An indoor theme park in Devon has suddenly closed its doors less than two months after opening.
Dingles Fun Park in Lifton, which only welcomed visitors in February this year, has announced its immediate closure.
The park had taken over the site of the former Dingles Fairground Museum but has now shuttered operations in an unexpected development that has surprised local visitors.
A statement on the park's website reads: "We are very sorry to announce, due to unforeseen circumstances Dingles Fun Park is now closed."
The announcement also confirmed the cancellation of the planned Pop Fest tribute festival, with all tickets to be refunded.
The fun park had featured contemporary attractions including dodgems, a waltzer and a fun house, replacing the vintage rides of the previous museum.
Park manager Tom Ellis explained that despite "incredible support from locals", the "vast scale" of the site meant rental costs were simply too high for the park to sustain.
"We hoped to bring in more attractions as planned, however we just couldn't quite obtain a long-term lease to suit us and the landlords," he said.
The business had planned to expand its offerings but ultimately found the financial arrangements unworkable.
The previous vintage fairground museum that occupied the site was also forced to close in 2024 due to financial difficulties.
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The museum had primarily featured historic rides from the early 20th century but struggled to recover from losses incurred during the pandemic.
Its rural and remote location in Lifton had also contributed to its financial challenges, ultimately leading to its closure before the short-lived fun park took its place.
The news comes just weeks after one of the UK's largest theme parks also announced its immediate closure after nearly 40 years of operation.
Oakwood Theme Park in Pembrokeshire, Wales, shuttered in March citing financial challenges.
Rising costs and declining visitor numbers were blamed for the closure decision.
The back-to-back closures of significant attractions in Devon and Wales suggest a concerning trend for UK theme parks facing economic pressures.
Aspro Parks Group, which owns Oakwood, said it had invested more than £25million since saving the park from closure in 2008.
A spokesman for the group noted: "In the entire history of Aspro we have never closed any park or attraction."
They expressed sadness about the decision, acknowledging that Oakwood "has been a much-loved destination for generations and a rite of passage for many young visitors".
The company operates several other attractions, including Cheshire's Blue Planet Aquarium.
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Dingles Fun Park in Lifton, which only welcomed visitors in February this year, has announced its immediate closure.
The park had taken over the site of the former Dingles Fairground Museum but has now shuttered operations in an unexpected development that has surprised local visitors.
A statement on the park's website reads: "We are very sorry to announce, due to unforeseen circumstances Dingles Fun Park is now closed."
The announcement also confirmed the cancellation of the planned Pop Fest tribute festival, with all tickets to be refunded.
The fun park had featured contemporary attractions including dodgems, a waltzer and a fun house, replacing the vintage rides of the previous museum.
Park manager Tom Ellis explained that despite "incredible support from locals", the "vast scale" of the site meant rental costs were simply too high for the park to sustain.
"We hoped to bring in more attractions as planned, however we just couldn't quite obtain a long-term lease to suit us and the landlords," he said.
The business had planned to expand its offerings but ultimately found the financial arrangements unworkable.
The previous vintage fairground museum that occupied the site was also forced to close in 2024 due to financial difficulties.
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The museum had primarily featured historic rides from the early 20th century but struggled to recover from losses incurred during the pandemic.
Its rural and remote location in Lifton had also contributed to its financial challenges, ultimately leading to its closure before the short-lived fun park took its place.
The news comes just weeks after one of the UK's largest theme parks also announced its immediate closure after nearly 40 years of operation.
Oakwood Theme Park in Pembrokeshire, Wales, shuttered in March citing financial challenges.
Rising costs and declining visitor numbers were blamed for the closure decision.
The back-to-back closures of significant attractions in Devon and Wales suggest a concerning trend for UK theme parks facing economic pressures.
Aspro Parks Group, which owns Oakwood, said it had invested more than £25million since saving the park from closure in 2008.
A spokesman for the group noted: "In the entire history of Aspro we have never closed any park or attraction."
They expressed sadness about the decision, acknowledging that Oakwood "has been a much-loved destination for generations and a rite of passage for many young visitors".
The company operates several other attractions, including Cheshire's Blue Planet Aquarium.
Find Out More...