UK Theme Park Awards winners announced at Blackpool

The industry’s best operators have been celebrated at the UK Theme Park Awards 2026, with major honours handed out during an exclusive ceremony.

The highly anticipated results for the 2026 season have finally been revealed following a nationwide public vote combined with expert panel scoring. Attractions Daily was in attendance at the prestigious event on 10 September at Blackpool’s Pleasure Beach Resort, which united the industry’s leading figures and recognised its biggest achievements.

For the seventh consecutive year, the British public was given the chance to vote for their favourite domestic theme parks. Organiser Lawrence Roots reported that almost 268,000 votes were cast across 22 publicly voted categories this year. These public choices were then combined with the scores from a dedicated expert judging panel to determine the ultimate winners. Of the 36 theme parks that originally received nominations, 24 successful parks walked away with awards.

The ceremony itself brought together more than 220 representatives from the UK theme park industry. Hosting the event were TV presenter and children’s entertainment favourite Naomi Wilkinson and renowned presenter Dave Payne.

Leading destinations claim top prizes

Taking the top spot in the highly coveted Theme Park of the Year (over one million visitors) category was Paultons Park in Hampshire. The family-friendly destination dominated the event, taking home an impressive 11 awards in total. Meanwhile, Pleasurewood Hills in Suffolk secured the Theme Park of the Year title for parks with under one million visitors.

Paultons Park’s success extended well beyond the main prize. The park took gold for Best New Attraction (Large) with its £12 million Viking-themed investment, Drakon. Opening in May 2026, the custom Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter roller coaster reaches heights of 23 metres and hits speeds of 45mph. Anchoring the new Valgard: Realm of the Vikings themed area, the intense attraction features a beyond-vertical drop of 97 degrees, intertwined airtime hills, and two inversions, offering riders thrilling moments of weightlessness.

Paultons Park also secured gold for Best Theme Park for Families (Large), Best Theme Park for Toddlers (for the renowned Peppa Pig World), Best Christmas Event for A Celebration of Christmas, Best Customer Service, and Best Social Media Content.

Lawrence Mancey, Marketing and Technology Director at Paultons Park, also took home the individual prize for Theme Park Personality of the Year. Addressing the park’s remarkable haul, he commented:

“We are thrilled to have been awarded 11 awards at the UK Theme Park Awards, and honoured to have been crowned Theme Park of the Year once again. These trophies are a reflection of the hard work of the whole Paultons Park team. We couldn’t be prouder of what they’ve achieved over the past year; from the teams who brought Drakon and Valgard to life, to everyone across the park who works so hard to give families and toddlers unforgettable days out in Peppa Pig World and across the park.”

For Pleasurewood Hills, winning Theme Park of the Year (under one million visitors) marked a triumphant moment. Freddy Stokes, Director at Pleasurewood Hills, spoke extensively about the team’s dedication and the park’s future trajectory.

“To have all the hard work that’s gone into Pleasurewood Hills over such a short period of time recognised by people from across our own industry is a massive achievement for the park and the whole team,” he noted. “We’ve always believed in what Pleasurewood Hills can be, but to receive an award like this in our first season really shows what can be achieved and, more importantly, where we can take the park from here.”

He added: “There’s a saying that if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life. I don’t think that could be more fitting for me, my brothers and the team at Pleasurewood Hills. The atmosphere around the park this year has been fantastic. Everyone has bought into what we’re trying to achieve and genuinely cares about making the park better.

“The support we’ve received has been incredible. We’re extremely proud of what we’ve achieved in such a short space of time, but for us this is only the beginning. We know where we want to take Pleasurewood Hills, and hopefully everyone will continue on that journey with us.”

A landmark occasion

Hosting the prestigious awards ceremony was Blackpool’s Pleasure Beach Resort, which itself had an outstanding evening, claiming eight awards. The park took gold for Best Seaside Park (North) and Best New Entertainment for Alice Frozen in a Wonderland of Dreams. The matinee ice show, running through the summer of 2026, brought classic Lewis Carroll characters to the Pleasure Beach Arena. Choreographed by former Olympic athlete Oula Jaaskelainen, the production featured world champions and elite performers to celebrate 90 years of Hot Ice shows at the venue.

