Winter Gardens

The Winter Gardens, a prominent entertainment venue in Blackpool, Lancashire, England, features a theatre, ballroom, and conference facilities. Established in 1878, it is a Grade II listed building. The Blackpool Entertainment Company Limited operates it on behalf of Blackpool Council, which acquired the property from Leisure Parcs Ltd in 2010 as part of a £40 million deal. Throughout its history, the Winter Gardens has been the venue for numerous significant events, including the annual Trades Union Congress, the Conservative Party Conference, the Labour Party Conference, and the Liberal Democrat Conference held twice a year. The venue’s management noted that every British Prime Minister since World War II had addressed an audience there.

Since its inception in 1920, the Winter Gardens has hosted the Blackpool Dance Festival and has been the location for the World Matchplay darts tournament since 1994. It also annually hosts the Miss Dance of Great Britain and Dance Master UK competitions. The Winter Gardens Company acquired the site in 1875 for £28,000 and constructed the venue on the six-acre Bank Hey Estate, which officially opened on 11 July 1878. The original vision for the property included a concert room, promenades, conservatories, and other amenities designed to make the estate a pleasant retreat, especially on rainy days. During the 1870s, several parts of the venue were built, including the Vestibule, Floral Hall, Ambulatory, and Pavilion Theatre. The Opera House Theatre first opened in 1889, and the Empress Ballroom, along with the Indian Lounge (now known as the Arena), was constructed in 1896. The Blackpool Ferris wheel, erected in the same year, was also part of the complex.

In 1910, the Opera House Theatre underwent reconstruction. The Winter Gardens Company was acquired by the Tower Company in 1928. Subsequent developments included the Olympia in 1930, followed by the Galleon Bar, Spanish Hall, and Baronial Hall the next year. The Opera House Theatre was rebuilt again in 1939. EMI took over the Winter Gardens in 1967, and First Leisure acquired it in 1983. Leisure Parcs then purchased the complex from First Leisure’s Resorts Division in 1998 as part of an estimated £74 million deal that also included Blackpool Tower. By December 2009, Leisure Parcs had agreed to sell the Winter Gardens, Blackpool Tower, and other resort sites to Blackpool Council for £40 million. This transaction, funded through government regeneration money, European funding, and a loan, was completed in March 2010. Although many major political party conferences have shifted to modern conference centers in cities like Birmingham, Liverpool, and Manchester, the Winter Gardens continues to be an iconic venue. Since 1996, it has hosted the annual Rebellion Punk Festival.