Blackpool bowling bonanza

Bowling News

Well it may not be the Blackpool Waterloo but it is a major event being brought to Blackpool to reignite the bowling business.

BLACKPOOL MASTERS SET TO BRING TOP-LEVEL CROWN GREEN BOWLS BACK TO BLACKPOOL Five-time Waterloo winner Gary Ellis leads the team behind a major new event celebrating the return of elite crown green bowls to Blackpool. Blackpool is set to welcome some of the biggest names in crown green bowls this September as the Blackpool Masters 2026 brings top-level competition back to the resort. The prestigious event is being organised by Gary Ellis, a five-time Waterloo winner, who is determined to put Blackpool back on the map as a major destination for crown green bowls.

The Blackpool Masters 2026 will take place at Marton Institute, Blackpool, on Saturday 19th September 2026, bringing together 32 of the finest bowlers from across the UK.The competition will feature 28 players qualifying through selected major open competitions, alongside four wildcards selected by the organising committee.With free entry for every invited player and a total prize fund of £4,400, the event promises to provide spectators with a full day of high-quality crown green bowling.

BRINGING BIG-TIME BOWLING BACK TO BLACKPOOL

Blackpool has a proud history of hosting major crown green bowling events, and the organisers believe the time is right to bring the biggest names in the sport back to the resort. Gary Ellis, a five-time Waterloo champion, has been instrumental in putting the event together alongside Ricky Cochrane and Tommy King who previously organised the Waterloo Bowling competition. 

The aim is simple: to create a major event that showcases the very best of crown green bowls while giving spectators the opportunity to watch top-class players competing in Blackpool once again. The previous major bowling event in Blackpool generated more than one million views across social media, demonstrating the huge audience and interest that crown green bowls can attract. The Blackpool Masters is expected to attract around 1,000 spectators on the day, while the event will also be live streamed online, allowing fans from across the country and beyond to follow the action.

A £4,400 PRIZE FUND The free-entry competition will offer substantial prize money:🏆 Winner – £1,000🥈 Runner-up – £600🎯 Semi-finalists – £300 each🎯 Quarter-finalists – £150 each🎯 Last 16 – £100 each🎯 First-round losers – £50 each

MORE THAN JUST ONE EVENT

The Blackpool Masters is part of a wider programme of crown green bowling events being staged at Marton Institute throughout the weekend.The organisers are also keen to highlight the role Marton Institute plays in supporting visiting bowlers and clubs throughout the year.The venue welcomes approximately 50 visiting bowling parties each year and has a membership of around 1,000, providing an established community and platform for the sport.

GARY ELLIS – ORGANISER Gary Ellis, a five-time Waterloo winner, is passionate about ensuring that the Blackpool Masters becomes an event that players, spectators and the wider bowling community can look forward to every year.The organisers hope the event will help raise the profile of crown green bowls, attract new spectators to the sport and demonstrate that there is a huge appetite for top-level bowling in Blackpool. Gary Ellis said:“Blackpool has such a fantastic history with crown green bowls, and we wanted to bring that big-event atmosphere back to the town.“We have some fantastic players involved, and the aim is to give the public the opportunity to watch the very best bowlers competing against each other.“This isn’t just about one competition. We want to build something that can grow year after year and put Blackpool firmly back on the crown green bowling map.