Dan Whiston & Cast of Young Skaters Launched a Magical Experience in Blackpool

Credit: VisitBlackpool

Dancing On Ice star Dan Whiston opened Blackpool’s Christmas By The Sea skating rink.

Blackpool-born Dan opened the 40m-long synthetic rink on the Tower Festival Headland together with young cast members from children’s charity BIDCA who performed excerpts from the musical, Mary Poppins.

The hour-long launch event took place on Friday 19 November 2021 to mark the official opening of the Christmas By The Sea outdoor village, which also included simulated snowfalls, log cabins, a magical forest, larger-than-life light installations, festive light projection shows and Magical Express tram rides along the Golden Mile.

Dan has performed in all series of the Dancing On Ice ITV show since its inception in 2006 and has won the series on three occasions.

Since 2019, he has been the show’s Associate Creative Director, responsible for creating professional routines and training all celebrity contestants. Both he and his sister, Emma, started out as skaters with BIDCA.

BIDCA usually perform a children’s Christmas ice show at Blackpool Pleasure Beach Ice Arena during December featuring a cast of 70 young skaters, all aged under 18. The show raises thousands of pounds for local children’s charities. Sadly, due to COVID, they have had to postpone their planned show, Peter Pan, for the past two years but are planning to go ahead in December 2022.

Instead, a small group of 17 cast members joined the opening of the Christmas By The Sea village to perform some of their favourite routines from Mary Poppins On Ice, which they staged in 2018.

Standing in the shadow of the iconic Blackpool Tower, the skating rink was free to use and included skate hire.

Supported by Northern, the Christmas By The Sea village remained in place until January 3rd 2022 as part of an extended Blackpool Illuminations season.

Credit: VisitBlackpool