The Promenade and the North Pier end

How the quarter meets the sea

The Rainbow Quarter sits a block or two back from the seafront. Its two direct links to the Promenade are Queen Street and Talbot Road, which both run down to the stretch of seafront around North Pier. Walk to the bottom of either and you are on the Prom, with the Tower a few minutes' walk to the south and the quieter North Shore cliffs to the north.

This end of the Promenade is where much of Blackpool's LGBTQ+ calendar plays out in public. The Pride parade finishes here, the Pride festival arena is just down the Prom by the Tower, and the Illuminations run right past the bottom of the quarter's streets.

Landmarks from north to south

The Metropole. The large hotel on the seafront just north of North Pier, a handy landmark when you are looking for the quarter. Acqua Sauna on Springfield Road is just behind it.

North Pier. The oldest of Blackpool's three piers, opposite Talbot Square. The North Pier tram stop is the nearest Promenade stop to the quarter, and the Pride parade heads towards it on Pride Saturday.

Talbot Square. The square at the bottom of Talbot Road, with the Town Hall. Trams turn up Talbot Road from here to Blackpool North station.

The bottom of Queen Street. A short walk north of North Pier, with the Walkabout sports bar on the corner. Turn inland here for the Flying Handbag, Sherlock's and the rest of Queen Street.

Festival House and the Tourist Information Centre. On the Promenade between North Pier and the Tower. The tourist information centre is step-free with a lift to all floors, sells transport tickets and has timetables. The building also houses a wedding chapel, open to couples of any gender.

The Comedy Carpet and Tower Festival Headland. The open space in front of the Tower, paved with the huge typographic Comedy Carpet. Since 2019 this has been the home of the Blackpool Pride festival. It also hosts the free Christmas by the Sea village in winter and installations during the autumn lights festival.

Blackpool Tower. Its step-free entrance is from Bank Hey Street, behind the Promenade. The Tower has lifts to all floors and a Changing Places toilet. On the street behind it, Showtown, the town's museum of fun and entertainment, tells some of Blackpool's queer stories and runs Pride-themed tours.

Pride on the Promenade

The parade. On Pride Saturday the parade sets off around 11am from near South Pier and the Sandcastle Waterpark and heads north along the Promenade towards North Pier. The Promenade is closed to traffic for the morning. Organisers plan for more than a thousand people marching. The best free viewing spots near the quarter are along the railings between the Tower and North Pier. Arrive by about 10.30am if you want a front-row spot.

The festival arena. Ticketed main-stage events run on the Tower Festival Headland on the Friday evening and Saturday afternoon, and the Sunday has been a free community day. Wristbands are collected at the entrance in front of the Tower.

After the parade. Most people walk straight up Queen Street or Talbot Road into the quarter. Over Pride weekend the Rainbow Quarter Street Party on Lord Street is a ten-minute walk from the seafront.

The Illuminations at this end

The Blackpool Illuminations run along the whole Promenade from Starr Gate in the south to Red Bank Road at Bispham. That means the lights pass right along the bottom of Queen Street and Talbot Road, so you can step out of a quarter bar and be under the lights in three minutes. The famous animated tableaux are further north, on the Bispham end of the route. See our guide to the Illuminations and the gay quarter.

The quieter North Shore

Walk north from the bottom of Queen Street and the Promenade rises onto the cliffs at North Shore. It is a quieter, breezier stretch, good for a morning walk to clear the head. The Gynn, at the far end of Dickson Road, is about twenty minutes on foot.

Best order to walk it

Arriving by tram: get off at North Pier, look out to sea, then cross Talbot Square and walk up Queen Street into the quarter.

Pride Saturday: watch the parade from the railings near North Pier, follow the crowd south to the festival arena if you have a ticket, then head back up Queen Street for the bars.

An Illuminations evening: start with an early drink on Queen Street, walk down to the Promenade at dusk as the lights come on, stroll south to the Tower and back, and finish in the quarter.

Good to know

• The Promenade is very busy on summer weekends, bank holidays, Pride Saturday and Illuminations weekends. It is also exposed: the wind off the sea can be strong and cold, even in summer.
• Trams run along the Promenade in their own track. Cross only at marked crossings.
• At night the seafront is well lit, but the stretch north of the Metropole towards the cliffs is quieter.