help deliver this exciting project.

“These announcements are extremely welcome and are critical pieces in a £13m funding jigsaw.

“We are now seeking additional funding from the Growth Deal and Coastal Communities Fund to help complete the funding that needs to be achieved. We will continue to work hard to complete this complex funding jigsaw.”

The planned museum will explore the extraordinary and rarely told stories of Britain’s largest seaside resort.

Blackpool has played an unrivalled role in the development of British popular entertainment over the past 150 years and the museum is described as a “dynamic and celebratory space” - a blend of museum and visitor attraction, filled with artefacts, film, music and performance.

The plan is to locate it in the historic Palatine Building on the Golden Mile, next door but one to Blackpool Tower.

Blackpool museum boost

The building, known until recently as the Sands Venue, is being transformed into Blackpool’s first five star hotel and leisure complex and the museum will be part of the redevelopment.

The museum was selected by the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership (LEP) last year as the county’s preferred project to be put forward for NCRF funding.

It will showcase over 800 objects, including many iconic objects from national and local collections including entertainment collections from the Victoria and Albert Museum, the British Music Hall society and the EMI Archive Trust.

The council says it will attract 218,000 paying visitors and will be free to local residents of Blackpool. It will create 40 full-time equivalent jobs.

It will also boost the economy attracting an additional 24,000 staying visitors to the resort and bring £12.5m of additional expenditure in the town.

Northern Powerhouse Minister Jake Berry said the investment, part of a wider package in the region, represents “a major economic and cultural boost for the Northern Powerhouse”.

He added: “These investments will have a transformative effect, benefitting local communities by creating new jobs while increasing tourism from across the UK and further afield.”

   

Enjoyed this? Read more from Ged Henderson

Latest news

1

McMurrays Haulage expands fleet after contract win Warehouse Supervisor at Pets Choice Brad Eddleston and McMurrays Sales Manager Rob Spencer. Photo credit: McMurrays Haulage Limited

McMurrays Haulage expands fleet after contract win

21 Oct 2025

2

Dragons' Den star to shine on Lancashire Business Day Derry Green

Dragons' Den star to shine on Lancashire Business Day

21 Oct 2025

3

Eden Project Garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026 marks 25th anniversary Eden Project garden

Eden Project Garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026 marks 25th anniversary

21 Oct 2025

4

Lancashire farm named 'Family Farming Business of the Year' British Farming Awards

Lancashire farm named 'Family Farming Business of the Year'

20 Oct 2025

5

Breck Homes appoints new managing director Phil Dolan, Breck

Breck Homes appoints new managing director

20 Oct 2025

Background image for hub sign up block

LBV Hub

Leverage Lancashire Business View platforms

Post your news
Post your events
Post your offers
Build your network
Improve your SEO
Gain coverage in the magazine
Sign-up
Events
CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course

Preston Campus, Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 17:00

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course

Preston Campus, Preston, PR1 2HE

08:00 - 17:00

Help to grow management course
Help to grow - barriers to growth.png.png
LBV Hub Seminars
26 Sep 2025 - 16 Dec 2025

Help to grow management course

Preston Campus , Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 15:00

Women scaling up Blackpool Fylde and Wyre
LBV Hub Seminars
22 Oct 2025 - 09 Jan 2026

Women scaling up Blackpool Fylde and Wyre

The Small Business Academy, Blackpool, FY4 5JX

09:30 - 15:30

HR Essentials for pubs, bars and licensed venues
EventBrite NORi - 22nd Oct Webinar.png.png
LBV Hub Webinar
22 Oct 2025 - 22 Oct 2025

HR Essentials for pubs, bars and licensed venues

Online - Teams, Leyland, PR253XH

13:30 - 15:00

RISE - Lancashire's unique leadership programme for women
thumbnail_Emma Weston Illustration WENDY BOWERS RISE Illustrstion.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
22 Oct 2025 - 18 Mar 2026

RISE - Lancashire's unique leadership programme for women

East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, Clayton le Moors, BB5 5JR

09:30 - 15:30

North West Business Expo 2025
https---cdn.evbuc.com-images-880456273-4862066883-1-original.20241022-105445.jpeg.jpg
LBV Hub Exhibitions
24 Oct 2025 - 24 Oct 2025

North West Business Expo 2025

Bolton Stadium Hotel, Bolton, BL6 6SF

09:00 - 15:00

Chamber Business Lunch – October
LBV Hub Networking
24 Oct 2025 - 24 Sep 2025

Chamber Business Lunch – October

Lancaster Golf Club, Lancaster, LA2 0AJ

11:00 - 13:30

Lancaster District Business Support Expo
Lancs-cham-logo.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Networking
29 Oct 2025 - 29 Oct 2025

Lancaster District Business Support Expo

The Platform, Morecambe, LA4 4DB

10:00 - 15:00

Chamber Breakfast Networking – November
Lancs-cham-logo.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Networking
06 Nov 2025 - 06 Nov 2025

Chamber Breakfast Networking – November

Porsche Centre South Lakes, Carnforth, LA6 1FW

08:30 - 10:30

Lancashire Police business update with The Police and Crime Commissioner
Lancs-cham-logo.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Roundtables
10 Nov 2025 - 10 Nov 2025

Lancashire Police business update with The Police and Crime Commissioner

Lancaster Castle, Lancaster, LA1 1YN

14:00 - 16:00

Beyond the Brand: Building trust through values and integrity
1.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
11 Nov 2025 - 11 Nov 2025

Beyond the Brand: Building trust through values and integrity

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

18:00 - 20:00

Advertise with us

Reaching 50,000 members, our print, digital and event platforms offer a fantastic way to raise your business profile and help you grow.

Find out more LBV124 Online Graphic
Subscribe now

Weekly news bulletin