travel to blackpool from london

Find cheap bus tickets from London to Blackpool

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Bus London to Blackpool: Trip Overview

Compare bus companies.

Based on 26928 reviews, the company was rated 4.2 stars on Busbud. Travelers were especially satisfied with the staff and the ticket access but often complained with the wifi. National Express ticket prices on this trip start at $17.00

National Express London Blackpool recent customer reviews

Cannot see why people on overnight bus to Blackpool were asked to leave bus for over an hour at 2.30am

It’s the 3rd time I’ve use national express I’m very satisfied with the service

Based on 413 reviews, the company was rated 3.9 stars on Busbud. Travelers were especially satisfied with the cleanliness and the staff but often complained with the power outlets. Infobus ticket prices on this trip start at $29.00

London to Blackpool Buses

Busbud shows you the best bus ticket fares and bus schedules so you can easily plan and book a trip by bus from London to Blackpool.

Bus service from London to Blackpool will be provided by the most trusted bus companies.

Whether it is cheap bus tickets or more luxurious buses going to Blackpool from London, we help you find what you're looking for based on how much of a budget you have.

Information on this bus route

Where are the popular bus stations and stops in london and blackpool.

164 Buckingham Palace Rd, Belgravia, London SW1W 9TP, UK

22 Portman St, Marylebone, London W1H, UK

235 Finchley Rd, London NW3, UK

76-77 A4, Kensington, London SW5, UK

Hammersmith, Stop SC, London W6 9PJ, UK

204 Eltham Rd, London SE9 5LN, UK

Blackpool FY1 5QA, UK

Frequently asked questions for your trip London - Blackpool

How do i get from london to blackpool without a car.

Both buses and trains are available for traveling between these two cities. Both are practical and eco-friendly ways to travel to Blackpool. Another option is using carpool services and riding with fellow travelers.

How long is the bus ride from London to Blackpool?

The average travel time from London to Blackpool is about 8h, although the minimum time it takes to get there is 7h with the fastest bus. This is the time it takes to travel the 201 miles (324 km) that separate the two cities.

How far is London from Blackpool?

London and Blackpool are 201 miles (324 km) apart.

How many buses travel between London and Blackpool daily?

About 3 buses travel this route daily, provided by National Express and Infobus. The number of buses from London to Blackpool can differ depending on the day of the week. Want to make your bus journey from London to Blackpool as effortless as possible? Busbud has got you covered! Browse schedules, pick the perfect bus for your travel style and budget - all in one place.

What time are the first and last bus from London to Blackpool?

The bus service operates from 7:30 AM for the initial departure and runs until 11:30 PM for the final departure.

What are the departure and arrival stations when taking the bus from London to Blackpool?

Most of the buses traveling from London to Blackpool leave from Victoria Coach Station and arrive at Blackpool Central Coach Station. These are the most popular departure and arrival locations on this route, there are other pick-up and drop-off locations that could make it easier for you to reach your destination.

What is the cheapest way to travel from London to Blackpool?

The cheapest way to travel this route is by bus. With prices starting at $17, you won't find a more affordable way to get there.

How much does a bus ticket from London to Blackpool cost?

The bus ticket costs $29 on average. In the last 30 days, the prices ranged from $17 to $90, so it's good to do your research before booking.

What are the best sights and things to do in Blackpool?

Once in Blackpool, you can start exploring the city and discover its surroundings. The top sights and things to do are Coral Island Blackpool, The Grand Theatre Blackpool, Comedy Carpet, Blackpool Tramway and Madame Tussauds.

Can I take an overnight bus from London to Blackpool?

Certainly! You can indeed opt for an overnight bus from London to Blackpool. Make sure to pack a blanket and a snack to make your trip more comfortable.

Find cheapest prices for buses

Price is for a one-way ticket for one passenger and based on past searches.

To save money and be sure you have the best seat, it's a good idea to buy your bus tickets from London to Blackpool, as early as possible.

You can expect to pay from $17 to $40 for a bus ticket from London to Blackpool based on the last 2 days. You can expect to find the cheapest price for the trip at $17 which is on 2024-04-26.

About Bus Travel

Bus travel tips.

If you're abroad, study some local language. Not only could it get you out of a pickle during your bus trip from London to Blackpool but it'll also be endearing to native speakers who will surely appreciate your effort.

Much more than a mere vehicle taking you from London to Blackpool, riding the bus will expose you to some of the most stunning panoramas while enroute to your final bus stop.

