After a four-month campaign to save the North Pier Theatre the Blackpool Gazette has scored a landmark victory.

In March, the news broke that for the first summer in its 129-year history, the pier theatre would remain silent and empty.

The resort, owned by multi-millionaire Trevor Hemmings, was already counting its losses after the cancellations of a season long show at the Grand Theatre, the closure of the Winter Gardens Pavilion and the lack of a run of shows in the Opera House before the Gazette launched Save Our Shows.

Theatregoers and accommodation providers throughout the resort and beyond backed the Gazette campaign to bring live entertainment back to the North Pier.

David Chapman, operations director for Six Piers, the company that took over from Leisure Parcs earlier in the year said: “I’m delighted to announce we do now have three very strong shows that we’ve contracted for this season.”

After announcing a trio of new and different weekly shows to be staged from next month Six Piers Ltd has promised that there is much more to come.

The Grade 2 listed North Pier Theatre will now re-open on August 1 with Viva Las Vegas.