Blackpool Council moved the management of the Winter Gardens to its tourism company, Blackpool Tourism Limited, in February 2026 to bring the town’s major attractions under a single management team. This strategic move joins the venue with other council-owned sites like the Blackpool Tower and Sandcastle Waterpark to create a unified approach to booking events and attracting visitors to Blackpool, Lancashire.
The council’s shareholder committee approved the plan in late January 2026 to dissolve the Blackpool Entertainment Company Ltd and transfer operations to Blackpool Tourism Limited. This tourism company was established in June 2025 following the renaming and expansion of the Sandcastle Waterpark’s operating company to unify different council-owned assets under one operator for the first time.
The change comes during a milestone year for the venue, which is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Blackpool Dance Festival and the 130th year of the Empress Ballroom. Management, led by Managing Director Kate Shane MBE, hopes that centralising these operations will make it easier to secure large conferences and major marketing deals.
According to figures from Meet Blackpool, corporate events at the venue have already generated more than £3.2 million in economic benefit for the local area. This performance significantly exceeded the original annual target of £2.2 million, demonstrating strong demand following the 2022 opening of the new conference and exhibition centre.
The council expects that coordinating these major sites under one operator will help bring in an estimated £30 million for the local economy by 2028. This growth is expected to provide sustained support for local hospitality businesses, including hotels and restaurants, as visitor numbers for conferences and leisure tourism continue to rise.
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