Buses are energy-efficient. Carrying a passenger over 100 kms by coach only takes 0.6-0.9 liters of gas. Compare that to the 2.6 liters required by high-speed train, 6.6 liters by airplane and 7.6 liters by gas-powered car, and it's clear that the bus is a more environmentally-conscious option for your bus transportation from London to Blackpool.

Create your own real life musical score by curating a personalized bus travel playlist - the perfect accompaniment to your bus ride from London to Blackpool.

Did you know?

The average number of passengers on a coach bus is 32 meaning that a bus could replace a minimum of at least 30 cars!

Did you know some bus companies in Germany offer to their passenger low-costs snacks and regional beer based on their destination? Prosit!

9.2% of ground transportation in Europe is done by bus versus 7.4% by train.

What's the cheapest way to go from London to Blackpool?

The best way to travel between London and Blackpool is by bus. By choosing the bus, you'll get to save some money as you travel to your destination, as ticket prices cost $29 on average. If you're on a budget, you'll find cheap tickets from $17. If you're looking for the fastest way to get to Blackpool, choose the bus, as it will take you from London to Blackpool in about 3h 58m - that's the fastest way to get there!

Will you be returning to London by bus?

You can also go to blackpool by train, top traveled bus routes.

Why choose Busbud?

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Busbud helps you easily search, compare and book intercity bus tickets on a worldwide scale with our comprehensive list of bus routes and schedules. With several language and currency options available, Busbud seeks to cater to international bus travelers no matter where they are in the world. Busbud partners with safe and reliable bus companies throughout the world such as Greyhound, Eurolines, ALSA, OUIBUS (BlaBlaBus), National Express and many others so you can buy tickets without a worry.

Popular Buses Connecting London

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Popular Buses Connecting Blackpool

Buses leaving from blackpool.

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Buses Going to Blackpool

• Bus from Glasgow to Blackpool
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Coach travel to Blackpool

Frequent, daily services straight to the heart of blackpool.

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Children under 14 years of age are not permitted to travel without being accompanied throughout the journey by a responsible person aged 16 years or over. Children aged 14 - 15 years old may travel unaccompanied, as from 5am, arriving at their booked destination no later than 10pm. Unaccompanied children will be asked for proof of age or a signed letter of permission from their parent/guardian. (sms or chat based messages are not permissible)

One infant aged 0-2 travels free when accompanied by an adult with a valid ticket. Additional infants aged 0-2 must be paid for. If you are travelling with more than 1 infant aged 0-2, please book the additional infant as 'Children (3-15).

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Getting cheap tickets to Blackpool

Things to do in blackpool.

Blackpool knows how to have fun. Its Pleasure Beach is a massive, sprawling theme park by the sea. The famous Blackpool Illuminations light up the seafront rain or shine, while Blackpool Tower is a glittering beacon for miles around.

Blackpool Pleasure Beach

Blackpool’s theme park exists on a large scale: 145 rides are spread across a 40-acres site, attracting 7 million visitors per year.

There are a variety of passes that let you cut the queues too. Thrillseekers should check whiteknuckle rollercoasters like The Big One, Revolution and Infusion – the UK’s first looping coaster suspended over water.

Those preferring a smoother ride might want to head to the classic Thompson Carousel or the Pleasure Beach Express train ride, while cartoon fans can join Spongebob and friends in Nickolodeon Land.

Blackpool Tower

While it may be roughly half the size of the Eiffel Tower, a trip to the top of Blackpool’s famous landmark is still a must. There’s a lot to do at many different levels of the tower, too. Start with a visit to the ghoulish Blackpool Tower Dungeon, where you can get lost in a mirror maze, take part in a court case or try Drop Dead, a suitably gory ride on the hangman’s noose.

Next, head to the magnificent Blackpool Tower Ballroom, a grand rococo venue that could have come straight out of Beauty and the Beast. Then head up to the Tower Eye to catch a 4D film about Blackpool’s history, before taking the elevator up to the observation deck with its heart-stopping glass floor.

SEA LIFE Blackpool

Because it would be strange to go all the way to the coast without seeing some marine animals, SEA LIFE is a must-visit. This aquarium has 2,000 marine creatures including sharks, rays, octopuses and sea horses. SEA LIFE also covers a variety of different habitats, including Blackpool’s own ecosystem to the mysterious depths of the ocean. When you’ve seen enough fins and flippers, enter the leafy Amazon rainforest area for turtles, chameleons and Poison Dart Frogs. Intrepid visitors can even don a snorkel and flippers and go diving with the sharks.

