Lights Go On For New-Look Blackpool Tower

Blackpool Tower is to be lit up for the first time after a £20m facelift when the switch is thrown on the town's famous illuminations.

The traditional switching on of more than a million bulbs along the promenade comes a day after the tower reopened to the public.

Blackpool is the second most visited city as a holiday attraction, according to Visit England and, with more people staying at home for holidays, it is keen to keep up to date with tourist demands.

The 118-year-old building - now called the Blackpool Tower Eye - still has its grandeur and heritage, new owner Blackpool Council says.

But it now houses two extra attractions - the Blackpool Tower Dungeon and the Eye itself which gives a "4D cinema experience" telling the story of the city.

At the top of the Eye is a 4.2 tonne floor-to-ceiling glass observation reached by lift, which runs along an entire side of the building.

That means visitors can walk from hundreds of feet in the air along the famous Blackpool promenade and see miles of uninterrupted views of the North West coastline.

The revamp is part of a £250m project to regenerate the whole resort.

"This is a landmark day for Blackpool and the Blackpool Tower," said Merlin Entertainments boss Nick Varney, a partner in the scheme.

"While there is still more work to be done, the tower itself looks fantastic - and has been restored with a great deal of skill and care.

"This, together with all the other investment going on in the town, means this much loved seaside town has the potential, and the vision, to once again become one of Europe's leading family holiday destinations."