The Flamingo (closed)

A new nest in the Odeon

When the original Talbot Road club was bought for redevelopment, the Flamingo did not close; it flew. In late January 2006 it reopened in the upper levels of the old Odeon cinema, the Grade II-listed Art Deco building on Dickson Road that already housed Funny Girls. Its entrance was on Queen Street, in the heart of the village.

Guides of the time described it as the biggest gay club in town: five levels, four bars, two dancefloors and big projection screens. Writers called it one of the oldest nightclubs of its kind in the country, and the move kept that history alive under a new roof.

Nights to remember

For more than a decade, the Queen Street Flamingo was where a night in Blackpool's gay quarter usually ended. Resident DJs, Pride weekend parties and visiting celebrities all passed through.

Closing time

The late 2010s were difficult. In 2018 the club's licence was suspended for a short spell over late-night serving and door staffing, and that September the business behind it went into administration. A brewer ran the estate for a few months before Basil Newby bought the Flamingo back in August 2019. In January 2020 a mainstream club night moved into the space, and after that the Flamingo no longer ran as a gay club.

The upper floors of the old Odeon are now let separately as a nightclub unit, while Funny Girls carries on downstairs. The Flamingo name, which began on Talbot Road in 1979, had a run of around 40 years across its two homes, which makes it one of the longest-lived names in the history of Blackpool's gay scene.

Where to go instead

For a big late night, try the Flying Handbag or Kaos, both open until 4am at weekends. Read the full story in the Flamingo's history.