The February Festival of Circus and Magic begins today, February 19, 2026, bringing four days of free outdoor performances and activities to the town centre in Blackpool, Lancashire. The event is designed to provide families with low-cost entertainment during the half-term holiday while encouraging more people to visit local shops and businesses.
Much of the activity is focused at the Houndshill Shopping Centre, which is hosting daily workshops with the Blackpool Circus School and a special animal-themed sideshow. Visitors can see unique street theatre acts across the town, including a seven-foot swan pedalo called Swan In Love and a roaming white piano performance known as Elton Wrong.
The festival is funded by the Blackpool Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) to help boost the local economy during the winter season. According to Visit Lancashire, the programme also includes street magic from performers such as Sam Hogarth and a headline show by local magician Harry Moulding on February 20, 2026.
This event follows a major expansion of the Houndshill Shopping Centre in 2024, which added a new cinema and extra shops to the area. Organisers expect the festival to increase the number of people in the town centre by 30 per cent compared to a normal February weekend.
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