What happened to the Blackpool Nightlife?

B

Blackpool Are Back!

Well-known member
Back in the 80s & 90s Blackpool's nightlife was rocking.

The town would be heaving with revellers at weekends, and at one time there were up to 24 nightclubs.
I doubt there was a better buzzing weekend nightlife, anywhere else in Britain.

Pubs were competing with each other by undergoing internal renovations to try and keep up with the nightlife craze that Blackpool was famous for.

Now it is like a ghost town in comparison.

What went wrong?
 
Blackpool Are Back! said:
Back in the 80s & 90s Blackpool's nightlife was rocking.

The town would be heaving with revellers at weekends, and at one time there were up to 24 nightclubs.
I doubt there was a better buzzing weekend nightlife, anywhere else in Britain.

Pubs were competing with each other by undergoing internal renovations to try and keep up with the nightlife craze that Blackpool was famous for.

Now it is like a ghost town in comparison.

What went wrong?
Click to expand...
We got old....😁😉
 
Guys used to go to nightclubs to meet women, and women used to go to nightclubs to meet men and dance. The nightclubs used to be able to give free entry to women, especially the hottest women. Equality laws changed that. Without hot women, men would not pay a premium
to gain entry. Also, nightclubs lost their advantage of late opening as pubs were able to open longer hours. Finally, on the internet, people started meeting through social media and dating sites.

The reality was for men at least it was an expensive and not very effective way of meeting women and a really expensive way to carry on drinking
past 11 p.m. as well.
 
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seasideone said:
I think that nails it to be fair!
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It doesnt nail why theres a tiny fraction of the numbers going into town at the weekend since the 80/90s though.

I don't know if this is reflected in other towns & cities as well, if so, it might be a countrywide trend.
 
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What a load of shite Blackpool's nightlife is booming.

The big change was the licencing laws which allowed bars to stay open late after midnight so it put an end to many a nightclub as they became pointless.

It's a fantastic night out in our town for ALL ages I suggest the o/p tries it not a local shite pub.👍

Many recommendations here to help.
 
poolseasider said:
What a load of shite Blackpool's nightlife is booming.

It's a fantastic night out in our town for ALL ages I suggest the o/p tries it not a local shite pub.👍

Many recommendations here to help.
Click to expand...

In case youre not joking and really do believe that Blackpools nightlife is booming, you clearly weren't around the Blackpool nightlife scene in the 80s or early 90s when you had to regularly queue outside, to get in some of the pubs, because they were full to capacity.

Its like a ghost town now in comparison.
 
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Blackpool Are Back! said:
In case youre not joking and really do believe that Blackpools nightlife is booming, you clearly weren't around the Blackpool nightlife scene in the 80s or early 90s when you had to regularly queue outside, to get in some of the pubs, because they were full to capacity.

Its like a ghost town now in comparison.
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Bullshit I'm in my 50's and certainly around the 80-90's scene move with the times Grandad.

I remember my local working man's club having queue's around the corner so what.

Bars are busy stick to Strickly on a Saturday if I was you.👍
 
poolseasider said:
Bullshit I'm in my 50's and certainly around the 80-90's scene move with the times Grandad.

I remember my local working man's club having queue's around the corner so what.

Bars are busy stick to Strickly on a Saturday if I was you.👍
Click to expand...

I'm in my 50s as well you Herbert.

Sorry you seemed to have missed the good times...😜
Probably got lumbered in your Working Mans Club...LOL
 
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Blackpool Are Back! said:
In case youre not joking and really do believe that Blackpools nightlife is booming, you clearly weren't around the Blackpool nightlife scene in the 80s or early 90s when you had to regularly queue outside, to get in some of the pubs, because they were full to capacity.

Its like a ghost town now in comparison.
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Abingdon ST, Common bar, Dirty Blonde's,Marvins, Black pug etc etc do you actually go into town?
Doubtful.👍
 
Absolute bollix. Full of pink and green boozers tacky as fuck. Small town nightclubs desperately trying to catch up with scenes developed in other places. 😜
 
When used to go any club back then you had to que rave scene massive ques at all the venues
 
Bfc68 said:
Absolute tosh
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Not really there are tons of bars that can stay open after 12 in town.
Back in the 80/90's pubs had to shut at 11 and it was only Rumours which had a later license but still couldn't stay open until 2.

