Who needs Disneyland! 130-year-old Blackpool Pleasure Beach crowned 'best of the best' in major theme parks awards
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Blackpool's Pleasure Beach has now been crowned 'best of the best' in major theme parks awards.
The beloved resort scooped up the prestigious award at the Park World Excellence Awards 2026, the first UK park to do so.
Blackpool Pleasure Beach is a much-loved seaside attraction that dates back to 1896.
It was also awarded 'best ride of the year' for its new Aviktas ride, a giant gyro swing. Standing at 138ft tall, Aviktas is the tallest ride of its type in the UK.
It packs in everything from historic wooden coasters to modern thrill rides such as the Big One, a world-famous hyper-coaster with a towering height of 213ft.
A nostalgic seaside favourite, the park will remain open until the end of the season in November, with tickets from £30.
Blackpool's Pleasure Beach won the 'best of the best' award this year
Donkey rides, five 'dark rides', five water rides, 12 themed Nickelodeon rides, solid food options and lively event nights make it a standout resort with something for all of the family.
It comes after Blackpool scooped up eight awards in this year's UK Theme Park Awards.
Pleasure Beach Resort bagged eight titles, ranging from best new attraction to best seaside resort.
The amusement park made headlines earlier this month after Derek Cowan proposed to mum-of-two Nicolle Henderson on the Avalanche ride, the BBC reports.
Amanda Thompson OBE, CEO of Pleasure Beach Resort, said: 'To be named best of the best is a massive achievement for our park.
'Our industry is full of so much talent, so to be recognised among the best speaks volumes on the dedication and hard work that has kept us moving forward for 130 years.
'Avitkas has been a hugely valuable addition to the park, and I've been delighted by its reception so far.
The amusement park, located in Blackpool, has lured in crowds from across the UK for the past 130 years
'If they haven't already, I'd absolutely encourage people to visit Pleasure Beach and give our ride, now recognised as one of the world's best, a go!'
Other notable European parks to scoop up awards include Asterix and the Starry Potion at Parc Asterix in France, which won best live entertainment.
Meanwhile, Europa-Park in Germany won best large park of the year.
Outside of Europe, best waterpark of the year was given to Aquarabia Qiddiya City in Saudi Arabia, which is also the largest water theme park in the Middle East.
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