Skiddle pulls out all the stops for 25th Anniversary with star studded party at Blackpool Tower
The entertainment industry celebrated the ticket icon Skiddle turning 25 with Lenny Henry, Gok Wan and BBC Radio 6 DJ, Chris Hawkins all there to raise a glass.
A bedroom to boardroom success story, the ticketing platform which started out as a student project between two friends Ben Sebborn and Richard Dyer.
Originally a what’s on guide to gain access to the best parties, it wasn’t until they turned to tickets sales that they unlocked the true potential of the business.
Now, Skiddle headquartered in Longridge sells over £181M worth of tickets a year for gigs, comedy nights and festivals, employing over 100 staff across its four offices in Preston, Manchester, Liverpool and London.
To celebrate 25 years of ticketing, Skiddle took over the iconic Blackpool Tower Ballroom on Thursday 30 April inviting the events and entertainment industry to celebrate with them.
The ruckus celebrations included an afterparty with Gok Wan DJing into the early hours as well as performances from Katie Thistleton, Hacker T Dog, Monka and DJ Mark Armstrong to name but a few.
Hosted by comedy legend Lenny Henry, awards were given out to festival organisers, night club owners and industry legends including: The Brit Fest, On the Beach Brighton, and the Cavern Club all picking up silverware.
Picking up the artist achievement award, DJ D.O.D (Dan O’Donnell) said: “Just want to say a big up to Skiddle for a very successful 25 years.
“I’ve been doing this a long time now, coming up to 17 years and always being trying to do what I could to make something of myself and be the best artist I could be, at the early stages of my career playing Skiddle tent at Wickerman festival to now playing my music all over the world, it’s a dream come true for me.
“I feel what Rich and everyone else in the Skiddle team has built is nothing short of incredible. Ultimately comes down to hard work, whether that’s music that connects with people or a groundbreaking ticketing platform. Here’s to many more years of success!”
The party maybe over but the celebrations continue as 25 lucky people who purchase tickets before midnight to their favourite gig will be entered into a random draw to get their purchase for free.
Qualifying purchases could be anything from one ticket to a show to ten festival tickets as long as it’s purchased between 00:01 and 23:59 on 1 May 2026.
Skiddle Founder, Richard Dyer, 43, lives in Garstang, said: “What a night! 25 years in an industry like this is a huge achievement for any business and we knew we had to celebrate it. There was only ever one venue for a business like ours from North West, the Blackpool Tower and it was incredible to bring hundreds of people together who have been part of our journey over the last 25 years to celebrate with us.
“To keep the celebrations alive for those who sadly couldn’t join us for the party, there’s still a chance for you to bag yourself some free tickets to your favourite show.”
Commenting on Skiddle’s 25th Anniversary, Gok Wan said: “25 years of delivering happiness to millions of people around the world, proving that the party must survive, thank you Skiddle!”
BBC Radio 6 Music presenter Chris Hawkins said: “It’s incredible to see a humble, Northern business like Skiddle become a cornerstone of the industry. It’s the place the punters go when they want to discover a new party, it’s a place the promoters go when they want to sell tickets. It’s effortless for everyone and that’s probably one of the reasons they’ve enjoyed so much success.”
Full list of award winners
Family Fun In A Field - The Brit Fest
Most Iconic Setting -On the Beach Brighton
Feels like home for the weekend - Pavilion Festival
Sounds Like Summer - PRTY
Belly Filler and Thirst Quencher - Feast On Festival
The One That Made The Family Smile - Girlypop
Memorable Seasonal Activity - Oktoberfest Nottingham
Get Up, Stand Out - Bingo Lingo
Venue that you remember the most - CLUB - SWG3
Wish You Were Here - Higher Love Malta
The One That Kept Us Dancing - Circus - Sonny Fodera Liverpool
Breakthrough Club Events of the Year - Disfunction
Memories of the future -Jacaranda
I Lost my voice in that Place - The Cavern Club
Venue that you remember the most - GIG - Unit Nine
On the road again - UB40 ft Ali Campbell - Kilimanjaro
Artist Achievement Award - D.O.D.