Light Odyssey at the Empress Ballroom

Johnny James, Managing Editor

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Light Odyssey

Empress Ballroom, Blackpool
18 October 2018

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The award-winning Lightpool Festival is back again this year, with a spectacular launch event on the 18 October, featuring the BBC Philharmonic.

As the name suggests, Lightpool is a festival of light, located in Blackpool. It features a mix of live performances, unique collaborations, and light-based art installations. In 2016, its inaugural event was named as the best major event in the Lancashire Tourism Awards. Though last year’s festival was a smaller affair, this year it will return with more grandeur than ever, lighting up the seaside town with a host of exciting spectacles. Its cornerstone event, and the one which will launch the festival, is Light Odyssey.

Light Odyssey will bring the iconic Empress Ballroom to life with 2D and 3D light animation, in a spectacle which pushes the boundaries of light, space and sound. A unique event for the festival, it’s a collaboration with the BBC Philharmonic. The renowned orchestra will treat Blackpool to a show-stopping programme, featuring Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber, Fanfare for the Common Man by Aaron Copland and English Folk Song Suite by Ralph Vaughan Williams. This programme will be paired with a stunning visual display in which the ballroom’s vast interior will be transformed into a giant canvas.

These visuals have been carefully crafted by an international team of animators. Their task has been to respond to the Empress Ballroom’s magnificent architecture, as well as to the wonderful music. Over recent months their process has involved making a detailed 3D model of the venue, which has allowed them to tailor-make their animations for this unique space. They won’t be the only animators to unveil their work, though. Students of Video Design for Live Performance at the London Guildhall School of Music and Drama will also get the chance to show off their skills, having been given the amazing opportunity to close the show.

Where to go near Light Odyssey at the Empress Ballroom

Charabanc blackpool
Blackpool
Shop
Charabanc

Charabanc is your go-to for vintage and handcrafted items including fashion, gifts and homewares.

Blackpool
Café or Coffee Shop
HIVE Blackpool

HIVE is an independent artisan quality coffee shop with its own art gallery, whose ‘GuggenHive’ wall gives a leg-up to emerging artists.

Grand Theatre Blackpool
Blackpool
Theatre
Blackpool Grand Theatre

Blackpool’s Grand theatre is home to a broad and high quality touring programme of entertainment including drama, musical theatre, opera, ballet and dance.

West Coast Rock Cafe

Family owned restaurant that is famous for it’s burgers and brews its own beer, with a good location is close to the Winter Gardens. Its lockdown delivery menu offers everything you need for a family night in.

Dirty Blonde's
Blackpool
Restaurant
Dirty Blonde’s

Dirty Blonde’s is a dive bar and pizza joint that feels more downtown New York than British seaside town. Go for the craft beer, graffitied walls and indie playlist, stay for the New York pizzas and wings.

Amaro Blackpool
Blackpool
Restaurant
Amaro

Tucked away behind Blackpool’s famous copycat Eiffel Tower you’ll find Amaro, a popular local restaurant specialising in classic Italian cooking. A great spot for families and couples alike.

Abington Street Market
Blackpool
Shop
Abington Street Market

Abington Street Market is a go-to for independent retail, housing 12 shopping units selling everything from handmade ceramics to clothing, crystals and cake.

Abington Street Market
Blackpool
Restaurant
Abington Street Market Food Hall

Housing six independent food traders, two bars and a coffee shop, Abington Street Market Food Hall is a great choice for… choice! Great when you’re in a big (or fussy!) group.

Stefani’s Pizzeria

At Stefani’s Pizzeria we pride ourselves in making the most delicious wood-fired pizza, we eat, drink and sleep pizza! Our Dough is made fresh daily and proved for a minimum of 24 hours and by sourcing the best ingredients from all different regions of Italy we bring you possibly the best pizza in Blackpool.

Image courtesy of Saoko Cocktail Bar.
Blackpool
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Saoko Cocktail Club

This cocktail bar may be the new kid on the Blackpool block, but it’s already renowned for its excellent service and imaginative drinks that offer an ‘experience and a story’.

Mandarin
Blackpool
Restaurant
Michael Wan’s Mandarin

Think of Blackpool and what springs to mind? Whatever it is, it’s probably not top tier Cantonese dining. But a visit to Michael Wan’s Mandarin might just change that.

La Fontana
Blackpool
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La Fontana

This cosy, family-run trattoria is perfect for couples and families alike, pairing lovingly-prepared plates of Italian classics with twinkling fairy lights, roman pillars and a fountain.

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