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News from VisitBlackpool
The Stars Come Out For Blackpool Illuminations 2011
Real Radio, Smooth Radio and visitBlackpool are delighted to announce the first wave of acts to be performing at this year’s Blackpool’s Illuminations Switch On Ceremony on Friday September 2nd.
They will be Pixie Lott, Joe McElderry, Olly Murs, Paul Carrack, Wonderland and The Overtones.
Pixie Lott has a clutch of hit singles, a top ten album under her belt and is joined in the line-up by Joe McElderry, winner of ‘The X Factor’ in 2009 and this year’s ‘Popstar To Operastar’. Runner up to Joe in ‘The X Factor’ was Olly Murs. Now a huge star in his own right he returns to Blackpool after a rapturous reception at last year’s event., The man with the soulful voice responsible for a mountain of classic songs, Paul Carrack, joins the stellar line-up and bringing their special brand of pop music and high glamour to the party of the year are stunning new girl band, Wonderland. And, last but not least in this first wave announcement is, vocal doo-wop group The Overtones.
Last year’s event drew record crowds, with over 15,000 enjoying Blackpool’s biggest night within a specially set up arena and a further 20,000 watching on big screens on the resort’s world famous Promenade.
More top name performers will be announced in the coming weeks along with the eagerly anticipated name of just who will be doing the all-important Big Switch On!
Free tickets for Blackpool’s biggest night of the year will be allocated randomly with a maximum of 6 tickets per household with 50% being allocated to people within the Borough of Blackpool area. Registration will close at 12 noon on Tuesday 16 August and successful applicants will be notified by email on Friday 19 August 2011.
For your chance to be there on the big night click onto www.visitblackpool.com/switchon
Those who are not lucky enough to receive tickets to the main Switch-On Arena, they will have the opportunity to watch the show on a live big screen on the promenade by Central Pier. The concert will also be broadcast over both Real Radio and Smooth Radio’s national networks and can be heard on both station’s websites.
Dave Shearer, Programme Director at 105.4 Real Radio, said “Real and Smooth Radio are delighted to be a part of the party that lights up Blackpool again this year. These are the first of what is shaping up to be another fantastic line-up of acts to entertain the crowds that make the trip to Blackpool from across the UK. There’s more to come and, of course, we will shortly be making the much anticipated announcement on which star will be doing the all-important ‘Big Switch On’.”
Councillor Graham Cain, Blackpool Council’s portfolio holder for Tourism and Culture said “Real and Smooth Radio have once again pulled out all the stops to present a brilliant “Switch On” line up. We look forward to welcoming the tens of thousands of visitors to the resort over the weekend and announcing the rest of the bill, plus of course the 2011 Switch On celebrity.”
END
For further information contact:
Mike Chadwick, Media & Events Manager, visitBlackpool T: 01253 478230
Nicola Atanassova, Marketing Manager, visitBlackpool T: 01253 478202
For Real Radio and Smooth Radio contact:
Malcolm Packer, GMG Radio Communications Manager
T: 07827258756
Notes to editors:
· Blackpool Illuminations will shine nightly from Friday 2 September to Sunday 6 November
· Blackpool Illuminations attracts more than three million visitors to the resort each year
· The Illuminations display stretches for more than five miles
· Blackpool’s first electric lighting was in 1879 when just eight Siemens arc lamps illuminated the Promenade. The effect was described by Victorian visitors as ‘artificial sunshine’.
· 2012 sees the Blackpool Illuminations Centenary of the first public lighting display
· The Illuminations cost £2.4 million to stage
· The Lights are credited to the pumping of more than £275 million into the local economy
· Blackpool Illuminations extend the traditional tourist season by a further nine weeks
Smooth Radio (www.smoothradio.com )
Smooth Radio launched on 4th October 2010 and broadcasts nationally to over 3 million listeners each week via a number of platforms, including DAB, Freeview, Freesat, Sky and on FM across London, East & West Midlands, the North West, North East and Glasgow. It provides a broad mix of soulful, easy listening music from the last five decades mixed with intelligent entertaining speech for the 40 and 50 something adult by experienced presenters such as Simon Bates, Mark Goodier and David ‘Kid’ Jensen.
Real Radio(www.realradio.co.uk)
Real radio broadcasts a lively mix of popular music from the 80s to the present day entertaining regionally focused chat, news, sports for the 25-44 year old market. Real Radio is available on FM across Wales, Central Scotland, across the North West, North East and South and West Yorkshire, as well as in most major UK regions on DAB digital radio online at www.realradio.co.uk while Real Radio Wales is also available on Sky and Freeview.