attraction

CENTER Parcs has revealed plans for TWO new attractions at one of its parks.

Center Parcs Longleat Forest resort has revealed plans for a new aerial adventure and a rollercoaster-style treetop attraction.

The park currently has an Aerial Adventure Course but this will be replaced with a new high-level aerial adventure with 15 bridges and three zip wires.

The course will be in the woodland and set across different heights with some platforms as high as 12.56 metres.

The attraction will be east of the main lake.

And last week, the park also gained permission to build a Treetop Glider attraction.

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The attraction will be a rollercoaster-style zipline, 13 metres above the ground.

It will be the third resort to get the attraction, following from Elveden Forest in Suffolk and Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire.

Last year, the park opened Adventure Nets at the resort, where families can “bounce, balance, leap and climb through the stunning redwood canopy”.

There are a number of treehouses across the course as well, seven metres in the air.

And there are a number of tunnels, rope bridges and a trampoline area.

The Adventure Nets sessions are 70-minutes long – which includes a 10-minute safety briefing, followed by 60-minutes of play.

A NEW attraction with an enormous lagoon and bright white sands is set to open a few hours from the UK.

Called Alovera Beach, it’s set to open in summer 2028 and the catch is that it’s nowhere near the coast.

Instead, the company called Crystal Lagoons is hoping to open Europe’s largest man-made beach just outside of Spain’s capital, Madrid.

The project itself that’s 104,000 square metres is being built at the cost of €29million (£24.3million).

At its centre will be a 21,000-square-metre artificial lagoon which will be surrounded by 16,000 square metres of white sand which makes for the perfect sunbathing spot.

The lagoon will be suitable for swimming as well as watersports like kayaking, paddleboarding and aqua fitness classes.

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There will also be children’s attractions, relaxation spaces, food outlets and cafes.

On the sand will be an adults-only beach club with separate lounges to relax in as well as restaurants.

During the summer it’s hoping to hold seasonal events too including concerts, guest celebrations and even business events.

Looking at the details on its website, it looks like entry will be through memberships and daily passes.

Plans for Alovera Beach started back in 2017 and it has just taken a huge step forward with developers signing a formal construction-start document on October 21, 2026.

If all goes to plan, work is set to complete in March 2028 with it opening to the public a few months later in the summer months.

When it does open, the inland beach will be easy for Brits to reach as Alovera is a 45-minute drive from Madrid.

One-way flights are as little as £20 and Brits can get there in less than two and a half hours.

The company has made 1,000 projects across 60 countries including the Evermore Orlando Resort.

It has a range of accommodation including guest rooms and suites to Walt Disney World around two enormous beach areas where visitors can try out kayaking and paddleboarding.

The lagoon here is larger than 25 Olympic-size swimming pools and has has two beach areas.

IS there anything that sparks joy in the hearts of children more than the zoo?

Combine it with one of the most popular kids’ books, Room On The Broom, along with some Halloween-themed activities, and you have the perfect potion for family fun.

That’s exactly what you can expect from Twycross Zoo this half-term.

Until November 1, the attraction has introduced a new magical corn maze based on Julia Donaldson’s much-loved book, to celebrate its 25th anniversary.

Bringing the fantastical tale — about a witch and the menagerie of animals she picks up on her broomstick — to life, it’s an experience that swept my children away.

Based in the middle of the Leicestershire zoo’s Gruffalo Discovery Land, the excitement started building as soon as my five-year-old son and three-year-old daughter were handed a tote bag filled with goodies.

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The best way to any child’s heart.

There was a passport to get stamped and, more importantly, sweets to power them through.

It wouldn’t be Halloween without some sugar, of course.

With a promise of more treats to discover along the way in the corn maze, we took off at a speedy pace — although with timed entry slots, it never felt like we were being rushed.

Greeted by a wall of hay bales, pumpkins and pictures of the famous characters, we began to make our way through the warren of narrow paths in search of surprises.

