Latest news with #TheTropicana
Scottish Sun
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Abandoned English lido that once had a theme park to reopen as new venue with multi-million pound revamp
The site was formerly used for Banksy art instillations NEW LOOK Abandoned English lido that once had a theme park to reopen as new venue with multi-million pound revamp Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A FORMER 1930s lido in Weston-super-Mare will undergo a huge revamp ahead of its reopening. The lido has been closed since 2000 but had previously been Banksy's Dismaland theme park - and is set to become a new performance venue. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 The Tropicana venue which used to be a lido, is set to be transformed Credit: Alamy 4 The Tropicana was home to Dismaland - a temporary Banksy instillation Credit: Alamy Plans to transform Weston-super-Mare's Tropicana into a 5,000-seater venue could be approved next week. The North Somerset Council received £20m from the government's Levelling Up Fund in 2022 which has partly gone towards transforming the 1930s lido. It will become a venue for culture, arts, and entertainment. The council's planning committee will decide on whether or not to go forward with the plans on May 14, 2025. The Weston-super-Mare Tropicana was originally opened as an open-air lido in 1937. In the 1980s, it became branded as "The Tropicana", although the lido closed as a swimming pool in 2000. The Tropicana stood vacant for years until Banksy, the anonymous graffiti artist, used it as the setting a temporary art instillation. It was called Dismaland and was a 'sinister twist on Disneyland'. It featured artwork and installations by Banksy as well as a Ferris wheel, a carousel, and a mini golf park. Dismaland opened in August 21, 2015 and closed on September 27, 2015. Welcome to Dismaland 4 Dismaland closed ten years ago Credit: Alamy Since then, it has been used as an events space for hire. In December 2024, it was home to the UK's largest covered ice rink during the Christmas period. Before that, it was an interactive and immersive play attraction called Little Town Adventure. The venue will be able to host events of up to 1,000 people indoors — and a total of 5,000 people across the whole site. It will create 15 full-time jobs, along with hundreds of part-time jobs for large events. The new building will be lit up at certain times with decorative displays. The final design details will be agreed later after the planning permission stage. Here's more on the UK's plans for Weston-super-Mare to become 'Shoreditch-on-Sea' with huge £20million revamp. Here is a 'secret' island off the coast of Weston-super-Mare most people don't know about.
The Irish Sun
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Abandoned English lido that once had a theme park to reopen as new venue with multi-million pound revamp
A FORMER 1930s lido in Weston-super-Mare will undergo a huge revamp ahead of its reopening. The lido has been closed since 2000 but had previously been 4 The Tropicana venue which used to be a lido, is set to be transformed Credit: Alamy 4 The Tropicana was home to Dismaland - a temporary Banksy instillation Credit: Alamy Plans to transform next week. The North Somerset Council received £20m from the government's Levelling Up Fund in 2022 which has partly gone towards transforming the 1930s lido. It will become a venue for culture, arts, and entertainment. The council's planning committee will decide on whether or not to go forward with the plans on May 14, 2025. Read ore on UK Lidos The In the 1980s, it became branded as "The Tropicana", although the lido closed as a swimming pool in 2000. The Tropicana stood vacant for years until It was called Dismaland and was a 'sinister twist on Disneyland'. Most read in News Travel It featured artwork and installations by Banksy as well as a Ferris wheel, a carousel, and a mini golf park. Dismaland opened in August 21, 2015 and closed on September 27, 2015. Welcome to Dismaland 4 Dismaland closed ten years ago Credit: Alamy Since then, it has been used as an events space for hire. In December 2024, it was home to the Before that, it was an interactive and immersive The venue will be able to host events of up to 1,000 people indoors — and a total of 5,000 people across the whole site. It will create 15 full-time jobs, along with hundreds of part-time jobs for large events. The new building will be lit up at certain times with decorative displays. The final design details will be agreed later after the planning permission stage. Here's more on the Here is a 4 The Tropicana will become a huge 5,000 seater venue Credit: KTA Architects
Daily Mirror
