A century of memories as Stanley Park celebrates 100th birthday

Stanley Park has marked its 100th anniversary with a special two-day celebration bringing together generations of Blackpool residents, visitors, volunteers, community groups and the people who help care for the much-loved park.

The Grade II-listed park officially reached its centenary on Friday 2 October, exactly 100 years after it first opened its gates in 1926.

A special ceremony was held in the park to mark the milestone, with Deputy Lieutenant of Lancashire Sir Bill Beaumont re-enacting the official opening of Stanley Park’s gates, just as it happened 100 years ago.

The ceremony brought together invited guests and people who have played a part in caring for, supporting and developing Stanley Park over the years.

Local schoolchildren helped bring the celebrations to life with a series of special performances, including poem The Lion and Albert by Marriot Edgar, The Blackpool Way dance and a bespoke version of I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside song, created especially for the centenary.

Guests also gathered to hear the Cocker Clock strike noon on the day of the park’s official 100^th anniversary.

A commemorative bench was also unveiled, donated through the Glasdon/DJ Sidebottom Charitable Fund, providing a lasting reminder of the special anniversary.

The celebrations continued with afternoon tea, bringing together people from the parks, grounds and environmental teams, volunteers, community groups and others who have given their time, skills and passion to Stanley Park over the years.

The following day, Saturday 3 October, saw the park open its doors for a huge public birthday celebration, with residents and visitors invited to enjoy a packed programme of activities and entertainment across the park.

With a range of sporting activities, BMX and archery, family-friendly fairground rides, pop-up performances, a Makers Market in the stunning Italian Gardens, food stalls, heritage talks and tours, there was something for all ages to enjoy.

A youth-led mini festival, delivered by House of Wingz and Creative Blackpool, brought together music, dance, skateboarding, art and more, while live entertainment throughout the day included performances from Waterloo Women's Choir, a jazz band, Emma Jackson BEM and DJ Jason Fubar.

As evening fell, the celebrations continued with the switch-on of new lighting around the park, including a new centenary emblem, festoon lighting and tree lighting in key routes, the Italian Gardens fountain and Cocker Clock, highlighting some of Stanley Park’s best-known features.

The centenary celebrations culminated in a spectacular drone show over the lake, created by Celestial, the company behind the acclaimed drone display filmed at Stanley Park for Britain’s Got Talent in 2025.

With seaside music and Blackpool themes bringing the show to life, the skies above the lake became a fitting finale to a day that saw Stanley Park filled with people, entertainment and celebration.

Deputy Leader of the Council (Place) and Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Councillor Jane Hugo, said: “Stanley Park has been part of the life of Blackpool for 100 years, and this weekend has been a wonderful opportunity to celebrate everything that makes it so special.

“From the people who have cared for the park over generations, to the families who have made memories here and the children and young people who will create its next chapter, this centenary has been about people as much as it has been about the park itself.

“Friday gave us the opportunity to reflect on Stanley Park’s history and recognise the people who have helped make it what it is today. Saturday was about bringing everyone together to celebrate, enjoy the park and look towards its future.

“It has been fantastic to see so many people enjoying Stanley Park throughout the celebrations, and I would like to thank everyone who has helped make the centenary such a memorable occasion.

“I hope this weekend has created many more memories for people to treasure for years to come.”

Stanley Park was designed by renowned landscape architect and town planner Thomas Mawson as a park for people of all ages, abilities, interests and backgrounds.

Today, the approximately 390-acre park combines formal gardens, woodland, sporting facilities and play areas, with historic features including the Italian Gardens, ornamental bridges, bandstand, Art Deco Café, boating lake and Cocker Clock Tower.

The park welcomes more than two million visitors each year and has twice been voted the UK’s Favourite Park. In 2022, it was named England’s Favourite Park for a third time, earning English National Treasure status from Fields in Trust.

The centenary year has also provided an opportunity to invest in the park’s future, with Blackpool Council investing £500,000 in additional maintenance and restoration work, including repairs to the Cocker Clock Tower, fountain and Italian Gardens, supported by £50,000 raised by the Friends of Stanley Park.

The two-day celebration formed the centrepiece of a year-long programme of centenary events, which has included family activities, heritage walks, sporting events, Bandstand performances, a special centenary parkrun and a visit from His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh.

The centenary has been an opportunity to celebrate Stanley Park’s remarkable history, the people who have cared for it over the past century and the generations who continue to enjoy it today.