Blackpool’s first purpose-built cinema, the Tower Cinema, opened in 1900 and holds a special place in the history of cinema in the UK. Located inside the iconic Blackpool Tower, it was designed specifically to cater to the growing demand for motion pictures, a new form of entertainment that was rapidly gaining popularity at the time. The Tower Cinema was significant for several reasons. While films had been shown in various venues before, such as fairgrounds, music halls, and temporary spaces, the Tower Cinema was the first to be built exclusively for the exhibition of films. This made it one of the earliest examples of a purpose-built cinema in the world, an important development in the growth of the motion picture industry.
At the time of its opening, film technology was still in its infancy, and cinema as a medium was not yet fully established. The Tower Cinema offered the public a dedicated space to enjoy films on a regular basis, a luxury that had previously been rare. The building was designed to provide the best possible viewing experience, with a large auditorium equipped with the latest projection equipment available. The cinema itself was located within the Blackpool Tower complex, which had already been a popular attraction since its opening in 1894. The Tower was designed as a grand entertainment venue, and the addition of a cinema within the Tower reinforced Blackpool’s reputation as a modern, cutting-edge resort. The Tower Cinema helped elevate Blackpool’s status as a place of cultural significance, offering a variety of entertainment options that appealed to the masses, including film screenings, live performances, and other attractions within the Tower complex.
The Tower Cinema was a major success, contributing to the increasing popularity of cinema as a form of entertainment. It helped cement Blackpool’s place in the history of cinema and entertainment, as it was one of the first places in the country where people could regularly watch films in a dedicated cinema setting. It also set the stage for the growth of cinema chains and purpose-built theatres across the UK and the world. While the Tower Cinema was eventually closed in the early 1960s, its legacy lives on as a key part of Blackpool’s entertainment history. It was an early example of how cinema could be integrated into larger entertainment venues and helped shape the way cinema was presented to the public. Today, Blackpool is still an important location in the history of British entertainment, with a rich tradition of cinema, performance, and technological innovation that began with landmarks like the Tower Cinema.
The background image of Blackpool was taken circa 1900 and then colourised.
If you’d like to have a look at the Fylde Coast’s only IMAX cinema, check out The Backlot.