Magical clues guided our path through the tall corn crops to several clearings where we found quotes from the book and a cute stamping station where the kids could mark their findings in their passports.

Make sure to keep your eyes peeled for sweets hidden in pumpkins along the way.

Waiting for us at the end was a giant broomstick photo opportunity and a chance to meet the witch — perfect for souvenir snaps.

There’s no time-limit on the maze but my eager kids managed to whizz through in 15 minutes, which gave us plenty of time to explore the rest of the Gruffalo Discovery Land — and that was before we even made our way round the zoo.

Named after another one of Julia Donaldson’s best-sellers, The Gruffalo Discovery Land is home to a treetop play area as well as interactive character trails and meet-and-greet opportunities.

It’s ideal for younger kids. But the real fun sits within the main zoo.

Twycross is home to more than 500 animals and it’s the only zoo in the UK to house all four species of great apes — gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans and bonobos.

The latter were a particular favourite during our visit as we watched them loudly play and squabble from both an outside platform and an inside viewing window, giving us a full 360-degree experience.

It made a welcome change from watching my own children wrestle each other.

We all loved watching the penguins in action, too, timing it perfectly when we caught them at lunchtime indulging in a fish supper.

It wasn’t difficult to spot the UK’s only herd of kordofan giraffes either, who weren’t at all fazed by us staring up at them.

In fact, one even came over for a closer inspection, extending his long neck towards the ground in fascination.

The zoo is easy enough to walk around with kids, although be warned that work is currently going on in some areas, with boards blocking off certain enclosures as the zoo undergoes a £25million transformation.

We’ll have to wait until next year to see what’s in store for those areas, but the closures certainly didn’t ruin the experience.

After a packed day on foot, we were ready for some downtime — and that is exactly what we got at Hampton by Hilton in Nuneaton.

For those travelling from afar, the hotel is an easy 20-minute drive away and the perfect overnight stay for families.

The Hub restaurant here features a menu guaranteed to keep little mouths satisfied, including burgers, paninis and pizzas.

But if none of that takes your fancy then a short walk down the road is a gorgeous Nepalese restaurant, Crossed Khukris Gurkha.

A set meal for four costs £66 and comes with poppadums, dumplings, a number of curries and loads of extras.

We were so well fed and at less than £17 a head, the price is scarily good.

I suppose it is Halloween after all . . .                                  

WE’RE always on the hunt for the next big thing to keep families entertained without breaking the bank – and there is a spot in London often overlooked that has a great line up for 2027.

Home to thousands of events every single year, London’s Southbank Centre is bigger than most people think, spanning 11 acres from one foot of the London Eye all the way to Waterloo Bridge.

Best of all? A whopping 40 per cent of everything on offer is completely FREE.

Speaking exclusively to Sun Travel, Mark Ball, Artistic Director of the Southbank Centre has lifted the lid on all the thrilling events and exhibitions set for next year adding that “there’s always something to entertain you here”.

And it seems only locals know the full extent of the hidden gem, with Mark adding that they often see it as their art centre with just under half of visitors coming from the South London area.

So here are his top tips on everything coming up.

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Family-friendly activities, events and attractions

When it comes to 2027, families will have loads to do, including a re-designed ‘V-Play’ space, with soft play for children aged between two and seven years old.

Tickets for this area will cost under a tenner.

For the slightly older kids there will be ‘Small Evolutions’ – a new virtual reality experience launching next September.

The project is inspired by the 50-year-old skatepark at the Southbank Centre and will allow visitors to experience skateboarding tricks in virtual reality.

Another family favourite is the Imagine Children’s Festival which will return in February half-term and span 10 days.

During the festival – which is designed for children aged zero to 11-years-old – there will be theatre, dance, music and drawing workshops.

Events for fans of music and the arts

If it is music you’re into then head to the centre’s famous Meltdown Festival.

Following in the footsteps of pop superstar Harry Styles – who curated the 2026 event – artist FKA Twigs will be curating the event for 2027.

