BLACKBURN will celebrate its role in continuing the Northern Soul tradition with an 'All Nighter' at King George's Hall next month.

The event will use both the main ballroom and Windsor Suite at the town centre entertainment venue for an event to mark the 45th anniversary of the opening of the music and dance craze's Wigan Casino mecca.

The all-nighter on Saturday September 22 will run from 9pm to 6am.

It will reunite original Wigan Casino DJs Richard Searling, Dave Evison, Kev Roberts and Chris King and feature many special guests spinning rare records from the classic era of fast-paced music from the USA.

After Wigan Casino closed Tony's Empress Ballroom in Town Hall Street took on the mantle of a vital venue for Northern Soul in 1988 and through the 1990s until 2003.

This tradition as reprised in May's National Festival of Making by synth pop pioneer Martyn Ware of Human League and Heaven 17 fame, featuring a high-energy performance by dancers Lauren Fitzpatrick and James Whitehead.

And for many years King George's Hall has run popular Northern Soul nights attracting devotees from all over the North West.

Its ballroom stood in for Wigan Casino in the 2014 film 'Northern Soul' directed by Elaine Constantine and featuring actors including Steve Coogan, John Thomson, Ricky Tomlinson and Lisa Stansfield.

Filmed in 2012 it had 800 East Lancashire people as extras for the scenes filmed at King Georges Hall in Northgate and Miss Fitzpatrick and Mr Whitehead took part as specialist dancers.

The 25 DJs will include KGH soul night regular Ginger Taylor and BBC Radio Lancashire’s Sunday Soul presenter, Keith Fletcher.

Blackburn with Darwen Council resources boss Andy Kay said: "It will be a superb night in a fantastic venue.

"It will celebrate Blackburn's role in keep alive the tradition of this fast-paced and energetic music and style dance, first at Tony's Empress Ballroom and then King George's Hall.

"The latter's Northern Soul night's have been running or many years and are extremely popular.

"King George's Hall stood in for Wigan Casino in the film Northern Soul making it the ideal venue for this celebration.

"It will be a fantastic occasion for fans of the music and dance,"

Tickets cost £12 in advance and £15 on the door.

They are available online at www.kinggeorgeshall.com; by phone on 0844 847 1664 and i person fromKing George's Hall Box Office, Northgate, Blackburn.