The Platform, formally a working railway station know as ‘Morecambe Promenade Station’, was built by the Midland Railway Company as the terminus of the former “little” North Western Railway to exploit the numbers of holidaymakers moving between Morecambe, Heysham and Lancaster and to provide a speedy service for port workers.

Morecambe Promenade Station first opened to passengers in 1907 and had four main platforms and a goods siding. Passengers using the facilities came from Leeds and Bradford as well as the West Coast of Scotland arriving overnight by rail to stay in the hotel before taking the boat to the Isle of Man and Barrow from the Stone Jetty.

After the station’s closure in 1994, trains now stopping elsewhere in Morecambe, The Platform underwent extensive refurbishment in order to be converted to the entertainment venue we all know and love today. It remained closed for three years before finally reopening to the public on the 17th December 1997 as a Music and Community Arts Centre.

The performances at The Platform started off strong, with local dance groups, brass bands, orhcestras and children’s shows all taking place in the first few months. There were also some famous faces who made the trip to Morecambe for The Platform’s first season, such as Steve Harley and The Manfreds, to name a few. The Platform hosted far more than just Music and Dance however, it became a true community hub with a myriad of public lectures, workshops and classes. The venue retains this variation of events to this day.

Comedy shows played a huge part in shaping The Platform’s legacy, becoming a staple location for the touring stand-up acts. The Platform, and many venues like it, were instrumental in helping to launch the carears of many comedians and comediennes who are now household names; Ohmid Djalili, Dave Spikey, Jason Manford, Lucy Porter, Dave Gorman, Dara Ó Briain, and many, many others have all stopped off at The Platform during their country-wide tours.