Blackpool Pleasure Beach’s £16.25m rollercoaster ICON and its new twist ENSŌ ready for Easter opening

ICON, the UK’s first double launch coaster, first opened to the public at Blackpool Pleasure Beach in May 2018.

Launching visitors on an exhilarating journey through the park, the ride reaches maximum speeds of 52mph and dizzying heights of up to 88ft.

Costing £16.25m, ICON was the result of more than 100,000 hours of construction work and five years of planning alongside German manufacturer Mack.

In a first for Europe, ICON’s rear seats have been adapted so that riders can spin and twist freely during the ride’s existing duration.

Amanda Thompson OBE, CEO of Blackpool Pleasure Beach, said: “Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Mack Rides have a strong, long-standing relationship that goes back many years and has seen our families work together on many projects.

“When Mack Rides approached us with the development concept of spinning seats, we knew straight away this was an exciting idea, especially as this means ICON is the only Mack ride in the northern hemisphere to have this upgrade.

“I hope many guests will take the chance to get twisted this Easter with ENSŌ.”

As ENSŌ has been added to one of ICON’s existing trains, the ride has limited capacity and requires advance booking.

ENSŌ costs £15 per person for standard bookings and £25 per person for VIP bookings.

Standard bookings mean guests will wait in the normal queue for the ride, whereas VIP tickets reduce the waiting time by 90 per cent.

Blackpool Pleasure Beach opens daily from April 2 until November 6.

ENSŌ is a sacred symbol in Zen Buddhism and means circle or sometimes circle of togetherness.

It is traditionally drawn using only one brushstroke and symbolises the art of strength, elegance and letting go of expectations.

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