She will be the headline performer as well as the overarching curator of the event and will deliver a multi-sensory experience packed with dance, video, visual arts, and live music.

Reflecting on what it was like working with a global pop icon like Harry Styles for last year’s festival, Mark revealed how dedicated the former One Direction star was to the Southbank festival.

Mark said: “Harry is so passionate about music and he’s got such a range of musical influences.

“People see him through one lens as a big global pop star, but his influences are really diverse – from avant-garde Japanese music to electronic and classical.”

And despite his global status, Harry was as hands-on as it gets.

“Harry’s fingertips were over every decision. Whenever he could on his days off, or even after performing huge stadium shows, he would sneak in from Wembley to sit in the back of the auditorium and support the artists he had booked. He was incredibly present.

“For his own show, he wanted to work with an orchestra for the first time, delivering this stunning orchestral presentation with Harry at the centre on piano and vocals.

“We’re always looking out for who will be the Elton Johns or Paul McCartneys of our generation — and it’s people like Harry Styles,” Mark added.

Looking forward to next year’s event, FKA twigs said: “I am honoured and excited to be curating Meltdown at the Southbank Centre.

“The potent artistic and cultural landscape in London has raised me from Croydon College, to performing in underground cabaret clubs, dancing till sunrise in warehouses on the docks and last year being lucky enough to sing my operatic songs in one of the largest arenas in London.

“The cultural and artistic clash in this city is like no other.

“Where cultures, sounds, stories and traditions from all over the world meet, collide and transform one another. I intend to bring you a slice of all that has raised me and continues to inspire me: celebrating the diversity, freedom and creative energy that I believe makes London one of the world’s great capitals of music and the arts.”

Other celebs included in the line up for 2027 include world-renowned pianist Lang Lang who featured on Channel 4‘s The Piano and will headline a major performance in December.

It also wouldn’t be the Southbank Centre without exhibitions and one exciting one coming in 2027 is a Chris Ofili exhibition at Hayward Gallery, which will mark his return to the capital.

Free events to pop in your calendar

According to Mark, one of the best things about the Southbank Centre is that 40 per cent of all the events are free.

And there are also a heap of ways to get cheaper tickets, with an under 30s scheme, as well as family tickets and local tickets.

The Winter Light programme, which will return soon as well as at the end of 2027 is free to visit, for example.

The trail includes neon installations, outdoor light art and projections, usually running from November through to February.

At the same time visitors will also be able to enjoy the winter food and Christmas market.

As for next summer, the Summer Terrace Stage with free outdoor concerts, classes and performance events will return again.

Hidden gems at the centre

The fun of visiting the Southbank Centre though goes beyond the events.

In fact, the attraction has many hidden gems not many visitors know about.

And they are all free to visit as well.

For example, on Level 5 of Royal Festival Hall visitors can discover The National Poetry Library which houses the world’s largest collection of post-war poetry and spoken word.

It also features a pop-up children’s poetry library.

Mark added: “Two thirds [of the Royal Festival Hall] is public space… It gives that sense that the Royal Festival Hall is a kind of people’s palace.

“It’s for everybody – a really vibrant, kind of village hall type space where there’s lots going on.”

“One of the really lovely things about going into the Royal Festival Hall on the weekend is lots of people self-organise activities.

“At the weekend there are people playing board games, there are dancers rehearsing and they’re all people from the local community using it as a community resource.”

And around the centre there are often free exhibitions or trails to explore including a current Quentin Blake trail.

Mark said: “We’ve got a whole series at the moment of huge illustrations of artists by the designer Quentin Blake, who is 90 this year and has made these kind of archetypes of musicians and skateboarders pasted throughout the building, so you can wander around the building, find these wonderful Quentin Blake stories.”

Talking of skateboarders, visitors can also head to the Southbank Skatepark which is the UK’s longest-running dedicated skatepark.

“People don’t think that the skate park is part of the Southbank Centre, but it is – we absolutely see it as part of the cultural offer here,” added Mark.

