| Winter Gardens | |
|---|---|
 Winter Gardens | |
  Location in Blackpool | |
| General information | |
| Type | Entertainment complex |
| Address | 97 Church Street, Blackpool, FY1 1HL |
| Coordinates | 53°49′02″N 3°03′03″W / 53.8171°N 3.0509°W |
| Construction started | 1875 |
| Inaugurated | 11 July 1878 |
| Cost | £100,000 |
| Owner | Blackpool Council |
| Management | Crown Leisure (as of November 2010) |
| Designations | |
Listed Building – Grade II* | |
| Designated | 10 October 1973 |
| Reference no. | 1072007 |
The Winter Gardens is a large entertainment complex in Blackpool, Lancashire, England, which includes a theatre, ballroom and conference facilities. Opened in 1878, it is a Grade II* listed building,[1] operated by Blackpool Entertainment Company Limited[2] on behalf of Blackpool Council, which purchased the property from Leisure Parcs Ltd as part of a £40 million deal in 2010.[3]
The Winter Gardens has hosted the annual Trades Union Congress, the Conservative Party Conference, Labour Party Conference, and the twice-annual Liberal Democrat Conference. The venue's owners claim that every Prime Minister, since World War II has addressed an audience at the venue.
It has also hosted the Blackpool Dance Festival since its inception in 1920, and the World Matchplay darts tournament since 1994. The annual dance competitions Miss Dance of Great Britain and Dance Master UK are hosted there annually.
- ^ "Listed Buildings in Blackpool". Blackpool Civic Trust. Retrieved 5 December 2009.
- ^ "Blackpool Entertainment Company Limited - Company Profile - Endole".
- ^ Walsh, Dominic (31 March 2010). "Blackpool Tower to be sold as resort embarks on £40m development". The Times. Archived from the original on 29 May 2010. Retrieved 21 March 2011.