toddlers

Drayton Manor has launched a K-Pop themed takeover for half term, and while it had some fun moments, our favourite attraction was worlds away from the glittering world of K-Pop music

If you have a child of primary school age, the soundtrack to your life is likely to be the cheery sounds of K-Pop. K-Pop, which stands for Korean Pop, has been on many music fans’ radar for years now, but 2026 is likely to be a big year for the genre.

Not only has K-Pop Demon Hunters become the most-watched original title in Netflix history with 500 million views – quite a few of which have come from my house – but K-Pop bands have been all over the charts. In August 2025, a record seven K-Pop tracks made the top 40 singles chart, including BLACKPINK and Stray Kids. A recent tour announcement by BTS saw a Taylor Swift-style clamber for tickets and UK dates sold out in 30 minutes.

So, it wasn’t a huge surprise to see that Drayton Manor, a theme park in the West Midlands, would be hosting a K-Pop Takeover for February half term. My daughter was thrilled to be going to a K-Pop themed day and wore her favourite HUNTR/X hoodie for the occasion. And of course, Spotify was cued up with an appropriate playlist on the way.

While the park isn’t fully open during February half term, in addition to the K-POP activities the ticket price includes Thomas Land, a handful of rides, plus the zoo. With tickets starting at £19.90, the price reflects that you won’t get the full theme park experience.

We arrived just in time for ‘K-Pop games’ on the park’s main stage, and a very enthusiastic entertainer was leading some kids in a game of red light, green light, followed by some singing along to the tune of Golden. There was also a K-Pop themed dance workshop later on, with excited kids dancing in front of the sparkly stage.

Other than some Korean fried chicken being served in the burger bar, and some Korean souvenirs in the gift shop, there wasn’t a huge amount of K-Pop theming throughout the park. However, the end of day K-Pop concert definitely brought in the crowds and seemed to be widely enjoyed.

Three entertainers, dressed as a K-Pop girl group, sang songs by HUNTR/X, Saja Boys, and Rosé, bringing the day to a close with a water show in the park’s lake. Kids and adults were bopping along to the tunes, and I was impressed that the group’s lead singer managed to tackle the high notes in Golden.

But the real draw at Drayton Manor is Thomas Land. While it took the silver award for Best Theme Park for Toddlers in 2025, people of all ages seem delighted when wandering around the Sodor-themed attraction. Even grown adults were posing for photos with Thomas, showing the nostalgia around the show never went away.

It seemed to be a good time to visit. Queues were pretty minimal on most of the rides, although we did unfortunately wait half an hour to get on Winston’s Whistle-Stop Tours only for the ride to break down. However, quite a few of the smaller rides had no queue at all, and it meant we got a couple of turns on Toby’s Tram Express and some other favourites.

Thomas Land also had regular shows, and we got the chance to meet Sir Topham Hatt, or depending on your age, the Fat Controller. The performer was great, and I noticed he could communicate in Makaton – a type of sign language often used for children with learning or communication difficulties. It would be great to see more theme parks train staff in this way to make the entertainment more inclusive.

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So, is this review Golden or is it a Takedown? Overall, I’d say it’s worth visiting the park for the K-Pop Takeover. Outside of the main stage, there’s not a whole lot of K-Pop theming, but enough to keep fans happy. The end of day concert was definitely a highlight for my youngest and she hasn’t stopped talking about it, and concert only tickets are available if you just want to visit later on. But Thomas Land is always worth a day out. Just make sure you bring your big coat.

You can find out more on draytonmanor.co.uk.

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

Feb. 11 (UPI) — Local officials said a Russian drone strike on Ukraine‘s northeastern Kharkiv region killed three toddlers and their father, and injured their pregnant mother Wednesday.

The family was spending its first night in their new home in Bohodukhiv when it was struck during a drone and missile attack, regional leader Oleh Synegubov announced, the BBC reported.

The attack killed 2-year-old twins Ivan and Vladislav, their 1-year-old sister, Myroslava, and their father, Gryhoriy, 34.

The family’s 35-year-old injured mother, Olha, was 35 weeks pregnant and sustained burns and head injuries as the home was completely destroyed, local officials said.

Bohodukhiv Mayor Volodymyr Belyi called the aerial attack a “crime that is beyond human comprehension,” as reported by CNN.

“We lost the most precious thing we had — our future,” Belyi added.

The family recently evacuated the town of Zolochiv, which is located near the Russian border, due to ongoing shelling and sought refuge in Bohodukhiv, which is located 38 miles west of Kharkiv.

The attack shows that Russia has no intention of ending the war that it started by invading Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

“Each Russian strike undermines confidence in everything that is being done diplomatically to end this war,” Zelensky said in a statement.

He said Russia deployed 129 attack drones during the overnight hours that struck Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava and Zaporizhzhia.

The aerial attacks carried into the daytime hours on Wednesday and included a strike on a medical vehicle that was carrying five healthcare professionals and civilians. One woman died in that attack.

Russian forces also launched two ballistic missiles that targeted the area near Lviv on Wednesday afternoon, but Ukrainian aerial defenses intercepted and destroyed them.

Russia had paused the aerial attacks for a week amid extremely cold weather, but Monday’s resumption killed a 10-year-old boy and a 41-year-old woman in Bohodukhiv.

The town has been targeted every day so far this week as Russian forces seek to damage energy and transport infrastructure with drones and ballistic missiles.

The strikes caused Ukrainian officials to declare a state of emergency due to the effect on local energy sources.

Tens of thousands of Ukrainians are without power and lack heat and running water during the frigid winter weather.

Russia’s resumption of attacks comes as Ukrainian and Russian officials are considering meeting in Washington, D.C., to further discuss a potential cease-fire and plan for peace.