How to spend a day in the area

As for Mark’s personal recommendations to make a full day out in the area, there are loads of great food and drink spots nearby.

He said: “If you’re feeling a bit flush and you want a really fancy drink, Skylon is a restaurant that overlooks the river with floor-to-ceiling windows and an amazing drinks bar with gorgeous cocktails.

“It’s a really good way of treating yourself.

“There’s also a great kind of old-school boozer called the Hole in the Wall, at the back of Waterloo Station.

“You have to go through quite a tiny door to get there, so lots of people miss it but it has really nice beer.”

And if coffee is your preferred tipple, “the best coffee in London” according to Mark, can be found at Beany’s – a little van on the left hand side of the bridge.

The best way to find out what is happening at the Southbank Centre – especially as more events are yet to be announced – is by signing up to the newsletter, according to Mark.

What if I’m not local?

If you can’t make it to London, the Southbank Centre actually has programmes across the UK as well.

For example, every five years in partnership with regional galleries the Southbank Centre hosts The British Art Show which tours five UK cities over 18 months.

The next edition will be held in 2028 and travel to Coventry, Swansea, Bristol, Sheffield and Newcastle and Gateshead.

Meltdown festival also hosts events across the country with artists curating local weekends to support struggling grassroots venues.

Mark said: “Grassroots music venues are the lifeblood of the music industry, where the musicians get their first try out, where they learn how to perform in front of an audience, it’s really important that those places thrive.”

HAVE you been dreaming of that bucket-list Orlando holiday? Well, it’s about to get a whole lot cheaper.

AttractionTickets.com are launching a massive Black Friday sale, where you can save up to hundreds of pounds on visits to Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort and more.

Sign up to the AttractionTickets.com Black Friday sale and receive an EXTRA discount

The sale will include theme park and attraction tickets, as well as combo tickets and holiday packages with hotel or villa stays.

And you’ll want in on these Black Friday deals, as this is the website’s biggest sale of the year.

If you pre-register for the sale ahead of time, you’ll score yourself an EXTRA discount, which will land in your inbox on November 5.

This means that those pre-registered for Black Friday will have access to the absolute cheapest holidays and attraction tickets available on the website all year long.

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Click here to sign up to the Black Friday sale so you’ll be among the first to know as soon as these deals drop.

Last year’s mega Black Friday sale saw 20% off all Orlando tickets, so theme park fans are already expecting big discounts again this year.

The deals will be for 2027 holidays, with major savings to be had during the school summer holidays.

While the exact offers are tightly under wraps until the big day, Attraction Tickets have revealed that the average customer will save hundreds of pounds on their holiday, based on the website’s typical orders.

So where could you go and what could you do with a holiday booked through AttractionTickets.com?

If you’re looking for a Florida holiday, you will be able to bag discounts on Disney, Universal, the Kennedy Space Centre and more, plus hotels and villas if you want to extend the magic by staying on-site.

Sign up to the AttractionTickets.com Black Friday sale and receive an EXTRA discount

The site also offers handy combo ticket deals – which are great if you want to tick off Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort in one trip, for example.

2027 is the ideal time to visit Disney World, with new upgrades including a Muppet takeover of the former Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster as well as the brand new Magic of Disney Animation zone in the Hollywood Studios park.

At Universal Orlando Resort, new coaster Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift is set to launch in 2027, and the previews of this coaster have excited theme park fanatics around the world.

And if you’re wanting to visit California, now’s the time to get planning. You’ll also be able to save on tickets for Disneyland Resort California and Universal Studios Hollywood in this sale.

Disneyland Resort California is home to Cars Land, which you won’t find in Orlando, plus you can tick off the world-famous studio tour at Universal Studios Hollywood.

If you prefer a Spain or Tenerife holiday, you’ll be able to bag discounts at PortAventura World, Siam Park and Loro Parque.

Just make sure to pre-register ahead of the Black Friday deal to bag an extra discount to make your trip even cheaper.

Sign up to the AttractionTickets.com Black Friday sale and receive an EXTRA discount