Sandcastle Waterpark

With a year-round temperature of 84-degree, Sandcastle Waterpark brings some much needed tropical heat to Blackpool all year round.

As the UK’s largest indoor waterpark, Sandcastle has 18 slides – including 4 especially created for thrillseekers. Montazooma is an Aztec-themed mat slide with 360° loops and back-to-back turns, while Aztec Falls plunges you in pitch darkness. Sandcastle Waterpark also set world records with Masterblaster, the world’s longest indoor rollercoaster waterslide, and Sidewinder, the world’s first indoor vertical waterslide.

Fancy a gentler ride? Check out the Ushi Gushi River Creek or the Dueling Dragons. For younger visitors, there’s an interactive adventure game and water cannons aboard the HMS Thundersplash.

Comedy Carpet

A permanent, free exhibit under Blackpool Tower, the Comedy Carpet is a huge mosaic of over 800 funny quotes, one-liners and classic catchphrases from comedy legends – many of whom have performed in Blackpool.

Comedy connoisseurs should look out for Morecambe and Wise, Alexei Sayle and quotes from television classics such as Blackadder, Fawlty Towers and Dad’s Army. Hollywood may have its Walk of Fame, but Blackpool unites visitors with a laugh and a joke. Take your time and see if you can find a favourite.

Madame Tussauds Blackpool

Get a selfie with a celebrity without infuriating their bodyguards at Madame Tussauds. Because they’re waxworks, you can discuss space with Brian Cox, pose with Freddie Mercury or put two fingers up behind Ed Sheeran’s head until your heart’s content.

Hardcore Coronation Street fans will be delighted to visit The Rover’s Return and hang out with stationary cast members old and new. Those looking to move up in the world might want to head for HRHs William and Kate.

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Open Return Information

Book your return

Your Open Dated Return is valid for 3 months from your outbound journey. To guarantee your seat on your return you need to confirm your ticket before you travel on www.nationalexpress.com/en/help/tickets/open-returns or call 0371 781 8181.

Open Dated Return Information

If your return date is not yet known, open return tickets provide flexibility. When travelling within the UK, the return journey can be made within 3 months of the outward date of travel. To guarantee your seat on your return journey you need to confirm your ticket before you travel by visiting www.nationalexpress.com/en/help/tickets/open-returns or call us on 03717 81 81 81. Lines open 7 days a week, 8am - 8pm (calls to this number are charged at local rate). Valid on any day throughout the year.

Open returns are not available on European journeys.

Wheelchair accessibility

Accessible coaches.

The majority of stops along the routes listed below are accessible to wheelchair users but are subject to change. Please call us to check the latest situation before booking and at least 36 hours in advance of when you would like to travel.

To see a list of accessible coach routes please visit our Accessibility page.

Assisted Travel Helpline

If you are travelling in a wheelchair or require assistance, please call our helpline before booking and at least 36 hours in advance of when you would like to travel.

03717 81 81 81 - ( option 3)  (lines open 8am - 8pm 7 days a week). Calls to this number are charged at local rate.

For more information please visit our Disabled travellers page.

Passengers & Wheelchair accessibility

Passenger descriptions.

Our passenger descriptions are designed to help you choose the right ticket for yourself or your fellow travellers.

Adult (16+) and Children (3-15)

Children under 14 cannot travel alone unless accompanied by an adult (16+). Please note, you may be required to show proof of age at any point during your journey. Failure to do so, may result in the full adult fare being charged.

Children (3-15)

Children under 14 cannot travel alone unless accompanied by a responsible adult (16+).

Disabled Children

Should be booked as Children. If they are travelling in a wheelchair or require assistance, please call our Assisted Travel Helpline.

We strongly recommend that you bring a car seat appropriate to your child's age, but ask you to take responsibility to fit the seat.

Booster Seats

Children aged between approximately 4-11 years old, or up to 150cm tall, may use booster seats. We carry a limited number onboard most coaches.

If travelling with a child, you may be required to show proof of age when buying tickets or at any point during your journey. Failure to do so may result in the child being required to pay the full fare for the journey on that day.

Booster seats

Children aged between approximately 4 years and 11 years or up to 150cm tall may use booster seats, we carry a limited number onboard most coaches along with our comfort fit seat belts.

Disabled children should be booked as children rather than 'Disabled'. If they are travelling in a wheelchair or you wish to book assistance with travel please call our Assisted Travel Helpline before booking and at least 36 hours in advance of when you would like to travel.