26-04-2025
- Daily Mirror
'I visited UK seaside resort snubbed by Brits and quickly fell in love'
There is no greater fall from grace than the UK's abandoned coastline. Once dripping in opulence and grandeur, seaside resorts up and down the nation were thriving for decades - ditching their fishing and shipbuilding status to become an insatiable tourist magnet. However, in the 70s, the Benidorm boom kicked in. With cheap flights and promises of guaranteed sun infiltrating the travel market, more and more Brits started flocking over to the likes of Spain and Greece - draining the money from these tourist-reliant spots. This, combined with water firms dumping swathes of sewage in our waters, and inflation tripling the price of the 99 ice cream - meant many coastal destinations had started to crumble. Weston-super-Mare, located in Somerset, is one of many towns stung by the collapse of seaside prestige. Back in 2023, the destination was cruelly crowned one of the 'worst' UK seaside towns by the Telegraph - with judges ranking it a meagre 18 out of 100. In 2015, Weston-super-Mare also hosted Banky's Dismaland exhibition - a temporary pop-up that transformed the town's former Lido site, The Tropicana, into a 'family theme park unsuitable for children'. While seemingly poking at the town's plummeting image, the 'bemusement park' went on to generate an estimated £20 million in tourist revenues. 'I visited tiny village dubbed Italy of UK and one thing surprised me' Keen to find out whether the town's notoriety was justified - or simply a result of British snobbery - I headed down to the hotspot last month. It was a sunny Sunday, and the temperature had climbed to a (scorching) 13C - meaning I wasn't the only one desperate for Fish & Chips on the sand. Now, I've spoken before about what actually makes a good beach. If you think a town some 23 miles from Bristol is going to boast sugar-like sand and Caribbean-esque waters - you need to lower your delusional expectations. The sea at Weston-super-Mare is often brown as it carries high levels of suspended sediment and organic matter in the Severn Estuary. Does it stop kids from building sandcastles? No. Does it mean you can't bask in the sun with an ice cream, walk your dog, or have a sunset stroll with your partner? No, no, and no. Weston-super-Mare's beach may not be great for your Instagram feed, but that doesn't mean it isn't filled with joy. After devouring a portion of chips drowned in vinegar on the beach, I headed onto the Grand Pier - which now charges a £2 entry. You get a pretty fabulous view of the beach from up here, and can easily spend a few hours in the arcade. After that - an ice cream is essential. Want the latest travel news and cheapest holiday deals sent straight to your inbox? Sign up to our Travel Newsletter Weston-super-Mare may not have a strip of trendy coffee shops serving up Matcha-flavoured pastries, or a huge amount of culinary choice for those not so keen on beige food, but its roaring spirit is undeniable. I had felt like I'd gone back in time, back when trinket shops selling rock and silly cardboard cutouts were enough to make a holiday worthwhile. For me, Weston-super-Mare ticked all of the seaside essentials. It was lively and jam-packed with tourists, the toys weren't pushed too far back on the 2p slots, and the beach was big enough to practice cartwheels without whacking anyone in the face. It wasn't pretending to be anything it's not, and for that alone - I fell in love. In the words of Weston-super-Mare's MP Dan Aldridge: "The town has so much to offer. Sure, it might not have the white sands of Barbados, but I've never seen an arcade this good - or had Fish & Chips as tasty - in the Caribbean. The Ultraviolet Crazy Gold and Dr Fox Tea Room are unmatched. I don't care what five-star resorts you might stay in, nothing beats the charm of Weston. It'll always be my favourite." If that isn't enough, Weston-super-Mare has revealed bold plans to improve the area even more. Speaking exclusively to the Mirror, Councillor Mark Canniford, North Somerset Council, said: "The town has seen multi-million-pound investment in recent years, including the £20m award by the UK government which is enabling a programme of significant projects to improve the town. The Grade II Listed Birnbeck Pier now has a bright future and the Tropicana event venue is set to undergo major investment, subject to planning permission... "The housing market is booming, with supply outstripping demand and house price increases exceeding the national average. All of this is attracting growing inward investment in the area including US tech giant Epic. There's so much going on, it's impossible to list it all!"
