The temperature is rising, the days are getting longer, and the smell of popcorn and sun cream is back in the air. Theme park season 2026 is just around the corner. Easter falls on 5 and 6 April in 2026, the traditional starting moment for the theme park season, but many parks already opened their doors in the last weekend of March.
In this blog, we take you through all the noteworthy novelties in the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Germany and France. We share insight into market forecasts for 2026 and conclude with practical online marketing tips.
Table of contents
Forecasts for theme park season 2026 in the UK
Cautious growth for theme parks and zoos
The UK leisure sector enters 2026 with a familiar blend of opportunity and pressure. The UK amusement and theme park industry is valued at £1.4 billion in 2026, having grown at a CAGR of 2.9% between 2020 and 2025 (IBISWorld). For visitor attractions specifically, demand for immersive experiences and family-oriented activities continues to grow, supported by strong consumer interest in cultural and outdoor attractions, with visitor numbers largely recovered to pre-pandemic levels.
This growth for day attractions is no coincidence. International trend data from IAAPA (January 2026) underline that people are increasingly turning to the leisure sector as a source of joy and escape from everyday reality. Research by VML shows that 72 per cent of people want more joyful emotions in their lives. The IAAPA trend ‘Powered Up People’ names this explicitly: leisure is no longer a luxury, but a conscious investment in happiness and wellbeing.
Cost pressures hit overnight stays, not day attractions
Road trips are leading future travel plans for Brits, with 61% planning to drive to their destination of choice in the next twelve months, suggesting a clear shift towards domestic, closer-to-home leisure options. Holiday parks and active leisure venues saw growth driven by demand for short breaks.
Day attractions such as theme parks and zoos benefit directly from this staycation mindset. According to IAAPA, the boundary between living, working and leisure is blurring. People are seeking shorter, lower-threshold experiences closer to home, options that are both more affordable and less exposed to geopolitical volatility.
The ongoing instability in the Middle East is having a measurable impact on travel behaviour. Major tour operators including TUI are seeing a clear shift away from long-haul bookings towards holidays closer to home. This is precisely the opportunity for day attractions: someone cancelling a trip abroad is actively looking for a quality alternative, and a day out at a theme park or zoo fits that gap perfectly.
At the same time, the sector faces real financial pressure. Leisure operators are contending with rising wages, tax changes and global cost volatility, all squeezing margins. And whilst leisure spending remains resilient, sitting 90% above the 2018 baseline, transaction volumes actually declined by 0.9% across 2025 (Savills): people are spending more per visit but visiting less frequently.
What are the new developments in day recreation in 2026?
Below you will find an overview of the most notable new additions of theme park season 2026 in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, the United Kingdom and France.
Netherlands
- De Tovertuin: the brand-new theme park from Van Hoorne Studio’s, entirely themed around Woezel & Pip.
- Avonturenpark Hellendoorn: Hellendoorn celebrates its 90th anniversary with the spectacular Wild Swing attraction OerKracht!, the centrepiece of the new themed area Oerland.
- Attractiepark Slagharen: a 30-metre-high Looping Disk (Sky Sifter) with two experience levels: an over-the-top thrill for adrenaline seekers and a family-friendly variant.
- Efteling: from summer 2026, visitors who find Baron 1898 too thrilling can experience a free fall in a new family attraction: Hooghmoed.
- Duinen Zathe: traffic and amusement park Duinen Zathe in Appelscha nearly doubles its offering with eight new attractions.
- Familiepark Drievliet: the park reopened fully renovated with a new entrance area (Pelikaan Pier) and, as its headline attraction, the StoomCycloon: a spinning and floating family ride where visitors decide how high they go.
- Duinrell: alongside a brand-new Kikker8baan with a motocross theme, the Wassenaar park also opens the Duinrell Drifter in May, a rally car ride where eight carts are connected to a rotating central hub.
- De Waarbeek: the Wolkenvaert opens in 2026: a magical airship of wood and warm colours that spins as it rises to 14.5 metres, with views across the entire park.
Belgium
- Pairi Daiza: Pairi Daiza opened an indoor ecosystem of 8 hectares spread across multiple floors at the start of 2026, one of the largest in the world.