You can find a list of accessible coach stops on our Accessibility page .

Please call us 36 hours prior to travelling to check the latest status.

If you are travelling in a wheelchair or require assistance we recommend that you contact us on the following local rate telephone number: 03717 81 81 81 (lines open 8am - 8pm 7 days a week) 36 hours in advance of when you would like to travel.

Adult (26 - 59)

Adult fares are applicable to all passengers aged between of 26 and 59 inclusive.

Child 0 - 12 inclusive

Children aged 12 or under travelling on any European service must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over.

Unaccompanied children will not be carried

Young persons (13 - 25)

Children under the age of 16 are not permitted to travel on any European service unless accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over.

Young persons aged 16 or 17 years can travel alone on European services but only if they have a letter of authority from a parent or guardian.

Senior (60 and over)

Passengers aged 60 and over are entitled to receive a small discount on European journeys. On European journeys a 50% discount is given to carers, please call us on 08717 818177 to book.

Please select your passenger type first and then add your coachcards.

We have three different Coachcards available, each offering savings of 1/3 on all of our Standard and Fully Flexible coach fares all year round.

Prices shown include your coachcard discount, your coachcard number will be required during the booking process.

Adult fares are applicable to all passengers aged 2+. Adults under the age of 16 are not permitted to travel alone on any European service unless accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over or they have a letter of authority from a parent or guardian.

Infants 0-1 Inclusive

Children aged under the age of 2, must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over. Unaccompanied children will not be carried.

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The country’s renowned capital is a must-visit destination. From famous sites like Buckingham Palace and the London Eye to cultural havens like Soho and Shoreditch, there’s so much to experience in London.

For an optimal visit, consider planning your trip between April and June or from September to October when London experiences mild weather, and tourist crowds tend to be thinner. However, the holiday season in London, especially around Bond and Regent Streets, provides the ideal festive atmosphere.

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Kiki Dee: ‘Elton John and I made bangers and mash in Barbados’

The singer on talent contests in blackpool, skiing for the first time in her fifties, partying with john lennon and meeting marvin gaye and stevie wonder in a lift.

K iki Dee, 77, was born in Bradford as Pauline Matthews. In 1970 she became the first female artist from the UK to be signed to Motown Records and in 1976 duetted with Elton John on the worldwide hit Don’t Go Breaking My Heart. She was nominated for an Olivier award in 1988 for her role in the Blood Brothers musical. For the past 30 years she has performed as a duo with the guitarist Carmelo Luggeri. She lives in Hertfordshire.

I’ve always been self-reliant and good at travelling on my own. When I signed to Motown in my early twenties I went to Detroit for 12 weeks and would eat alone in restaurants, coping well in a different country without my family. Detroit felt like a city with a lot of heart, but I didn’t get to see much of it. I was there to record in the label’s original studio, which is now the Motown Museum — it was mind-blowing to meet Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye in the lift one day.

From ten years old I was very serious about singing and would enter (and usually win) talent contests while on holiday with my family in places such as Bridlington, Scarborough and Blackpool. I was the youngest of three siblings and a daddy’s girl, so it was great hanging out with him during his annual fortnight off work.

During my first time in London — in 1963, when I was 16 — I auditioned for a contract with Fontana Records. Dad drove me there from Bradford and we stayed at a B&B in Finchley, north London. The Fontana offices were by Marble Arch, in the centre of town, and it felt very glamorous — like being in a movie. Oxford Street is close by, so this was my first impression of London in the Sixties. Dad and I ate at a Lyons Corner House and we loved walking around the city.

I moved to London two years later, when the Swinging Sixties scene was kicking off. My friends and I would go to clubs like the Scotch of St James, meeting various bands.

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I adored America in the Seventies because there was so much positivity, especially in Hollywood, where I was living at the time. There was a great music scene and I used to perform at the Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood — which is still going.

When I was touring with Elton in 1974 I lost my passport on Maui, Hawaii, and had to apply for a replacement. It was a bit of a hassle, but with Elton’s lawyers you can get anything done quickly. During another holiday with Elton and Bernie Taupin, on Barbados, we decided to make bangers and mash for the staff of the villa we were renting to show them British “cuisine”.

Davey Johnstone, my boyfriend at the time, was in Elton’s band and helped John Lennon to tune his guitars when he guested at Madison Square Garden in New York on Thanksgiving in 1974 — he hadn’t played live for ages, but had lost a bet with Elton and that was the forfeit. After the gig John came to our room at the Plaza Hotel with May Pang, who he was with dating at the time, and we spent the whole night drinking and chatting. There was a wonderful moment when he asked whether I had ever eaten potato scallops made with leftover batter in fish-and-chip shops — it was completely bonkers to talk about mundane northern matters with him and it felt good to connect.

