One of the country’s most iconic buildings is feeling the love.
A 9 metre wide LED heart has been installed on Blackpool Tower and is now shining on the Promenade.
The heart structure is covered in 900 programmable LEDs, the same as those currently being used at the top of the Tower.
They can be controlled to create 16 million colours. The heart can change colour, rotate, fade and shimmer. From a simple red beating heart to a green St Patrick’s Day special, many options are available.
Cllr Graham Cain, Cabinet Member for Tourism and Culture, said: “The new lighting that we’ve installed at the top of the Tower this year has been really popular and this will enhance it even further.
“The idea behind the heart is part connected to the “I heart BPL branding” used by visit Blackpool but it’s also to identify that we’ve built Festival House, a venue on the Promenade for weddings and civil partnerships.
“The heart will shine all year round and will be programmed to mark special events.
“I’m delighted that we’ve been able to install the heart in time for all the half term visitors. We’ve got visitors that return every year so every year we need to give them something new and exciting to enjoy.”
The heart can operate as either a standalone feature or can be controlled from Festival House so it can be linked to specific ceremonial activities if required by arrangement.
Facing West and mounted on the Tower at between 128ft and 165 ft the Heart overlooks the headland centrepiece the newly unveiled "Comedy Carpet".
Head of Merlin entertainments Blackpool Iain Hawkins said: “This signifies that The Blackpool Tower really is the beating heart of the town and the way everything is coming together now all of Merlin’s 8 attractions are open and the promenade is almost finished.
“One of the things we talk about at Merlin is sparkle. We have opened lots of new attractions in the town and one of the things we want to provide is added sparkle.
“The new high tech lighting means we can turn the top of the Tower and now the heart into any colour and make it a real beacon for Blackpool.
“The Blackpool Tower is so iconic and the first thing everyone spots on the way into Blackpool so having an illuminated heart for all to see couldn’t be more fitting.”
The Blackpool Illuminations shine until Sunday 6 November.
Visitors are being encouraged to donate a pound per person to the Illuminations fund.
