A NEW £600million attraction has submitted plans to open in the UK, after success across Europe.
Puy Du Fou is a ride-free theme park that offers live shows and reenactments of major historical events.
Puy du Fou has submitted plans to open in the UK[/caption]
The award-winning historical attraction will open in Bucknell, near Bicester if approved[/caption]
Already open in France and Spain – and regularly voted one of the top attraction in the country – it is now set to open in the UK.
Plans have been submitted for the 370-acre attraction which will open near Bucknell in Bicester.
The park would have four ‘villages’ based on different periods of time, with 13 different live shows.
And three on-site hotels would be part of the theme park, each themed on different periods of British history, along with a conference centre.
Being primarily outdoors, the park would be open between April and October.
Its location would make it easy to visit, being just off the M40.
If approved, the first phases of the park will open in 2029, with nearly 1.5million visitors a year.
It also hopes to add £500million to the local economy, with thousands more jobs.
The decision now lies with the council, and if approved, the new park will open in phases beginning in 2029.
Olivier Strebelle, CEO of Puy du Fou, said they had “wanted to come to the UK for years”.
He added: “Britain has such a rich, colourful and exciting history, and the site we have chosen near Bicester is the ideal location to create a world-class destination that will bring that history to life
He previously told the Times that he wants people to be disconnected from the current world while at the park.
He explained: “We have our guests travel through time, out of [the] Roman period and into the 20th century period of the great wars, and the best segue between them is nature because it’s always been there.”
Ticket prices are yet to be revealed, although if similar to French pricing, would be between £24 and £38.
Puy du Fou first opened in 1978, and is rated the second best attraction in France behind Disneyland Paris.
It then opened in Spain in 2019.
The attraction will be similar to the French version, pictured[/caption]
The live shows will be a similar experience, but based on UK history[/caption]
And Puy du Fou is not the only historical attraction wanting to open in the UK.
Kynren – An Epic Tale of England is an award-winning attraction in the UK which has live historical shows in Bishop Auckland.
New plans hope to open Kynren – The Storied Lands, which would have live shows based on historical periods such as the Vikings and Victorian England.
The daytime attraction, in Bishop Auckland, will have five shows and immersive experiences as part of the first phase.
Anna Warnecke, CEO at Kynren, said the multi-million pound new attraction is a “game-changer” for the UK.
What is it like to visit Puy du Fou?
One Sun reporter visited the park with his family – here’s what he thought.
You can wander through period villages of thatched cottages and watch artisan craftsmen ply their trades. There are landscaped gardens and walkways lined with statues that come to life.
But what draws more than two million visitors to Puy du Fou every year are the shows.
A packed programme is performed at different venues throughout the day.
Each 30 minutes long or so, they are ideal for fidgety kids and cram in all the special effects and stunts you would expect in a Bond movie.
Its most ringing endorsement came from our children, who arrived home with their heads swimming with heroic tales of knights and wizards, full of questions about Romans and Vikings.
And not a pair of Mickey Mouse ears in sight.
Here is what to expect from the new £12million viking-themed land opening at a UK theme park.
And we’ve explained what to know about the new Universal theme park opening in the UK.
It hopes to open by 2029 if given the go-ahead[/caption]