When I lost my sister in 2021 Elton called me for a long chat and invited me to Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles as part of his last American tour the following year. It was a really difficult time and it felt special that he had asked me to perform with him. It was weird going back to LA because suddenly I was on the A-list again. Our duet was over in a flash, but the audience went nuts and I got to meet Joni Mitchell backstage. Elton really looked after me and I stayed at the London West Hollywood boutique hotel in West Hollywood. I was there for ten days, so I had a chance to hang out at the beach and nice restaurants such as the farm-to-table-style Gjelina, which is amazing. I shopped at vintage stores on Melrose Avenue near Beverly Hills; it’s great for people-watching around there.

I have loved performing around the world with Carmelo, because I haven’t been trying to make it as a pop star. We would like to do some shows in west Ireland and Scotland — places where there is real music heritage.

I’ve been to Portugal many times and had a great holiday there last year, staying at the adults-only Palmares Beach House Hotel in Lagos. I loved the fado performance there — it’s very dramatic Portuguese folk music — though there were only four of us watching.

I skied for the first time when I was 55, in Sölden, in the Tyrol region of Austria, where we stayed at the wonderful Alphof hotel. I adored the skiing, but when I was having lessons the instructor said that my posture was so bad it looked as though I was on the loo. I managed some blue runs eventually, but not many reds. Still, I’m really glad I did it — it was a special thing to try and after that I went skiing a couple of times in the Italian resort of Pila with Carmelo and his family. Kiki Dee and Carmelo Luggeri will be performing and hosting music workshops alongside Paul Jones, Dave Kelly and Ben Waters at the Estate of Petroio in Tuscany from September 7 to 14 (rocknrollholidays.com)

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Jane campion to receive locarno’s honorary pardo d’onore manor award .

• Breaking Baz: ‘Cruising’ Star Jane McDonald Cruises Into Lavish London Palladium ‘Robin Hood’ Panto Starring Julian Clary In Title Role

By Baz Bamigboye

Baz Bamigboye

Columnist/International Editor At Large

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EXCLUSIVE : Comedian and writer Julian Clary ( Julian Clary: Live – Lord of the Mince ) will play the title role in this festive season’s London Palladium pantomime   Robin Hood , with singer and travel show presenter Jane McDonald ( Cruising with Jane McDonald ) topping the bill as Maid Marion.

The annual Palladium show, now in its ninth consecutive season, has become an eagerly awaited staple in the West End’s calendar. It runs from December 7 through January 12, 2025. Priority booking opens 10 AM (GMT) April 25.

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When tickets went on sale, there was a moment when 90,000 people were in the queue, waiting their turn to book seats.

“That’s bigger than any 02 concert and bigger than any other West End show,” boasted Michael Harrison, who directs and writes the Palladium theatrics in collaboration with Clary. 

This year’s show, produced by Crossroads Pantomimes, of which Harrison is chief executive and David Ian is chairman, presents a cast of regulars and newcomers.

Returning are Paul Zerdin ( Muppet Treasure Island ) and Nigel Havers ( Chariots of Fire ), this year playing Will Scarlet and Friar Tuck.

Marisha Wallace, who appeared in Guy Ritchie’s  Aladdin , was an Olivier award nominee for her Adelaide in Nicholas Hytner’s glorious revival of  Guys & Dolls  at the Bridge Theatre. She makes her panto bow as the show’s baddie, the Sheriff of Nottingham. West End audiences were introduced to her when she played Effie in  Dreamgirls  at the Savoy Theatre.

Comic artist Rob Madge ( My Son’s A Queer ( But What Can You Do? ), no stranger to pantomime antics at the Palladium, returns as the Spirit of Sherwood.

Tosh Wanogho-Maud, standing tall at over six foot, debuts as Little John. I’ve been a fan of Wanogho-Maud’s ever since I spotted him as Young Simba in  The Lion King , which is still playing to strong houses at the Lyceum. More recently, the actor wowed as Ben E. King and Rudy Lewis in  The Drifters Girl,  which starred Beverley Knight .

Harrison told me that he wanted to have a year where Clary could play the title role, “Because obviously, he is central to it all. But he never plays the main role. It’s always kind of a role on the side looking in, even though the show’s always about him.”

