The Arcade Club Revives Blackpool's Gaming Heritage

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4 Mortal Combat machines. Photo by Mitchell Morton

Standing at 74 Bloomfield Road, immediately beside Bloomfield Road Stadium, home of Blackpool Football Club, The Arcade Club has become one of Blackpool’s most distinctive modern attractions. Since opening in 2022, it has brought together hundreds of classic and contemporary arcade machines under one roof, continuing the town’s long-standing association with amusement gaming while introducing a new generation to the golden age of the arcade. Unlike the traditional amusement arcades that have lined Blackpool’s promenade for more than a century, The Arcade Club operates on an all-inclusive admission model. Visitors pay a single entrance fee before enjoying unlimited use of the machines inside, removing the need for coins or tokens. The venue features everything from iconic classics such as Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Out Run and Time Crisis to modern video games, Japanese import machines, pinball tables, air hockey and basketball games.

Pinball machines. Photo by Mitchell Morton

The Blackpool venue forms part of the Arcade Club group founded by Andy Palmer, whose passion for preserving arcade machines began with a personal collection of just thirty cabinets displayed in the back of a family computer shop. What started as a small hobby developed into Europe’s largest free-play arcade business, with successful venues opening in Bury, Leeds and finally Blackpool. The Blackpool site officially opened in 2022, embracing the town’s historic reputation as Britain’s capital of seaside amusement arcades. Its location is particularly appropriate. Blackpool has been synonymous with amusement arcades since the early twentieth century, when mechanical penny machines evolved into electric amusements and later the video games that became a defining feature of British seaside holidays. While many traditional arcades continue to operate along the Promenade, The Arcade Club offers a different experience by preserving machines spanning more than four decades of gaming history, allowing visitors to play everything from 1970s arcade cabinets to modern attractions.

Photo by Mitchell Morton

Situated directly next to Blackpool Football Club, the venue has also become a popular destination for football supporters visiting Bloomfield Road, as well as families, gaming enthusiasts and tourists. Its proximity to the stadium places it within one of the town’s busiest leisure districts, complementing Blackpool’s long tradition of entertainment and visitor attractions. Today, The Arcade Club represents a modern chapter in Blackpool’s rich entertainment history. By combining the nostalgia of classic arcade gaming with the latest interactive attractions, it celebrates an industry that has entertained generations of visitors while reinforcing the town’s enduring reputation as one of Britain’s foremost destinations for family fun and amusement.