Pleasure Beach Resort also took silver in the Best New Attraction (Large) category for Aviktas. Built by Intamin at a cost of £8.72 million, the UK’s tallest Gyro Swing debuted in May 2026, swinging 40 passengers up to 138 feet into the air at speeds reaching 60mph. Riders experience forces up to 4G on the downward swing and moments of weightlessness on the upward trajectory, complete with a custom soundtrack composed by Glenn Robertson.

Amanda Thompson OBE, CEO of Pleasure Beach Resort, reflected on both the venue’s awards success and the honour of hosting the industry event:

“The UK Theme Park Awards provide a wonderful opportunity to shine a light on the hard work, talent and innovation across our industry, recognising and celebrating the very best experiences it has to offer. Hosting the 2026 awards has been a great privilege, and we’re thrilled to have the opportunity to showcase everything that makes Pleasure Beach so special.

“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.”

“It’s been a landmark year for the park; we have marked our 130th year and welcomed many exciting new additions. Hosting this event is yet another proud moment for 2026, and I hope everyone who has joined us can see our commitment to both our present and future.”

Merlin Entertainments enjoys heavyweight success

Staffordshire’s Alton Towers Resort also enjoyed a stellar night, securing nine awards across multiple disciplines. The resort took home gold for Best Landscaped Theme Park and Best Brand Activation for Minecraft: Meet the Mobs. This unique interactive summer event featured an exclusive baby mob trail, alongside immersive real-world character meet-and-greets with fan favourites such as the Creeper, Iron Golem, and Chicken Jockey. The resort also secured silver for Best Theme Park for Thrills, Best Halloween Event for Scarefest, and Best Social Media Content (Large). The Alton Towers Waterpark and Enchanted Village took silver in their respective categories.

Thorpe Park in Surrey solidified its reputation as the UK’s premier destination for adrenaline seekers. The park triumphed with gold for Best Theme Park for Thrills and Best Halloween Event for its legendary Fright Nights.

LEGOLAND Windsor Resort in Berkshire picked up a total of six silver and bronze awards. This included silver in the Best Theme Park for Families (Large) category, Best Theme Park for Toddlers (DUPLO Valley), and Best Brand Activation for the LEGO NINJAGO Celebration. The park also placed on the podium for Best Theme Park Animal Exhibit with its LEGO City Deep Sea Adventure.

The top prize for Best Theme Park Animal Exhibit went to Chessington World of Adventures Resort in Surrey for ZUFARI: Ride into Africa. Chessington earned three awards overall, including bronze for Best Theme Park for Families (Large) and Best Brand Activation for its PAW Patrol Autumn Adventure.

Regional parks

Away from the larger resorts, smaller and regional parks demonstrated strong performance across the UK. Adventure Island in Essex captured five awards, taking gold for Best Seaside Park (South), Best Value Theme Park, and Best Social Media Content (Small). Crealy Theme Park & Resort in Devon also secured five awards, picking up gold for Best Theme Park for Toddlers (Sooty Land) and silver for Best Theme Park for Families (Small) and Best New Accessibility Initiative for their SEND Days.

Drayton Manor Resort continued its strong delivery in the family market, securing three awards including silver for Christmas Wonderland in the Best Christmas Event category. Blackgang Chine on the Isle of Wight also took home three awards, securing its position with creative landscaping and engaging digital presence.

Additional gold winners in the smaller categories included Lightwater Valley in Yorkshire, which won Best New Attraction (Small) for Spinning Racer, and Gulliver’s Theme Park Resorts, taking gold for Best Theme Park for Families (Small). Sandcastle Waterpark won Waterpark of the Year, Tulleys Shocktober Fest won Scream Park of the Year, and West Midlands Safari Park took gold for Best Theme Park Holiday Village (Safari Lodges).

Industry excellence was heavily celebrated during the evening. Josh Haywood of Crealy Theme Park & Resort was honoured with the Outstanding Achievement award, while Sarah Smith of ROARR! was named Rising Star. In the digital space, Coastertog won Content Creator of the Year, a category acknowledging the vital work of bloggers, vloggers, podcasters, and social media content creators on platforms such as Instagram and TikTok.

The rigorous judging process combined public votes with the expertise of a respected industry panel. The judges for the 2026 awards included RCCGB chairman Andy Hine MBE, Katapult’s Dawn Foote and BALPPA Chief Executive Paul Kelly.

Complete UK Theme Park Awards 2026 results

Watch the awards

Catch up on the excitement of the day by watching the full recording of the UK Theme Park Awards 2026, recorded in Pleasure Beach’s Paradise Room venue, online here: