Audiences are being invited to Blackpool Grand Theatre on Sunday 8 November 2026 for a moving LGBTQ+ song event built from real local experiences. Six choirs will perform six brand-new pieces, turning stories of identity, pride and belonging into an evening of music, community and recognition.

Essential Takeaways

  • Six new songs: Each piece has been shaped by LGBTQ+ experiences from people and groups in Blackpool.
  • One-night showcase: The performance takes place on Sunday 8 November 2026 at 7.30pm.
  • A broad local cast: Six Blackpool choirs will perform, including Electric Pink Voices and Blackpool Male Voice Choir.
  • Arrive early: Doors open at 6.30pm, with pre-show performances and activity around the theatre.
  • Tickets cost £15: Booking is available through Blackpool Grand Theatre, excluding collection or delivery charges.

Six choirs, six stories and one very special night

The strongest feature of this Blackpool LGBTQ+ event is its sense of place. These aren't songs written in isolation and sent out into the world; they've grown from conversations with people who live, work and build community in the resort.

According to Blackpool Grand Theatre, the resulting Sandgrown Song Cycle explores identity, resilience, pride and the complicated feeling of trying to find somewhere to belong. For anyone who's ever heard a lyric and thought, "That's exactly it", the evening promises a particularly personal kind of connection.

The music has been composed by Michael Betteridge and written by Jonathan Ainscough, with production led by Phill Fairhurst. Their work brings together community voices and choral performance in a format that feels both ambitious and warmly local.

Why this Blackpool LGBTQ+ event matters

The project has involved Blackpool Council Youth Group, Blackpool Council and Public Health, Renaissance, Empowerment, Blackpool Rainbow Alliance and Trinity Hospice. That mix reflects the event's wider purpose: it's not only a concert, but a creative record of the people and organisations helping shape LGBTQ+ life in the town.

Electric Pink Voices producer Phill Fairhurst said the team had been trusted with stories that mattered deeply to contributors. In the theatre, those experiences will be carried by a large collective sound, giving private reflections a public platform without losing their human scale.

There's something quietly powerful about that arrangement. A single voice can feel exposed, while a choir can offer shelter. On this night, both ideas meet.

What to expect at the Grand Theatre

The evening begins before the main performance. Doors open at 6.30pm, and live voices and performances will appear around the building before the headline presentation gets under way at 7.30pm.

Audiences will also hear from people, organisations and artists involved in the project, offering a glimpse into how conversations and lived experiences became finished songs. It should make the performance feel less like a conventional concert and more like an open creative process reaching its first public milestone.

The six participating choirs are BMS Contemporary Choir, Blackpool Male Voice Choir, Capricorn Singers, Waterloo Women's Choir, Encore Singers and Electric Pink Voices. That range of vocal identities should give the night a pleasingly varied sound, from polished ensemble passages to more intimate moments.

A first listen before the 2027 festival premiere

This performance is being billed as the first chance to hear the six songs in public. The complete Sandgrown Song Cycle is scheduled to premiere at the Hand in Hand Festival in 2027, so November's event offers an early look at a project still gathering momentum.

That makes the timing especially appealing for local supporters. You'll not only be attending a finished show, but witnessing the beginning of a larger journey for the music and the communities behind it.

Blackpool's entertainment calendar is often associated with big spectacle, bright lights and familiar favourites. This event offers a different kind of stagecraft: close to home, openly collaborative and rooted in voices that deserve to be heard.

Ticket details and how to plan your visit

Where We Belong - Sandgrown Song Cycle takes place at Blackpool Grand Theatre on Sunday 8 November 2026. The main performance starts at 7.30pm, with doors and pre-show entertainment from 6.30pm.

Tickets are £15, with possible collection or delivery charges, and can be booked through the theatre's website or box office on 01253 290190. Arriving early seems the sensible move, particularly if you want to experience the pre-show activity rather than rushing in just before the first song.

Whether you come with friends, family or on your own, the theatre's message is clear: there's a place for you in the room. And for an evening built around belonging, that feels like exactly the right note to end on.

It's a small Blackpool night with a big, resonant story to tell.

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