Aviktas Opening Day Blackpool Pleasure Beach

Added: 2026-05-24

[00:00:00]Welcome to Blackpool Pleasure Beach.

[00:00:02]It's opening day of Icon's official opening day of Icon. We got a little lanyard. Massive thank you to Blackpool Pleasure Beach for inviting us today so we can come [music] and experience the new ride. I'm suffering from an infection and that was quite painful drive but I'm not going to miss this for anything. So we get to go on Icon before it opens to the public later on this afternoon. It actually opens at 2:00.

[00:00:24]It's about 11:00 now and we can take you on a ride as well which is quite rare for Blackpool.

[00:00:31]There's going to be a little opening ceremony. I'm not really sure what but there is the beast in question, the huge Intamin Gyro Swing, Icon. I actually [music] can't wait for this. I think this is going to be a really special ride experience. I really do.

[00:00:47]We do have some opening ceremonies coming on from Amanda here which is great to see.

[00:00:53]Right, here is Icon. Here is the first official look at the area.

[00:01:06]Intamin are here as well for the launch.

[00:01:12]I can't wait now. Now we've got the the scissors ready. We are going to ask you for a countdown for everyone who's around here please to join with the opening of this ride.

[00:01:21]>> the opening of Icon here at Blackpool Pleasure Beach.

[00:01:25]9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 >> [music] >> We got confetti going up.

[00:01:45]And here goes Icon. And this is the first time I've seen it moving as [music] the gates are opened.

[00:01:53]There it is.

[00:01:55]The doors are [music] open.

[00:02:03]That's all right. Big isn't it?

[00:02:18]>> [music] [music] >> The first riders are on. I will say that the area is actually finished really nicely. The entrance archway archway is really nice. All these little gardens are quite nice and the victors down the back is as well.

[00:02:43]You've got snake heading down the side.

[00:02:45]You know, considering people said it wasn't [music] particularly well finished. I have to say I'm really impressed with it. Really impressed with it.

[00:02:58]>> [music] >> It gets up to height quite quickly in fairness.

[00:03:13]So I would say we're at full height now.

[00:03:20]Maybe now.

[00:03:26]Yeah, probably now. So I reckon that's two.

[00:03:35]Look at this bad boy.

[00:03:48]Look at this. I have to say this is um it's impressive to stand here and look at it. So, yeah, that had five or six full swings before you start going down again. But, to be fair, even at that height, you are at your average Gyro Swing. It doesn't seem to spin very quick at all, in fairness.

[00:04:06]I'm interested to see what it feels like once we get on it. We'll take you through the queue when we get to the queue.

[00:04:12]But, it's nearly a Victor's time.

[00:04:13]I like the entrance. I like the entrance. It's actually a really cool.

[00:04:17]Got the gates on as well, much like Icon.

[00:04:21]I'm interested to see how it lights up at night.

[00:04:23]A lot of lighting, but we will see that during some dusk times.

[00:04:29]They are indeed stone. They're not plastic.

[00:04:33]Not saying they would put plastic there, but Yeah, this is actually a really nice flower bed area, cuz these will grow up as well, I think, much like a lot of the new things we've got.

[00:04:44]These will grow up. This is really open space.

[00:04:50]Got themed bins. Come on now.

[00:04:52]Come on now, themed bin.

[00:04:55]I'm all in for that. And we've also got outfits, uniforms as well.

[00:05:03]>> [music] >> Right, I reckon we've got a few cycles wait before we get on there.

[00:05:08]>> [music] >> But, yeah, this is actually This is really nicely finished.

[00:05:13]You know, some of the reports we heard from some of the previews, a lot of people saying it wasn't. I actually really like it. I really like it.

[00:05:20]It's very contemporary.

[00:05:22]It's very Blackpool, dare I say. It's very Blackpool. And the Victor's across the back.

[00:05:28]Also looks good. So, yeah, we're we'll be taking you aboard.

[00:05:32]And the next time you see us, we'll be sitting in the seat.

[00:05:34]>> [music] [music and singing] >> Let's go.

[00:05:49]>> Right, here we go.

[00:05:52]On a Vertigo, this is our first ride on a >> [music] >> massive gyro swing.

[00:06:01]And let's see what this has got to offer.

[00:06:04]>> [music] >> We are in Blackpool, so I apologize for any wind noise in advance.

[00:06:10]>> [music] >> That's a nice touch, actually.

[00:06:15]Yeah, there we go. Oh, no. Here we go.

[00:06:18]Oh, yeah.

[00:06:19]>> [music] >> Cool.

[00:06:28]Oh, it's definitely windy, for sure.

[00:06:36]Now, you start feeling the airtime now.

[00:06:40]Actually, it has quite an even spin, which isn't that quick.

[00:06:51]Yeah, there is some crazy airtime, to be fair.

[00:07:04]I'm not sure the rain's helping much here.

[00:07:07]Oh, it looks sunny.

[00:07:13]Oh, it's a lovely view out to the ocean.

