Biggest-of-its-kind new ride to launch at Blackpool Pleasure Beach

The new swinging and spinning attraction will reach 138 feet at its highest point

Biggest-of-its-kind new ride to launch at Blackpool Pleasure Beach

Blackpool’s Pleasure Beach Resort is set to launch a brand new £8.72m ride next year, the biggest of its kind in the UK.

A new giant swinging pendulum, double the size of other similar gyro swings, will be added to the park in 2026.

The new pendulum ride, Project MMXXVI, will spin and swing riders as they reach high points of up to 138 feet.

Seating up to 40 thrillseekers at a time, the riders will face outward with their legs dangling, to deliver an “exhilarating” sensation of flying.

The theme park on the Blackpool coast says that while other swinging pendulum rides exist in the UK, none will come close to its new ride in terms of height.

At Drayton Manor's Maelstrom, its swinging pendulum ride reaches approximately 74 feet – Pleasure Beach Resort’s new ride will be almost double that at its highest point.

An artist impression of the new ride at Pleasure Beach Resort in Blackpool

An artist impression of the new ride at Pleasure Beach Resort in Blackpool (Pleasure Beach Resort)

Amanda Thompson, the CEO of Pleasure Beach Resort, said: “We’re thrilled to confirm the addition of a Gyro Swing at Pleasure Beach Resort, with work already underway.

“We’re well known for doing things on a large scale, so becoming home to the largest Gyro Swing in the UK made complete sense.

“The Gyro Swing is one of the most exciting flat rides in existence – it’s dynamic, fast, and incredibly high, as well as being completely weightless at the top.

“It will be a fantastic addition to our ride line-up and we can’t wait to see people’s reactions when they experience it for the first time.

“We’ll be announcing more details soon and we’re very excited for the future at Pleasure Beach Resort.”

Work has already started in preparation for the new ride earlier this year, including the demolition of the former Bowl-A-Drome.

An artist impression of the new ride at Pleasure Beach Resort in Blackpool

An artist impression of the new ride at Pleasure Beach Resort in Blackpool (Pleasure Beach Resort)

The resort says the ride will be found in the north of the park close to the perimeter, to give riders the feeling that they are being swung over the sea.

Alongside the announcement, Pleasure Beach Resort said that its Ice Blast ride has been reimagined and updated and will be reintroduced as ‘Launch Pad’ this spring.

Additionally, new scenes from the latest Wallace & Gromit instalment, Vengeance Most Fowl, will be added to its Thrill-O-Matic ride.

It also announced that its River Caves ride, a family favourite since 1905, will be the next attraction to receive a re-imagining to keep the experience fresh for returning guests.

Pleasure Beach Resort is currently open for weekends in March, before opening both weekends and weekdays from 5 April.

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