A trip to Blackpool Pleasure Beach has always been a summer essential for kids and grown-ups alike in Lancashire, Greater Manchester and even further afield. There’s nothing better than getting tipped upside down, backwards and side to side all day, followed by a chippy tea on the promenade, but now Blackpool Pleasure Beach has announced that five of its rides are being closed indefinitely, citing rising costs of keeping them open.
The rides expected to close include the Eddie Stobart Convoy, Alpine Rallye, Thompson Carousel, Gallopers and Red Arrows Skyforce, the latter of which only opened in 2015. Last year saw the closure of the ionic Ice Blast ride, with the 2025 season set to unveil its rebirth as Launch Pad.
A statement on the Blackpool Pleasure Beach website reads: “In a similar way, this year we’ve made the decision to close some of our smaller, less popular rides during the 2025 season: Eddie Stobart Convoy, Alpine Rallye, Thompson Carousel, Gallopers and Red Arrows Skyforce.
“The smaller rides were already being run on reduced opening times and our rider data showed that they have some of our lowest throughput, while Skyforce is 10 years old this year. After a great deal of thought, it was clear to us that the right decision is to make changes which will allow us to reinvest into a bigger and better future.
“We’ll be sharing more about that future very soon, and we can promise there’s lots to look forward to.”
The question on everyone’s lips, though, surrounds whether Blackpool Pleasure Beach will be expanding their iconic Wallace & Gromit Thrill-O-Matic ride – where riders sit in a giant slipper and are taken through the world of the franchise – after the success of Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl… and the resort has some tentative news on that too.
The statement continues: “We’ve seen lots of conversation online surrounding the new Vengeance Most Fowl film, and we love it as much as you do. Stay tuned!”
Instagram post via @pleasure_beach
So, although there is set to be a sad ending for some rides this year as they are officially closed, Blackpool Pleasure Beach is looking to relocate funds to make the park bigger and better . Just last week, Blackpool Pleasure Beach announced that it would be launching a new £8.72m ride known as Gyro Swing – a giant spinning pendulum that swings 120 degrees and reaches 138 feet at its highest point.
Although other swinging pendulum rides exist in the UK, Blackpool Pleasure Beach says “none come close to the Pleasure Beach model in terms of height”. Gyro Swing is being added to the park’s line up of rides in 2026, and construction work has already begun.