Blackpool’s Pleasure Beach Resort closed out its summer season with a strong showing at the UK Theme Park Awards, picking up eight wins across a range of categories.
The theme park took gold for Best Seaside Park, while its new ice show, Alice Frozen in a Wonderland of Dreams, was named Best New Entertainment. To add to this, Aviktas, the record-breaking ride that joined the park’s line-up this year, meant a silver for Best New Attraction and a further award for Best Marketing Campaign.
Other wins included silver for Best Value Theme Park, and bronze awards for Best Halloween Event and Best Theme Park for Thrills.
Amanda Thompson OBE, CEO of Pleasure Beach Resort, said the results reflected the work behind the park’s newest additions:
“All of us at Pleasure Beach are absolutely thrilled to be taking home eight awards. It sets a brilliant standard for us, one that we’ll be working incredibly hard over the next year to build on the success.
“Winning awards is always a wonderful feeling, but to receive recognition for our newest show Alice Frozen in a Wonderland of Dreams, and ride, Aviktas, especially means a lot. It’s a testament to the value they have added to the park and to all the hard work that goes on behind the scenes to bring them to life.”
A milestone year, and a first for the awards
This year marked the seventh running of the UK Theme Park Awards, and the first time the ceremony was held at Pleasure Beach Resort itself. Winners are chosen through a combination of public votes and the judgement of a ten-strong panel of theme park industry experts. So, they know exactly what it takes to keep a theme park running at a high standard.
Thompson added: “Hosting the 2026 awards has been a great privilege, we’re thrilled to have the opportunity to showcase everything that makes Pleasure Beach so special and honour much of the talent within the industry.”
The awards cap a landmark year for the resort, which is celebrating its 130th anniversary, founded in 1896. Attention now turns to a packed autumn and winter calendar, including Oktober Fest (19–26 September), Journey to Hell (from 17 October), and the return of the Christmas Grotto and Aladdin: The Pantomime, both running from 21 November to 24 December. The ultimate place for yearlong family fun. Perhaps, a reminder to ensure booking your tickets before they sell out.
Visiting this autumn and winter
Pleasure Beach Resort remains open for most of September and October, with some Mondays and Tuesdays closed outside school holidays. From November, the park opens at weekends, with events continuing through to Christmas Eve.
For more information on tickets and events, this is available at blackpoolpleasurebeach.com.