The panto king shared that he thought it would be funny to have Robin Hood played by the famously camp Clary, and pair him with McDonald. The performer kicks off her  With All My Love  concert tour at Blackpool Opera House on October 11.

“Jane leapt at the chance,” Harrison said.

“I said, ”Look, can you imagine you and Julian Clary being in love?!” Talk about Robin Hood’s camp.”

McDonald has an enormous following in the U.K., thanks to her  Cruising  and other tv travel shows, including her  Jane and Friends  variety show and two decades, ending in 2023, as a presenter on  Loose Women . Recently, she stopped by on an episode of  RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs the World . 

Harrison told me that Clary relishes the idea of playing Robin Hood, though he won’t be as strapping as those who have played the outlaw on the big screen. I’m thinking of Kevin Costner in  Prince of Thieves , Russell Crowe in Ridley Scott’s gritty  Robin Hood , and Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn in  Robin and Marion , playing the famous lovers in their twilight. Television’s first  Robin Hood was Richard Greene in  The Adventures of Robin Hood . It was in re-run by the time I caught up with it during my childhood. And let’s not forget Errol Flynn, with Olivia de Havilland as Maid Marian, dashing about in Michael Curtis’s 1938 swashbuckler,  The Adventures of Robin Hood .

Harrison laughed, then shook his head. “I’ve a funny feeling Julian’s Robin Hood will be getting Al-A-Dale to do a lot of the dirty work in this production.

“I think Alan-A-Dale might be the one to fire the bow and arrow.”

Harrison acknowledged that part of the Palladium pantomime’s appeal is its familiarity, though he admitted that “There’s always the criticism that it’s always the same. Well, I think people want the same, but also a little bit different, and this year’s going to be a little bit different.”

Each year, award-winning designer Hugh Durrant, in consultation with Clary, attempts to outdo the previous year’s gloriously outlandish costumes. “There are huge creations being cooked up at the moment, all linked to Sherwood and the forest,” Harrison promised.

Hesitating a moment before asking, but I wondered whether Clary would be wearing a frock or tunic and tights?

“He’ll be in the Robin Hood gear, but all on a gargantuan scale,” Harrison assured. 

Not that Clary’s complaining.

With a wink, Harrison told me that Clary’s “looking forward to working with his Merry Men.”

My social media’s packed with folk seeking to know the title of this year’s Palladium pantomime.

Harrison observed that “Audiences are kind of like another cast member, and they come along in the spirit of it, which is why I think we get away with things that, perhaps ordinarily, you wouldn’t.“

Though we both loath the word ‘woke’, Harrison agreed that the Palladium pantomime “is a woke-free zone.”

The clamor for tickets last year was such that Harrison, in agreement with Palladium owner Andrew Lloyd Webber, decided to allow standing spaces at the rear of the Palladium’s stalls. However, it caused a commotion at the first performance, when the creative team couldn’t stand in their usual spots because the general public were there.

“If only we had five more rows,” Harrison mused in jest.

The producer has a packed season, with Imelda Staunton’s turn in  Hello,Dolly!  opening at the Palladium for a limited run from July 6 through September 14, and the transfer to Broadway of  Sunset Boulevard , previewing at the St. James Theatre from September 28, starring Nicole Scherzinger and Tom Francis, fresh from last weekend’s wins at the Olivier Awards at the Royal Albert Hall. The show won a total of seven Olivier Awards, including  best musical revival for Lloyd Webber, Don Black, Christopher Hampton, director Jamie Lloyd’s The Jamie Lloyd Company, Adam Speers and the Ambassador Theatre Group, and Lloyd Webber Harrison Musicals, the company formed by Lloyd Webber and Harrison to further exploit the composer’s oeuvre. 

A revival of Lloyd Webber’s  Starlight Express , directed by Luke Sheppard, is also being overseen by Harrison. Sheppard’s recent productions include Live Aid  musical  Just For One Day , and  The Little Big Things , which saw Amy Trigg win the best supporting actress in a musical Olivier Award.  

