What's On: November 2026
Diva anthems at Funny Girls, the start of the Christmas drag season, Oscar Wilde on stage, Trans Day of Remembrance and the switch to festive Blackpool.
November is when LGBTQ+ Blackpool shifts from Halloween to Christmas. The full Illuminations bow out at the start of the month, Funny Girls opens its festive show, and the seafront fills with the lights and cabins of the Christmas village. It's also a month for remembering, with Trans Day of Remembrance on 20 November. For nights that happen every week, see our weekly regulars page.
Big dates
Sunday 1 November: last night of the full Illuminations
The full Illuminations display ends tonight, and so does Coven Queens, Funny Girls' Halloween show. A shorter stretch of lights stays on through the festive season.
Friday 6 and Saturday 7 November: Queens of the Knights at Funny Girls
A two-night-only special at Funny Girls led by Phoenix Knights, reimagining diva anthems from the likes of Whitney, Mariah and Celine, with gold costumes and full choreography. Shows run from 8.30pm to 11.30pm. Standing from £13 to £14.50; seats from £26 to £35. Strictly 18+. With only two shows, it's one to book early.
Thursday 12 November: Christmas Sleigh Queens opens
Funny Girls' Christmas revue, Christmas Sleigh Queens, opens tonight and runs until Sunday 3 January. It plays on Mondays and Wednesday to Sunday, with doors at 7pm, a host from 8pm and the show from 8.30pm to 11.30pm. Expect a festive overture, holiday classics with a twist, a send-up of White Christmas, an Elf number and a comic Swan Lake retitled Swine Lake, all in the art deco theatre on Dickson Road. Standing tickets cost £10 on weekdays and Sundays, £13 on Fridays and £14.50 on Saturdays; seats run from about £17 to £35. You can add a pre-show dinner. Strictly 18+. The box office is open weekdays, 9.30am to 5.30pm, on 01253 649150.
Saturday 14 November: The Picture of Dorian Gray, a new musical
A one-night staging at the Grand Theatre on Church Street of a new musical adaptation of Oscar Wilde's novel, from 7pm. A treat for anyone who loves Wilde, the most famous queer writer of his age.
Friday 20 November: Trans Day of Remembrance
Trans Day of Remembrance honours trans people whose lives have been taken by violence. Look out for vigils and gatherings across Lancashire, and for messages from the town's LGBTQ+ organisations. If today is hard for you, the Lancashire crisis line (0800 953 0110) and Samaritans (116 123) are there day and night.
Saturday 21 November: Christmas by the Sea opens
Blackpool's free festive village returns to the Promenade by the Comedy Carpet, with an ice rink, rides and food and drink cabins. It runs until early January and is an easy stroll from the Rainbow Quarter.
Thursday 26 November: LGBTQ+ swim
The monthly LGBTQ+ swimming group meets at Moor Park Leisure Centre, Bispham, 8.30pm to 9.30pm. Free, all abilities, with a coach and unisex changing. Register online with the county LGBTQ+ charity first.
Tributes and party nights
- The Freddie and Queen Experience at Viva, Church Street, on Friday 13 November at 8pm.
- Venues across the quarter begin their Christmas party nights in the second half of the month. Book group tables early, especially at weekends.
Community dates
- Tuesdays 3, 10, 17 and 24 November: the free fast-track sexual health clinic at 102 Dickson Road, 5pm to 8pm.
- Tuesday 3 and 17 November: Blackpool Allies social, 6pm to 8pm, at the Dickson Road centre.
- Tuesday 10 November: Lancashire Lads, the trans men's group, 6pm to 8pm. The long-running trans support group meets on 10 and 24 November.
- Every Tuesday: Electric Pink Voices choir rehearsals from 6.30pm at The Old Electric, Springfield Road. A good time to join before any festive singing.
- Wednesday 4 November: Lytham Let Live daytime friendship group in St Annes, 10am to 12 noon.
- Wednesday 11 November: the Phoenix Clinic for trans and gender-diverse people at Whitegate Health Centre (book on 0300 1234 154).
- Gender outreach drop-in: monthly Thursday lunchtime at Blackpool Central Library; check the county charity's calendar for the date.
- Every Sunday: worship at Liberty Church at 6.30pm, and Sunday roasts across the quarter.
Planning ahead
- World AIDS Day is on Tuesday 1 December, the same evening as the weekly fast-track clinic.
- The Diamonds Showbar touring drag show comes to Viva on 9 December.
- New Year's Eve at Funny Girls is one of the most popular nights of the year, so book early.
Times, prices and line-ups can change, so check with the venue before you go.