Nickelodeon Land set to open at Blackpool

A £10.3m Nickelodeon-themed amusement park at Blackpool Pleasure Beach is set to open next week.

The six-acre Nickelodeon Land will have 12 rides and attractions featuring characters, such as Spongebob Squarepants and Dora the Explorer, that appear on the children’s TV channel.

The park’s Beaver Creek log flume, built in 1992, has been overhauled and rebranded as the Rugrats Lost River.

Nickelodeon, owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International, said it was its first such licensing deal in the UK and only the third outside the US.

The development is expected to create 270 new jobs and will initially cost £9m – half of which will be provided by a seven-year loan from Blackpool Council.

In a statement Pleasure Beach’s managing director Amanda Thompson, said: “We are delighted to welcome Nickelodeon to Pleasure Beach. Both of our brands represent fantastic family fun and Nickelodeon Land will combine Pleasure Beach’s reputation for amazing rides and attractions with Nickelodeon’s favourite fun characters to produce a wonderful attraction.”

Gerald Raines, senior director Nickelodeon Theme Parks and Attractions, said: “This is an ideal location for Nickelodeon and a great opportunity to expand our global presence.”