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A musical tour of Manchester: from the Hallé to the Happy Mondays

Every genre of music has made its mark on Manchester, including dialect ballads, classical, TV theme tunes and all the strands of post-punk. Welcome to the north-west sound

M yth distorts any city’s musical history, and in Manchester myth looms as large as the new Co-op Live , a £365m, 23,500-capacity mega-venue that opens today and will soon be staging big-name acts, including Take That. So, for every occasion a music fan mentions the hit-making boy band or, for that matter, 10cc or the Hollies, a thousand more bark back: Joy Division, the Fall, Happy Mondays. Not that 10cc were a small Manc band, but they peaked before punk and a wall went up at the end of the 1970s that relegated all that had passed prior to 4 June 1976 – the night the Sex Pistols performed at the Lesser Free Trade Hall – to prehistory, as in dinosaurs, fossils, folk musicians. New hagiographies about music impresario Tony Wilson (1950-2007) are no doubt at the printers as I write. But how about we spend half an hour mooching round the Rainy City aboard the free buses and trams in search of the underplayed, surprising and tangential – with a few Gen X/6 Music standards for when we’re stuck at the lights.

You might not think Coronation Street a promising departure point, but it gives us an in to Bowton’s Yard. It’s one of those ditties that may prompt unpleasant memories of the BBC TV series Sit Thi Deawn, but listen carefully and you’ll hear it is in fact a Victorian reality show made song. Written by Marsden-born, Stalybridge-based Samuel Laycock, it inspired Tony Warren when he was devising the characters for his Weatherfield/Salford-set soap opera. Granada Studios on Quay Street also played a leading role in disseminating the north-western sound, from regional accents to theme tunes to the Beatles’ first TV appearance , in October 1962.

Dialect ballads spoke truth to power after Peterloo – memorialised in 2019 by Jeremy Deller’s burial mound-like stone tump – and during the cotton famine . To spread the word, broadsides were run off at printers around the Oldham Street-Swan Street junction. Lancashire songs were central to the folk revival of the 1960s. Harry Boardman, a singer and collector from Failsworth, unearthed many anonymous songs of protest and historical record. Edward II has recorded a reggae version of the Great Flood, about the time the Medlock burst its banks in 1872. Jennifer Reid , from Middleton, performs The New Poor Law Bill a cappella on her album Gradely Manchester.

The most famous folk number, Ewan MacColl’s Dirty Old Town , alludes to a “gasworks wall” or “gasworks croft”, depending on the version. The works were in Ordsall, bounded by West Egerton Street, Liverpool Street and Regent Road. Prior to their demolition in 2019, a prosaic infographic (not quite a “ muriel ”) was placed on the West Egerton Street wall. The Working Class Movement Library is a repository of MacColl’s work and life and has significant holdings of sheet music and song lyrics.

The Hallé Orchestra was founded by Sir Charles Hallé, who was conductor for the first concert at the Free Trade Hall on 30 January 1858. The Hallé premiered Elgar’s Symphony No 1 and Vaughan Williams’s Symphony No 8. The latter, dedicated to the orchestra’s celebrated conductor John Barbirolli, took place at the Kings Hall , a converted tea house at Belle Vue (demolished to make way for a car auction centre) on 2 May 1956. The BBC recorded it a few days later. The third movement, a cavatina, is a swirl of lark-like ascents and descents.

Since 1996, the orchestra’s HQ has been the purpose-built, vibration-proof Bridgewater Hall , with former St Peter’s church in Ancoats, a hulking redbrick Romanesque building, used for rehearsals, recordings and intimate shows. Manchester has an opera house , originally known as the New theatre. Recent shows include The Full Monty and Peppa Pig’s Fun Day Out, but it may get weightier fare as the ENO relocates to Manchester over the next five years. The region’s greatest opera singer was, like so much Manchester talent, from way outside town. Tom Burke, a miner from Leigh, was known as the “ Lancashire Caruso ”. What used to be the city’s Hippodrome is now a Wetherspoons named after him.

The Manchester School includes Accrington-born Harrison Birtwistle, Salford’s Peter Maxwell Davies and German immigrant Alexander Goehr, who met at the Royal Manchester College of Music in the 1950s. They founded the New Music Manchester group with pianist John Ogdon, who had attended Manchester Grammar School, and trumpeter Elgar Howarth. Exponents of avant-garde experimentation, they shunned cotton-themed concertos and any kind of parochialism.

If Unesco dispensed rosettes for demolition, Manchester would have many. Most of the old taverns that hosted turns, popular dance salons and music hall venues have been razed, together with mills, warehouses and factories. Concert halls and fun palaces were removed to make way for multistorey car parks and office blocks. The Free Trade Hall , where locals including Gracie Fields, Van der Graaf Generator and James played, as well as Dylan (AKA “ Judas ” as he was called at a gig there in 1966 ), Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd and Genesis, is now a hotel . Does a ribald, rollicking spirit live on from the boozy days of industrial Manchester? Certainly the refurbished Band on the Wall – which reopened in March – celebrates its location on the foundations of the George & Dragon and nearby Rising Sun pubs.