Then everything changed and you could drink until 6 in the morning even a shithole like Ma Kelly's is open until 3am.

It spreads everything out so comparing then and now is night and day.
 
poolseasider said:
Not really there are tons of bars that can stay open after 12 in town.
Back in the 80/90's pubs had to shut at 11 and it was only Rumours which had a later license but still couldn't stay open until 2.

Then everything changed and you could drink until 6 in the morning even a shithole like Ma Kelly's is open until 3am.

It spreads everything out so comparing then and now is night and day.
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Most pubs don’t stay open passed 12 only queen st and market st do but really out of that area is there anything now
 
Bfc68 said:
Most pubs don’t stay open passed 12 only queen st and market st do but really out of that area is there anything now
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It used to be 11 and now it's 12 they shut.
Black pug-2 am
Galleon- 4
Marvins-2

Etc etc etc none on Queen st or Market st I can add more.
 
Bfc68 said:
Black pug do you have to q
Galleon do you have to q
Marvin’s do you have to q
You don’t q anywhere now
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Depends if full you have to, couldn't get into the Cowboy and Co and had to queue the other week.

But why bother just go on to the next place loads of choice for late venues ended up in Slug and Lettuce.
 
poolseasider said:
Trilogy and Flamingo are as big as any of those nightclubs?
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O 2 night clubs palace was bigger how many did sequins hold a lot more than trilogy so did oz and north sore had down the hatch and hope and glory open till 2 didn’t go down south shore am shore they had local fun bars open till late
 
poolseasider said:
Depends if full you have to, couldn't get into the Cowboy and Co and had to queue the other week.

But why bother just go on to the next place loads of choice for late venues ended up in Slug and Lettuce.
Click to expand...
Other week we had to q every where after 12 not just 1 place big or small
 
poolseasider said:
Depends if full you have to, couldn't get into the Cowboy and Co and had to queue the other week.

But why bother just go on to the next place loads of choice for late venues ended up in Slug and Lettuce.
Click to expand...
Other week we had to q every where after 12 not just 1 place big or small
 
Bfc68 said:
O 2 night clubs palace was bigger how many did sequins hold a lot more than trilogy so did oz and north sore had down the hatch and hope and glory open till 2 didn’t go down south shore am shore they had local fun bars open till late
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Nope totally wrong Flamingo holds 2k not a chance OZ(not O2) or Sequins held that amount.
And I've been to them all and the new ones next
 
flamingo night club split in to different bars/clubs in total yes it holds 2000 when all open when does it all open 1 club does does not hold more than the ones that where open that I mentioned earlier post
So many both clubs back then where full
not just 2 and a couple of fun bars
 
The days of Zone,Love Shack, Sequins. There would be easily 2/3 thousand smiling people on the car park opposite coral island. At 3am right beneath chapel st police station.😂✌️
 
You got old.

I’m in my early forties and went out in town a couple of months back for the first time in ages, and loved it. Loads going on. You make it what it is and it’s a damn site better than that shit hole down the m55 for a night out.
 
Lockdown. People started drinking at home, found out it was cheaper. The music being played was the music they put on, no smoking restrictions. Everybody drinking with you are your mates, no aggressive dickheads. Town’s dead. Disaster for my trade.😭

Blackpool was mint back in the day. 😔
 
I’ve been told that all the ’ new’ pubs mentioned above are coming down with drugs, and not even very discrete… is that right .
 
I’m in my mid 30s and Blackpool was brilliant when I was young with the syndicate, sanuk, Jenx etc. we had some great times and would be out Thursday to Sunday most weeks. It wasn’t the heyday of Blackpool but it was a brilliant place to start going out.

We also had bands like the White Stripes,
Arctic Monkeys, Kings of Leon, the Strokes at the Empress ballroom. They were massive bands at the time and how many people get them playing in their town?

A lot of people will argue their era was the best because they were young and having a great time, then things change, you get older and nothing seems as good. It’s part of growing up and eventually becoming a grumpy old bastard.

I’m sure kids of today will have their places too. I’m rarely in Blackpool these days but there seems to be plenty of new places popping up and it’s more diverse than it used to be. We went in a lovely wine bar last time we were there, there was nothing like that when I was going out.

There’s been a change in drinking habits too, I’ve got a 23 year old brother and a 19 year old sister and their habits are very different to what mine were at a similar age. They seem a lot more health conscious and go out for food more, they don’t hit it hard as we used to.
 

