Sapphires (closed)

A new gem

Sapphires arrived towards the end of the 2010s as a new gay cabaret party bar and nightclub at 114 Talbot Road, with Topping Street just behind, a short walk from the Queen Street and Dickson Road bars. It was built around live entertainment. Resident hostess Miss Ivy Rose led the shows with a troupe called the Sapphire Starlets, and DJ Jamie C kept the dancefloor going into the small hours.

It made an impression quickly. In 2019 Sapphires was named Best Late Night Venue at the Blackpool Pride Awards.

Through the pandemic

Like every venue in town, Sapphires went dark during the Covid closures. It was back open by the summer of 2021, and regulars remember resident hosts, guest drag acts and lively weekends, especially in the summer months.

The final curtain

The good times did not last. Sapphires seems to have closed towards the end of 2022, and its premises licence was surrendered in spring 2023. Some online listings still show it, but it is no longer trading.

Sapphires was only around for a few years, but for many people it was part of the scene's return after lockdown, with a stage that gave local queens a regular spot and a reason to head out on Talbot Road.

Where to go instead

For drag nearby, Garlands on Talbot Road has free drag every day, and Funny Girls is a short walk away on Dickson Road. See all drag shows in Blackpool.