Blackpool Grand Theatre unveils packed new season spanning drama, dance and musicals
Blackpool Grand Theatre has unveiled a packed new season of productions across drama, dance and musicals, with theatre officials saying the programme underlines the venue’s increasingly strategic role in the town’s visitor economy and as a cultural home for local audiences and community producers.
Early highlights include Sherlock Holmes: The Hunt for Moriarty (Apr 16–18) and War of the Worlds (Apr 22–25), which blends performance with cinema through model sets, actors and camera work. K-Pop appears on Apr 26, followed by Sunny Afternoon (Apr 28–May 2), the acclaimed jukebox musical charting the rise of The Kinks.
The Boy at the Back of the Class (May 5–9) explores themes of displacement, empathy and belonging through the eyes of a child, while Harry Clayton-Wright’s Mr. Blackpool Homecoming Gala is slated for May 20. June brings Breakin’ Convention (June 6), the hip-hop festival, and Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo (June 12), known for a distinctive blend of classical ballet and satire.
Family and youth audiences feature with Theatrix UK!’s Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical JR. (June 19–20) and Return to the Forest (June 25–27), which combines puppetry, storytelling and environmental themes in an immersive experience for younger audiences. Summer titles include Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5 The Musical (July 21–25) and Summer Holiday The Musical (July 29–Aug 8).
The autumn schedule features Dial M for Murder (Sept 15–19), the classic thriller that inspired Hitchcock’s film, and Surinderella (Sept 22–26), a British South Asian pantomime blending Bollywood, music, dance and a contemporary twist on Cinderella. Horrible Histories: Terrible Tudors and Awful Egyptians runs Oct 15–18, and The Disappearing Man (Nov 3–7) blends illusion, mystery and theatrical innovation.
In November, The Choir of Man (Nov 17–21)—the internationally acclaimed, Olivier-nominated, pub-set production—returns, alongside two significant incoming productions. Looking further ahead, festive audiences are set for Jack and the Beanstalk (Dec 4, 2026–Jan 3, 2027).
The programme also notes the stage premiere of The Silence of the Lambs, with a world-stage premiere scheduled for January 2027. In March 2027, James Graham’s PUNCH is due to arrive—a powerful, politically charged new work in co-production with Nottingham Playhouse—alongside Blackpool Operatic Players’ Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Theatre officials position the season as both a draw for visitors, in partnership with accommodation providers and tourism organisations, and a platform for local audiences and community producers, with programming that ranges from classics and contemporary drama to family shows and major musicals.