- Women only
- Friendship, not dating
- Free to join
- Local guide
- October 19, 2026
Make Friends in Blackpool, beyond the Tower and the Prom
Almost 32% of Blackpool households rent privately, against 19% for the North West, so a fixed weekly plan makes meeting people easier.
141,000+
residents of Blackpool borough, from Anchorsholme to Squires Gate (Census 2021, ONS)
32%
of Blackpool households rent privately; North West: 19% (ONS, 2021)
38%
of Blackpool homes are lived in by one person alone, compared with 32% regionally (Census 2021)
Stanley Park turns 100 in 2026
Stanley Park, which opened in 1926 and celebrates its centenary this year, was among this year’s Green Flag winners and a natural place to make friends in Blackpool, with its Art Deco Café and Italian Gardens. Blackpool parkrun sets off there every Saturday at 9am, while the Central Library on Queen Street hosts a monthly discussion group. Gofrendly helps Blackpool women find new friends.
Blackpool questions on friendship
Why is Stanley Park special in 2026?
Stanley Park opened in 1926 and marks its centenary in 2026. It holds a Green Flag, has the Art Deco Café, the Italian Gardens and the Cocker Clock, and hosts Blackpool parkrun on Saturdays, so it is a natural meeting place for Blackpool friends.
Which Blackpool library groups can you join?
The Central Library on Queen Street hosts a social discussion group on the first Wednesday afternoon of the month, and Wool and Words, a knitting and social group, meets on Tuesday afternoons at Palatine Library in South Shore. Both welcome Blackpool residents who want company.
What is the Grundy Art Gallery?
The Grundy Art Gallery on Queen Street is Blackpool’s public art gallery, close to the Central Library. It opens Tuesday to Saturday during exhibitions with no admission fee, and is currently between shows, reopening on 24 October, so check before planning a visit with a friend.
New to Blackpool: how can you make friends?
Gofrendly, a women-only friendship app, helps women new to Blackpool discover others close by and suggest meeting. A coffee at the Art Deco Café in Stanley Park or a Tuesday afternoon at Wool and Words is a friendly first plan for two.
Blackpool, the Lancashire seaside resort
Blackpool is the Fylde coast’s famous resort, with the Tower, the piers and the trams along the Promenade, and neighbourhoods stretching from Bispham to South Shore. Across the borough, nearly 32% of households rent privately and almost 38% have a single occupant, each higher than the regional figures. When so many people rent or live alone, it is worth choosing a couple of spots away from the seafront where local residents, not visitors, gather each week.
A busy resort can still feel lonely when the visitors go home. The Wool and Words knitting group meets on Tuesday afternoons at Palatine Library in South Shore, the Friends of Stanley Park gave £50,000 towards a £500,000 centenary repair programme that includes the Cocker Clock and the Italian Gardens fountain, and eight Blackpool parks hold 2026 Green Flags. The Grundy Art Gallery on Queen Street opens without charge during exhibitions, a short walk from the Central Library. Places to start:
1
Stanley Park, with the Art Deco Café and Italian Gardens.
2
Central Library on Queen Street, with a monthly discussion group.
3
Palatine Library in South Shore, home of Wool and Words knitting.
4
The Grundy Art Gallery on Queen Street, open Tuesday to Saturday during exhibitions.
5
Blackpool parkrun in Stanley Park, every Saturday at 9am.
LOCAL TIP
Try the Wool and Words knitting group on a Tuesday first.
How to
Blackpool: how to meet people away from the Prom
1
Join Wool and Words at Palatine Library on a Tuesday afternoon.
2
Go to the Central Library discussion group on the first Wednesday.
3
Meet a Blackpool woman from Gofrendly at the Art Deco Café in Stanley Park.
4
Run or walk Blackpool parkrun in Stanley Park one Saturday.
Films about friends, and a story of starting again
The writers of our Blackpool guide
Claudia Gård and Ulrika Lilja, Gofrendly’s founders, wrote the Blackpool guide with our editors for Fylde coast women who rent, live alone or have recently arrived in town.
Friendship looks different at every stage
More guides for women in this area – each with its own local advice.
Friendship looks different at every stage
More guides for women in this area – each with its own local advice.
Find women near you
See who’s nearby and say hi — it’s free to start.