New Rides & Attractions opening in the UK This Year
Attractions, London, News, UK
These are the 10 newest UK rides and attractions to look out for in 2016 – make sure you tick them off your list this summer!
1. Apollo at Lightwater Valley
You’ll need a strong stomach and a head for heights as you take to the skies on Lightwater Valley’s newest ride!
Apollo spins you high above the treetops, combining altitude with a soaring and swooping motion while offering some of the best views over the park!
Apollo is open now at Lightwater Valley
Book Lightwater Valley tickets
2. Derren Brown’s Ghost Train at Thorpe Park
Get ready to board the most psychologically intense train journey of your life.
This groundbreaking ride mixes grand-scale illusions, next-generation technology, 4D special effects and exhilarating live action to create the world’s first fully-immersive attraction designed to manipulate the human mind.
Derren Brown’s Ghost Train is now open!
3. Crazy Carts & StackAttack at Diggerland
Diggerland has 4 theme parks across the country, and they’re all welcoming these 2 new attractions in 2016:
StackAttack is the ultimate challenge to test your concentration, hand-eye coordination, patience and reflexes. Kids can take the controls of a specially adapted Avant 520 Series Digger Loader; the challenge is to pick up, move and stack giant tyres without dropping them or knocking the stack over. Trust me – it’s not as easy as it sounds!
Kids will also LOVE getting into a spin on Crazy Carts – spinning around in all directions, doing “doughnuts”, sliding, driving and drifting at speeds up to 20kph.
Stackattack and Crazy Carts are both open now at all 4 Diggerlands
Visit Diggerland Durham Visit Diggerland Devon
Visit Diggerland Kent Visit Diggerland Yorkshire
4. The Slide at Arcelormittal Orbit
London’s most spectacular new attraction now has a faster (and waaaay more fun) alternative to taking the stairs!
Jump into the world’s tallest and longest tunnel slide to zoom from the top of the 114m-tall Orbit, as London’s skyscape flies past you through the transparent walls.
The Slide is open now at the Arcelormittal Orbit
Book Arcelormittal Orbit Slide tickets
5. The Royal Mint – Cardiff
2016 sees The Royal Mint open its doors for the first time, to reveal how the nation’s coins are made in a unique behind-the-scenes experience!
Showcasing over 1,000 years of coin-making history, the guided Factory Experience follows the journey of the 2billion+ coins that are made every year and find their way into pockets and purses around the world.
The Royal Mint is open now
6. Land of the Lions at London Zoo
Get ready to be transported from the heart of London to India’s vibrant Sasan Gir, in London Zoo’s biggest and most breath-taking experience ever.
Get closer than you ever imagined to the pride of the majestic big cats through a windowless view of the Lion Temple, and even help the forest rangers deal with a ‘lion-emergency’!
Land of the Lions is open now!
7. British Airways i360
Designed by the creators of the London Eye, this lofty observation tower is located right on Brighton’s beautiful beachfront!
Ride the world’s first vertical cable car, which soars to heights of 138m (450 feet) for stunning views across Brighton and the surrounding areas.
British Airways i360 opens on Thursday 4th August 2016
8. The Hive at Kew Gardens
Did you know almost 70% of the crops that provide the world’s food are pollinated by bees?
Adorned with hundreds of glowing LED lights and standing 17m high, the sound and light intensity within The Hive is triggered through sensors inside a real beehive, creating a multi-sensory experience of what it’s like to be inside a real bee hive, as well as the vital role of bees in feeding our planet.
The Hive is open until November 2017 and is included with Kew Gardens admission tickets
9. ‘George, Eric and Me’ at The Beatles Story – Liverpool
This exclusive exhibition showcases intimate portraits of the late Beatle George Harrison and Eric Clapton by the woman who shared both their lives.
Pattie Boyd’s personal collection gives a glimpse into the private lives of two of the most revered musicians of all time, with candid photographs of the musical icons and their friends.
‘George, Eric and Me’ is on display until Autumn 2016
Book tickets to The Beatles Story
10. Spiceworld the Exhibition at Blackpool Pleasure Beach
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Blackpool is hosting the biggest collection of Spice Girls memorabilia in the world in an exhibition dedicated to the original purveyors of Girl Power!
With over 5,000 individual items devoted to the band, the owner of the collection, artist Liz West, holds a Guinness World Record to mark her achievement.
Spiceworld the Exhibition is on display until 26th June 2016
About the author
Farrah is AttractionTix’s resident Copywriter. A city girl at heart, her best-loved travel moments are exploring new cities across the world like Barcelona or Los Angeles. Farrah’s favourite things are eating, sleeping, shopping and animals (but mostly animals). Her pet hates are bad grammar and other writing-based “offences”.