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Daredevils will no doubt already be gearing up to reacquaint themselves with Thorpe Park’s white-knuckle rides and death-defying drops, with the Surrey theme park set to welcome visitors back for the 2026 season in March. But for aquatic thrill-seekers we have some bad news, because Thorpe Park will not reopen with its popular waterpark.
Thorpe Park has confirmed that its waterpark won’t be returning for the 2026 season, meaning adrenaline junkies needing to cool off after a death defying spin on Stealth or Hyperia will no longer be able to splash about in the Amity Beach pool or catch some rays on the artificial dunes.
Opened in 1991, the waterpark’s location near the entrance meant it was among the first attractions visitors encountered. The beach offered some much-needed respite from the stomach churning drops offered by the rest of the attraction, giving families and groups of friends a space to splash about and build castles in the sand.
The fate of Depth Charge – a four-lane, 39-foot-tall outdoor inflatable dinghy water slide (pictured up top) – hasn’t been announced yet, but it doesn’t appear in any of the promotional imagery for the replacement zone.
The area that was home to the waterpark is being completely transformed. Thorpe Park said in a post on social media that it is preparing for its ‘next exciting chapter’: there will be a new ‘recharge zone’ called the Launchpad which is designed to give thrill-seekers a chance to ‘rest, reset and refuel between adrenaline hits’.
The park said: ‘As the UK’s Most Thrilling Theme Park, we recognise how important it is to recharge between our exhilarating rides, and this space will be the perfect place to do that.’ Concept art for the Launchpad shows an open seating area and shaded spots, plus food and drink kiosks.
The big difference between the Launchpad and the previous waterpark will be the number of days it will open. While the waterpark only operated in warm conditions, meaning guests needed to consult the app to check its availability on particular days, the new zone will be open throughout the season. In other words, if you’re that one thrill-hating friend who’s been dragged to Thorpe Park by your pals, you’ll have a place to chill out whatever the weather.
Thorpe Park will reopen for the 2026 season on March 27 2026.
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