Blackpool Tower Ballroom reopens to the public
The iconic venue has had a ÂŁ1M refurb - focussing on the dancefloor
The Blackpool Tower Ballroom's famous dancefloor, which has played host to some of the world's most talented dancers including the stars of Strictly Come Dancing, has been restored to its original state.
Taking place ahead of the ballroom's annual reopening on 25th January, it is the first time in more than 30 years that the floor has undergone such extensive work, meaning the original wooden floor is once again ready for dancers.
A team of floor restoration experts were brought in to break down more than 100 layers of lacquer, before the floor was sanded down and resealed.
The floor, which is made up of 30,602 individual blocks of oak, mahogany and walnut that were placed together to create the unique design, has taken around three weeks to be fully refurbished.
The renovation means the iconic dancefloor now has an ultra-smooth finish and will enhance ballroom-goers' experience.
Mike Philbin, CEO of Nulife, which led the works, said:
"The Blackpool Tower Ballroom is home to one of the most famous dancefloors in the world so it was a real honour to be brought onto the project.
"This was a particularly challenging refurb for us due to the number of layers of lacquer painted on over the years, which needed to be broken down before we could restore the original floor.
"The end result is phenomenal though and regular ballroom dancers will really notice the difference once they get out there. Plus visually, it looks incredible and only adds to the ballroom's 'wow' factor."
Last year, the ballroom, which dates back to 1894 and is known by millions as the home to Strictly Come Dancing's annual ballroom special, underwent the most extensive programme of work and deep clean for more than 60 years.
Now, the latest renovation project offers both regular and new dancers an improved experience as the ballroom reopens following its annual closedown over Christmas.
Kenny Mew, General Manager of The Blackpool Tower, said:
"This is the first time in more than three decades that we have done such extensive works on the ballroom floor.
"It is an iconic venue that is steeped in history, so to strip the floor back to its original state is something we have been wanting to do for a long time... with unbelievable results.
"We're now looking forward to welcoming back our regulars, as well as new dancers, and can't wait to see the dancefloor full and bustling again."