Every genre of popular music surfaced in Manchester between 1950 and the present, including big band, beat, rhythm and blues, soul, chart-oriented pop, punk, goth and all the strands of post-punk. There are not as many landmarks as songs, partly because, as mentioned, the wrecking ball is unsentimental and also, because pop stars have generally used their art to get away – lyrically first, and then physically. The Bee Gees, who claimed to have practised harmonising at their childhood home at 51 Keppel Road , Chorlton-cum-Hardy, never knowingly screamed a word about the town.

Northern soul, which arrived via Liverpool docks and Burtonwood airbase, drew large followings in Stoke, Wigan, Blackpool and, before any of those , Manchester. The Twisted Wheel on Brazennose Street and, later, Whitworth Street, had gigs by the Hollies and Freddie and the Dreamers, and less well-known bands such as Powerhouse 6 , but is best known for its legendary northern soul nights. The building has gone but Twisted Wheel “lives on”, according to a members-only Facebook page , at Area, 50 Sackville Street. The Ritz, on Whitworth St, survives as an O2 franchise. Originally opened as a dance hall (with a sprung floor) in 1927, it hosted a Dancing in the Dark evening in the 50s and 60s, fronted by Crumpsall’s Phil “King of the Ritz” Moss and his Band (which later became a stalwart on TV’s Come Dancing), and went on to transition through beat, northern soul, disco and mainstream rock scenes. The mobile phone firm also owns the famous art deco-style Apollo , long a fixture for bands on tour. Stockport’s MoR hitmakers 10cc were a classic art school, let’s-go-to-London-asap outfit, but they played here when they came home, as did Sad Café.

The Pistols concert in 1976 made the Lesser Free Trade Hall a holy-of-holies in Manc muso circles, but the Electric Circus , in Collyhurst (birthplace of pianist and crooner Les Dawson), earned its credentials through many seminal punk performances, including the first gig by Warsaw (Joy Division’s first name), and shows by Buzzcocks, John Cooper Clarke, the Fall, the Nosebleeds and Slaughter and the Dogs, among others. The fact it had previously been a cinema, Bernard Manning’s Top Hat club and a bingo hall should surely have made it one for the heritage buffs to list.

Richard Boon and Howard Devoto launched the New Hormones label in 1977 at a then ramshackle, now listed former hat merchants’ warehouse at 50 Newton Street . The first release, the Spiral Scratch EP , was a punk watershed and a declaration that bands needed neither London nor major labels. In 1980, Boon and others started up The Beach Club (a reference to the Situationist slogan “Under the pavement, the beach!”) at Oozits on Newgate Street. In 1978, Factory Records began as a WFH DIY disruptive startup at Alan Erasmus’s first-floor flat at 86 Palatine Road (now blue plaqued), only moving to a proper HQ on Charles Street in 1990 – where it was officially incorporated with the catalogue number FAC 251 (the name of a venue for cover bands on the site, part owned by Peter Hook). The Factory was the name of a night at the Russell Club on Royce Road in Hulme that ran from 1978-80; two years later the Haçienda (FAC 51) opened in a former yacht builders’ shop and warehouse on Whitworth Street West, beside the Rochdale Canal. The site is now occupied by “ iconic ” apartments.

The last Factory catalogue number, FAC 501, was used for the plaque on Wilson’s coffin, and no number adorns designer Peter Saville’s headstone for his business partner in Southern Cemetery . Fabled producer Martin Hannett is also buried at the necropolis – said to be entered via the Smiths’ Cemetry Gates.

There’s no better terminus than a musical graveyard. Inevitably, dozens of Manchester music sites are missing from this hop, skip and jump, including Rochdale’s recording studios, Festival of the Tenth Summer venues and countless bedrooms, garages and rave locations. But most tell versions of the same story, just as some songs seem like Venn diagrams of influence; Oasis by Happy Mondays sounds like New Order with lyrics by Morrissey or Ian Curtis, on a bad day (“You went too far, and it’s gone all the wrong way”). If you want to aurally vacuum up every Manc motif in a single song, steam on in to Mike Garry and Joe Duddell’s St Anthony: An Ode to Anthony H Wilson (Andrew Weatherall Remix; lyrics here ), perhaps while walking from the thrusting Aviva Studios/Factory International behemoth to the Epping Walk Bridge to search hopelessly – à la 80s – for Hulme Crescents and the dead souls of yesteryear.

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