Hundreds of thousands of people gathered to watch the switch on
Huge crowds headed to Blackpool for the event, which saw a huge Nickelodeon parade head down the Golden Mile and delighted people of all ages. SpongeBob SquarePants and friends, PAW Patrol, Baby Shark, Transformers, and Monsters High appeared on floats as the seafront was full of dancers and a marching band.
The parade was followed by a specially-commissioned sound and light show on The Blackpool Tower that was synchronised with LED wristbands given out to spectators. This was then topped off with a performance from Sophie Ellis-Bextor.Sophie performed a medley of her hits which had both young and old singing and dancing with excitement. As she sang Murder on The Dancefloor the atmosphere was described as "electric".
Following the performance the fireworks finale started before Sophie hit the switch and the Blackpool Illuminations officially began. The tower lit up multi-coloured with a big heart as people cheered and clapped. Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen was seen watching the firework display. He has long been associated with Blackpool Illuminations after having designed the installations several times.
People travelled from up and down the country to visit the spectacle. Anthony and his children, Bella and Dainton Horricks travelled from Manchester for the parade and switch-on.The family were visibly excited and Dainton was most excited to see Sophie Ellis-Bexter.Don't miss the biggest and breaking stories by signing up to the Echo Daily newsletter here
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