Minecraft

LOOKING for some last minute action-packed family days out this summer?

Luckily, top UK theme parks are teaming up with giants like Minecraft, Formula 1 and Pokémon for amazing events that you and the family to get stuck into.

Whether your little ones want to hunt down real-life Minecraft Mobs, build LEGO Poké Balls or ride record-breaking coasters after dark, you still have time to do all of the above this summer.

Here’s the top events across UK theme parks that STILL have plenty of availability in August, from as little as £19 per person.

Alton Towers

Minecraft Meet the Mobs event: until August 28

If you’ve got any Minecraft fans in the family, you’ll want to bring them along to the Meet the Mobs event at Alton Towers.

Families can explore the theme park in an entirely new light as Creepers, axolotls, baby pandas and more roam the park ready to pose for pictures. And yes – you can meet the Minecraft movie-famous Chicken Jockey.

WAND-ERLAND

New Harry Potter ‘theme park in a store’ is coming to UK for Christmas

COAST EFFECTIVE

Best UK family theme & waterparks with cheap stays from just £3pp a night

There’s also an adorable Baby Mob Trail which takes you through memorable scenes and terrains from the movie and game. Complete the trail, and you’ll even get a baby axolotl hat to take home.

Not only this, but there’s even Minecraft-themed food and drink to enjoy, plus an arts and crafts zone to take a breather.

Book a day to ticket to Alton Towers from £32.13pp

Legoland Windsor Resort

Lego Festival and Pokémon collaboration: until August 31

Think everything you get from a fully-fledged festival – headline performances, chill zones, live music and more – but fully designed for kids. And throw in a whole bunch of Lego bricks.

Not only is there live shows and brick building zones here, but there’s also a new-for-2026 Pokémon play zone.

Here you get an interactive Pokémon Trainer experience, before building your own Lego Poké Ball as well as plenty of other themed activities.

You can even grab a family photo with Lego Pikachu for the memories.

Plus, for any Formula 1 fans, there’s also a new F1 Thrill Zone, where you can take on the Lego Brick Stop Challenge as you build against the clock.

Throw into the mix designing, building and racing your own F1 car, and you’ve got yourself a pretty action-packed day out at the Lego Festival.

Book a day to ticket to Legoland Windsor Resort from £29.75pp

Thorpe Park

Thorpe Park Lates: Summer Sounds: 14, 15, 21 and 22 August

Make the most of summer’s bright, sunny evenings with Thorpe Park Lates, where you can ride coasters up until 9pm in August.

Not only can you stay out later, but the theme park also hosts live DJ sets, so you’ll have a soundtrack to your late night rides.

Tackle the record-breaking Hyperia, go from 0-80mph in under 2 seconds on Stealth, or reach speeds of nearly 60mph on The Swarm.

If high-intensity coasters aren’t your thing, there’s bumper cars, teacups, a 4D cinema and plenty more attractions to spend your evening drifting between.

Book a day to ticket to Thorpe Park from £35

Blackpool Pleasure Beach

Late Night rides with fireworks and summer shows: until August 29

End the night with a bang at Blackpool Pleasure Beach with their Late Night Riding and Fireworks nights.

Here you can ride famous coasters like the Big Dipper and The Big One into the night, before grabbing a hot drink to watch the fireworks to put a finish to a fun-filled day.

The fireworks begin at 10pm, with an epic backdrop of massive rollercoasters and the familiar Blackpool seaside skyline.

There’s also entertainment shows running until the end of summer. One of which is the Evolution of Magic (£14) where you can watch an interactive magic show from Britain’s Got Talent-famous illusionists, Craig Christian and Elizabeth Best.

Book a day to ticket to Blackpool Pleasure Beach from £29

Gulliver’s Land

Summer Soundwaves: until September 1

Gulliver’s Land are bringing the festival feeling to Milton Keynes, with a packed live DJ schedule throughout the rest of the summer.

DJ Leonard’s Rides and Vibes sees Leonard the lion leading dance parties throughout the park, plus Buddy’s Buccaneer Boogie brings the pirate tunes.

And that’s not all – there’s also K-Pop Karousel events where you can learn dance routines and take part in karaoke, plus you can spin under the lights at Dodge’s Disco Dodgems.

When you’re not stopping to sing and dance at one of the park’s many parties, there’s rides like the Jungle Falls waterslide and The Wriggler caterpillar kids coaster, plus a dinosaur trail and farmyard to explore.

Book a day to ticket to Gulliver’s Land from £12.50

Prices correct at the time of publication.

Minecraft fans can enjoy an immersive pop-up event during the school summer holidays that includes the chance to meet baby Mobs and other characters from the popular video game universe

Alton Towers will launch a pop-up event for the six-week summer holidays where guests can enjoy an immersive Minecraft experience, including meeting adorable all-new Baby Mobs.

Announcing the new arrivals with a Buckingham Palace-style sign, the theme park has promised fans the chance to “meet baby Minecraft Mobs in real life across the park” in a first-of-its-kind event. Minecraft Meet the Mobs will take place between July 18 and August 28, coinciding with the school holidays in England and Wales.

Character appearances will include the Iron Golem, Chicken Jockey and Creeper, plus baby Mob scenes featuring yellow axolotls, pandas, pigs, goats, chicks and wolf pups.

The baby Mobs will be positioned in six Minecraft-inspired scenes across Alton Towers, and as visitors find each one, they can stamp their game card. Those who complete the trail will unlock an exclusive downloadable in-game reward – only available to visitors who’ve been to the theme park.

According to Alton Towers, Mobs “are living creatures in the Minecraft videogames that move, interact with the environment and can be passive, neutral, or hostile.”

In addition to the Minecraft trails, visitors can enjoy themed snack stands featuring Minecraft-inspired TNT popcorn and ice lollies. There will also be a range of exclusive Minecraft merchandise to purchase in the park.

Minecraft fans can book tickets for Alton Towers online now for summer dates, and the Meet the Mobs experience is included with the regular price of admission for all visitors from July 18 to August 28.

Minecraft is one of the best-selling video games of all time, with 350 million copies sold, a number only beaten by the addictive puzzle game Tetris. Its first formal release was in 2011 for the PC, and since then, it has been released on a number of consoles and mobile platforms. A version for the Nintendo Switch 2 was recently announced, with many fans speculating it could be released by the end of 2026.

Howard Ebison, vice president at Alton Towers Resort, said in a statement: “Minecraft is loved by families around the world, and this summer we’re bringing that sense of play and discovery into our park. ‘Minecraft Meet the Mobs’ is set to delight our guests with interactive moments across the park, an opportunity to unlock exclusive in-game rewards, enjoy themed treats and plenty of surprises along the way.

“We are proud to offer this unique Minecraft event for our guests joining us over the summer, all within the price of admission to Alton Towers Resort.”

Recently, the Staffordshire-based theme park opened brand new Bluey the Ride: Here Come the Grannies!, the world’s first rollercoaster based on the much-loved cartoon pup and her family. It’s also home to CBeebies Land, where kids can enjoy rides and experiences based on Hey Duggee, JoJo and Gran Gran, Go Jetters, and the Octonauts.

Have a story you want to share? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com