Going to Blackpool is always given as a highlight that they all want to reach. I can understand it's different for them, at a historic dance floor etc, but I find it's usually the flattest, most unpersonal show. The floor is too large and the show seems to lose its soul.
I've always thought the smallish dance floor and close audience of Strictly gives it an intimate feel, whilst XFactors huge billion watt lit stage depersonalises the acts.

I don't think the Ballroom dances are particularly intimate dances for the audience but I think the large floor can expose shortcomings in technique in that celebs are often taught to do beautiful lines but not move across the floor. There are some exceptions. Harry Judd moved well.

I think some dances are more suitable than others. All of the 5 Ballroom should use the whole floor. Of the Latin, Paso and Samba are big outward looking dances and can travel well but I am more doubtful of the other three. I think Salsa is a bad choice for a large floor, and Charleston not a great choice.

So looking st the week 9 dances they have some unsuitable choices of dance in my view, but we'll see.

(Blackpool does give the opportunity for some grand staging using props, hoists etc for the dances that travel less well.)

It is a highlight to the celebrities in that its a landmark. They know that not everyone can reach the Final so, as a non-dancer taking part, if you can't say you won or reached the Final, their "Final" is being given the opportunity to ballroom dance at the Home of Ballroom Dancing.

A lesser badge of honour of sorts...

I can certainly imagine it being something special for the celebs to dance at Blackpool, but I also think that Blackpool been touted as the highlight by Strictly for years because it's a positive spin -- it sounds better than, "We got kicked out of our regular studio because it's needed for Children in Need."

But I also think it gives something for those who know they aren't going to win and also probably not even reach the final, something to aim for?

It always has a kind of half-term feel about it to me - in that beforehand anything can happen and it's always a bit more relaxed, but once the Blackpool highjinks are out of the way it's down to serious business.

Fair point

I like the Blackpool week but agree that it's a shame that the dance choices don't make the most of it.
(though I am concerned that the combination of a sprung floor, a jive and an Olympic gymnast might mean having to retrieve Cloudier from one of the balconies)

I just hate the tacky Kiss Me Quick hats, jokey sunglasses etc that they feature in the vts. Plus eating ice cream when it's blowing a gale and 5 degrees.

I'm sure it's a highlight to the pro's, whose enthusiasm then rubs off on the celebs.
As has been said already it is the 'anything goes til here, but down to business afterwards' stage.
It's also an honour to perform there in any way/shape/form

Excellent description....



and it also seems to mark the beginning of the serious part of the competition

I understand that Blackpool is the ballroom dance equivalent of Wembley, Lords or even Twickenham. Just as amateur footballers dream of playing at Wembley, every ballroom dancer wants to perform at the Tower Ballroom, Blackpool.

It's always been "sold," as that and doesn't often disappoint.

Blackpool is the mecca for dancing but Winter Gardens not the Tower

Rather Blackpool than the empty yawning box that is the Wembley Arena

The Blackpool hype is so tangibly fake. It's there to serve as punctuation to the very long schedule that Strictly has now with 16 contestants. You can bet that it is meaningless to most of the celebrities but because most of them are in showbiz they know to say what they are told.
It certainly makes absolutely no difference to me as a viewer.
But I agree, it's a better substitute venue than Wembley for a TV programme.

I thought last year the pros and celebs did a bad job of covering up how much they didn't enjoy it.

I think it has its place in strictly though.

Thank you!


I agree!

It has its place, not sure if any of the last few years at Blackpool have given any series highlights, other than the fabulous group dance at the start of last years.

Had to go down the YT rabbit hole for this .....
https://youtu.be/2KASm3hQ9_Y

It wasn't memorable because it was at Blackpool, but it was a Blackpool dance.
Oddly, as much as I loved this at the time, and on tour, it didn't move me as much now

I always used to get excited about Blackpool (or Wembley) but then we got there and it was just another show (tho it is often a good place to get rid of the ones who really shouldn't still be there so there is that). So I'm not too fussed this year, just hoping for lots of great performances as usual.

Blackpool is the best show of the series. Anyone who has visited the Tower Ballroom "gets it".

It is for the celebs and pros but as a viewer i don't enjoy it. the floor is so big and the filming is always all over the place so that we cannot see the actual dancing. They also seem to have lots of extra dancers which again distracts from the one we are meant to be watching.

There are quite a few dances I would consider memorable that were Blackpool week (my personal favourite being Pixie Lott's Paso), but I don't think any of them are memorable FOR being at Blackpool.

I'd echo what previous posters have said, and it's mainly memorable for the contestants to say they have danced at the Tower Ballroom.

It is pretty easy to go and dance at the tower to be fair. You literally pay a few quid and they let you in and you can cha cha and waltz away to your hearts content, organ music included!

I always really enjoy it. I think it's nice that they go to blackpool and acknowledge the part that blackpool plays in competitive latin and ballroom (they do often mention the winter gardens on ITT too which is great. Although I weirdly kind of like that strictly happens at the tower not the WG.) It does make a difference to me as a viewer that the celebs all enjoy it and I do feel like they all up their game to be dancing in a real ballroom rather than a studio. Plus it's great punctuation in the series to have the aim be to get to blackpool, then the aim be to get to the final. Works better than a random theme week in that regard.

But most people would rather avoid Blackpool itself, since it is a tacky hell hole. The floor is wonderful to dance on. End of story.

I went back to Blackpool a couple of years ago as I had fond memories of it as a child. I have to agree with the poster who described it as a hell-hole, it was ghastly. Grey windy sea, mud everywhere, cheap and tacky cafes and souvenir shops and a feeling of poverty. My only emotion was to feel very sorry for the people trying to make a living there.

I apologise if you live in Blackpool and love it, but it is a mystery why all the SCD people are so keen to get there. Maybe it's the extra money that comes after the halfway point - or maybe they just run amok when away from home.