The High Tide Organ is a tidal organ that’s part of a musical sculpture series on the promenade. Standing 15 metres tall, it is one of the few examples of a tidal organ in the world and a ‘musical manifestation of the sea’, playing music as the tide moves through the pipes on the sea wall.
As a unique sculpture and landmark in not only Blackpool but the world, the High Tide Organ draws thousands of visitors each year. Located on Blackpool’s New Promenade, the organ is easy to visit and appropriate for all ages and interests.
High Tide Organ - one of the highlights of 10 Things to Do in Blackpool Off the Beaten Track (Read all about Blackpool here)
photo by Rept0n1x (CC BY-SA 3.0) modified
High Tide Organ highlights
The High Tide Organ was designed by artists John Gooding and Liam Curtin. Constructed of steel, concrete, copper and zinc, the organ harnesses wave energy to produce sounds as the high tide flows through the 8 pipes beneath the promenade. The pressure of the waves pushes air through the pipes and into the 18 organ pipes in the sculpture itself, creating what’s regarded as a musical intersection of natural and man-made environments.
One of the most impressive aspects of the High Tide Organ is that it's free from human intervention. Since construction, the organ’s music is entirely left to the whims of the sea and its environmental conditions.
photo by Gerald England (CC BY-SA 2.0) modified
Good to know when visiting High Tide Organ
Just left of the organ is a set of steps to the beach, and at low tide, you can walk down to see the seawall pipes. On calm days, the organ is nearly silent. The best time to hear the organ play is a few hours before or after high tide.
The ‘Great Promenade Show’ series of sculptures, which includes the High Tide Organ, features other sculptures along the coast. You can see ‘They Shoot Horses, Don’t They’, a massive mirrored ball that rotates and catches the sea light. Another highlight is ‘The Swivelling Wind Shelters’, a stainless-steel-and-wood sculpture that produces shelter by moving with the wind.
High Tide Organ
Location: 501-507 Promenade, Blackpool. FY4 1BA, UK
Phone: +44 (0)1253 478222
Start planning your trip
Where to stay in Blackpool
Hampton by Hilton Blackpool
The Grand Hotel Blackpool
Holiday Inn Blackpool, an IHG Hotel
Norbreck Castle Hotel
Park House Hotel
The Imperial Hotel
Savoy Blackpool Hotel
Blackpool Football Club Stadium Hotel, a member of Radisson Individuals
OYO The Arncliff Hotel