What went wrong with the Blackpool Nightlife? Short answer we all got old!​

Where do I start 😂 😂 In the 70's & 80's everybody (well most) people went to the pubs on a regular basis & there were hundreds of them to choose from. Nobody was that bothered about units of alcohol, smoking or anything else really. People drank far to much & drove home (don't forget pre breathalyser you only had to be able to walk a straight line) It was very common to go to the pub at dinnertime when at work & was accepted unless you were absolutely pissed as a fart. Then some people drove later that night to town got pissed went to a club & even drove back home after all that. Things started to change over the next 20 years & people started to get more health conscious & plod got more effective in arresting drunk drivers! Things continued to change as the pub culture started to fade & places started going bust & closing, the smoking ban accelerated this, along with people being more aware of too much of anything doesn't do you much good. Why back in the day did we pay high prices to go into night clubs? well I can only really say it was to chase women in my case & I never drove. Today as far as I can see these matters are carried out mainly online, bloody hell in 1970/80 if someone actually signed up with a dating agency it was probably because they were fat bald with acne, halitosis, piles & a Reliant Robin. Times change & from what my kids have told me & the grandkids clubs still exist as I'm aware of & they still get wankered to the Nth degree but after all that most youngsters seem to start relationships on social media, that's the big difference as I see it. I've not been in a nightclub in over 20 years & I doubt I'll ever go to one again. Unless they'll allow the dog in 😂
 
Nightclubs had a terrible business model and were in trouble as soon as bars were allowed to compete.

Expensive entry, clothes restrictions, no focus on quality drinks and a very narrow selection of music. They had only one USP as a place to meet the opposite sex and pubs did that better as soon as they could open late.

The nightclubs were booming back then its true, but it was only as the licensing gave them a monopoly.
 
Blackpool Are Back! said:
Back in the 80s & 90s Blackpool's nightlife was rocking.

The town would be heaving with revellers at weekends, and at one time there were up to 24 nightclubs.
I doubt there was a better buzzing weekend nightlife, anywhere else in Britain.

Pubs were competing with each other by undergoing internal renovations to try and keep up with the nightlife craze that Blackpool was famous for.

Now it is like a ghost town in comparison.

What went wrong?
Click to expand...
Oi BAB 70s too!🥴🥴
 
Technology has changed the game.

Before 2000, the only way you could go out and meet someone was by going out.

The rise of phones and instant connectivity via a like on Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook etc or via dating apps means that there is less need to go out for many. It’s completely changed the scene.

There will always be people who want to go out but there’s no comparison now to the nightlife in Blackpool back in the day.

Main Street/Bizness/Waterfront
Palace
Syndicate
Heaven and Hell

Never on a Sunday
K2
Schofields
Edwards
Cahoots
NTK

& more.

Places might still be busy in town but there’s definitely not the selection available there was… the culture of many young people today has changed loads in my opinion and a lot of that is down to technology.

I do also believe lockdown has played a part in things for many young people. Social skills severely lacking.
 
Adams Kebab said:
Technology has changed the game.

Before 2000, the only way you could go out and meet someone was by going out.

The rise of phones and instant connectivity via a like on Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook etc or via dating apps means that there is less need to go out for many. It’s completely changed the scene.

There will always be people who want to go out but there’s no comparison now to the nightlife in Blackpool back in the day.

Main Street/Bizness/Waterfront
Palace
Syndicate
Heaven and Hell

Never on a Sunday
K2
Schofields
Edwards
Cahoots
NTK

& more.

Places might still be busy in town but there’s definitely not the selection available there was… the culture of many young people today has changed loads in my opinion and a lot of that is down to technology.

I do also believe lockdown has played a part in things for many young people. Social skills severely lacking.
Click to expand...
More,
Barons, Sands, Yellow Submarine, Trader Jacks, Adam and Eve and Man Fridays to add just a few more, oh, and The Lemon Tree.
 
Fatboy said:
More,
Barons, Sands, Yellow Submarine, Trader Jacks, Adam and Eve and Man Fridays to add just a few more, oh, and The Lemon Tree.
Click to expand...
That was our era FB & dixieland on central pier.
Always forget the name of the club up the lift at the Pleasure Beach. New romantic time.
 
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