[00:07:20]Yeah, the height is crazy, isn't it?

[00:07:22]The height is crazy.

[00:07:26]All right, and I think we're slowing down.

[00:07:31]All right, that's our first ride on a Vertigo.

[00:07:34]I said this is a really nice touch under here. The area does look really good.

[00:07:39]We We give our thoughts on it when we get off.

[00:07:43]>> [music] >> So, here is Avictus. As you can see, it's like a lap bar [music] restraint, even though you have got something to hold on to. 40 seats as you come round.

[00:07:53]It's really nice touch under here as well, which you can't really see until you're getting onto the attraction. I have to say, I didn't really really enjoy that. So, as we look [music] as we come down here, you can see all the wooden platforms and kind of the entrance plaza as you come out down by the side.

[00:08:10]We've got more rides to have on Avictus, for sure. But, just as a kind of pause moment before we go back on it, first things first, the soundtrack is contagious. It is so good. I really hope they release that as well. I think they have released it, actually. I probably need to pick up on it. And that includes dispatch music, so you kind of know when it's dispatching and when the floor lowers, it has its own sounds. Really really good. Really nice finish, to be honest with you. Really quite impressed.

[00:08:35]The snake underneath is a really lovely touch as we showed you on the way out there, but we do want to get some more rides in before we give you a final verdict. So, we've got a chance. Let's go re-ride it.

[00:08:46]>> [screaming] [music] [screaming] [music] [music] [screaming] [music] [music] >> We are off the ride, and here's our height restriction board and all the little details and things as well. 1.3 m with a maximum height of 200, which actually is quite high.

[00:09:34]So, that is our first ride on Avictus.

[00:09:37]And that is a stunning attraction. There is no doubt about that. It is a stunning attraction. It's going to be really, really well for Pleasure Beach. [music] Now, obviously, it's very easy to get off and say it's the best ride in the UK, and that's all we've seen people say.

[00:09:50]But, it's going to be playing to your fears and what your fears are.

[00:09:55]If you're a little bit afraid of heights, because it feels like a lap bar, even though you've got kind of the metal to hold onto, the metal restraint to hold onto, it does [music] feel very lap bar-y, particularly when you get to the top of the cycle. So, as we look, when you're getting up there now and you're right at the top here, yeah, it does feel very floaty, very floaty indeed. The air time, incredible, absolutely incredible.

[00:10:20]It doesn't spin very quick. And this kind of goes I'll tell you the example I'm going to use here. And the some will agree and some won't agree. I'll use Air Race as an example, the KMG Speed 32. We have one that travels as well, the the KMG Speed, which comes over for Winter Wonderland. You know, it's a beast of a machine, standing over 200 ft.

[00:10:40]>> [music] >> It flings you around through the sky, but it has a controlled spin to it, because it would be too much otherwise.

[00:10:46]So, actually, if you're just flying through the sky and you're all right with that, it's not that bad of a ride.

[00:10:51]You go on a normal KMG Speed, and those things are completely out of control.

[00:10:56]Like, you could be going in any direction, spinning backwards and forwards, complete hang time, completely stuck upside down for the whole cycle, which won't happen on the 32. And a Vertigo's is very similar. When you compare it to the other gyro swing intimate gyro swing, which is Maelstrom, and then you compare it to the Cyclonator at Fantasy Farm, they spin a lot more. And to be honest, feel more thrilling. Now, they might not have the hang time. In fact, they obviously don't have the hang time that this has, but they actually feel more thrilling, to be honest with you. I think I I rather ride those two over and over than I would a Victus.

[00:11:34]But that's down to my personal preference. [music] I prefer to be swung around. So, for me, is it the best flat ride in the UK? No, it's not. For me, that's going to remain a Top Scan. I think [music] a Top Scan, a well-run Top Scan is absolute crazy. Proper crazy, [music] out of your seat moment, flying around, bit of everything.

[00:11:52]Is it going to be some people's?

[00:11:53]Absolutely. And that is down to the hang time [music] when you get up to this point. And that is justified. Absolutely justified. So, yeah, it depends on what kind of a person you are, to be honest with you. Is it a great ride? Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely fantastic ride.

[00:12:09]Fantastic [music] choice for Blackpool Pleasure Beach, and it fits the area really, really well.

[00:12:14]It's not going to be everyone's cup of tea, but you can say that about a lot of rides. So, it'll be interesting to see where you fit in it. And leave your comments below because all the Everyone we've seen has gone, "It's the best flat ride. It's the best flat ride.

[00:12:25][music] It's the best flat ride." I don't mind airtime and floater time like that, but at the same time, I'd prefer to be thrown around, spun upside [music] down. So, yeah, personal preference, 100%. I will just say as well, it's really weird at the start because Amanda come out and said, "If you don't think you're going to like rides like this, then maybe watch it."

[00:12:44]And then Intamin come out and go, "That shit's not as bad as it looks." And that's where I'm going to sit on this.

[00:12:50]It's not as bad as it looks.