- Bellewaerde Park: on 4 April, two new attractions open in the revamped Canada zone: the Seesaw Swing and the Timber Trail. The restaurant is also being renovated.
- Plopsaland Belgium: Plopsaland Belgium opens its anniversary year with a new Grand Finale Show and the child-friendly Rijschool Suikerbuik in the Big & Betsy zone.
United Kingdom
- Alton Towers: a world first: the very first Bluey roller coaster. The junior coaster in CBeebies Land is fully themed around the popular Australian animated series.
- Chessington World of Adventures: the first PAW Patrol themed area in the United Kingdom opens in 2026.
- Paultons Park: the Viking-themed area Valgard opens on 16 May 2026. The headline attraction is Drakon, the first looping roller coaster ever at Paultons Park.
- Flamingo Land: Flamingo Land is investing in Aviktas: at opening, the tallest swing ride of its kind in the United Kingdom.
- Legoland Windsor: Legoland Windsor celebrates its 30th anniversary with a major renovation of the entrance (project ‘The Beginning’) and further expansion of Woodland Village with new accommodation.
Germany
- Europa-Park: Europa-Park opens its eighteenth European themed area: Monaco. A completely new setting has been built around the Silver Star roller coaster, inspired by the glamour of the Côte d’Azur and Grand Prix racing. Also new is SNORRI 4D: Catch Me If You Candy, a 4D film in the Magic Cinema featuring the Rulantica mascot.
- Plopsaland Deutschland: on 22 March, the family roller coaster 100% Wolf opened: 760 metres long, with several unique elements.
- Phantasialand: Die 3 Mausketiere is the new 4D attraction in the Berlin themed area, in which visitors descend underground to Mausville, a hidden world of mice.
France
- Disneyland Paris: the biggest theme park opening of the year in Europe: on 29 March 2026, the long-awaited themed area World of Frozen opened as part of the renamed Disney Adventure World. Visitors experience the village of Arendelle, the boat ride Frozen Ever After and the new attraction Raiponce Tangled Spin.
- Futuroscope: two major new attractions: La Serre des Mondes, a multi-sensory walkthrough experience through a spectacular plant world, and T. Rex: In the Footsteps of Giants, a 24-minute immersive film.
Online marketing tips for a perfect new season
1. Announce your new attraction as early as possible
Opening something new? Announce the date well in advance. Build anticipation with making-of videos, behind-the-scenes reels and countdowns. Mention the new development in advertisements and email campaigns, and organise a press opening with influencers.
2. Activate your reopening via social media
Share behind-the-scenes content whilst everything is being made ready. Organise a competition around the reopening to generate buzz. Invite influencers and press for a preview day.
3. A strong opening page on your website
Communicate the reopening date prominently on the homepage, with a landing page for all new developments. This helps visitors and search engines alike to find and rank your new offering. Also make sure you have created new pages for all your new features, such as attractions.
4. Target foreign visitors
Germans from North Rhine-Westphalia and Flemish visitors have an Easter holiday when the Dutch do not. Targeted advertisements and multilingual landing pages are straightforward and effective.
5. Capitalise on the staycation peak
With geopolitical unrest, more families are choosing a day out closer to home. Actively position your park as the ultimate alternative to a long-haul holiday. Clearly showcase what you have to offer, and preferably use video content in your advertising.
6. Use GEO for visibility in AI searches
More and more people are searching via ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews and Bing Copilot. Make sure your website is informative enough to be cited in AI responses: clear attraction descriptions, FAQs and structured data. We call this Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO). Read more in Search is changing fast. Is your strategy keeping up?
Ready for the new season?
Want to discuss how to make the most of online marketing this theme park season, or looking for help launching your new attraction? We would love to hear from you.
Sources
- IBISWorld (2025): Amusement & Theme Parks in the UK, Market Research Report
- Christie & Co (2026): Business Outlook 2026: Leisure
- Savills (2026): Spotlight: UK Leisure 2026
- Deloitte (2026): Consumer Tracker Q1 2026: Leisure Sector
- Hilton (2026): 2026 Trends Report
- TEA / Blooloop (2025): TEA attendance report for global theme parks, water parks & museums
- IAAPA: Global Attractions Industry Trends Webinar, 15 January 2026
