Icon

Icon is one of the newer rides at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, having been opened in May 2018 at a cost of around £16.25 million. This is the first multi-launch rollercoaster in the country and when it opened it was the first new rollercoaster ride at the park in 24 years. The trains are propelled and slowed using linear magnetic synchronous motors and it takes the total number of rollercoasters at the park to ten.

In 2022 the ride was upgraded and now includes a spinning car which has been added to the rear of one train. There is an additional charge to experience this spinning car.

This is one of the larger rides at Blackpool Pleasure Beach with a total height of over 88ft and a drop of 82ft. The total length of the ride is 3,750ft and the trains travel at a speed of up to 52.8 mph. There are three trains operating on this ride and each of these has 4 cars with riders arranged 2 across in 2 rows, giving a total of 16 passengers per train.

There is a generic height restriction of 130cm for this ride, however in order to travel on the back row, riders must be at least 150cm in height. This is because the rear seats have been designed specifically for larger passengers.

The ride itself involves an intense build-up at the start with a VoiceOver which says ‘Icon’, this marking the initial 50mph launch. Once through the tunnel the ride enters an 82 ft tall top hat element and this is followed by a non-inverting inclined loop and some banked turns. After the ride enters another tunnel, the second launch propels the ride at 53mph and it goes into a non-inverting 88ft loop, this being the highest part of the ride. More banked turns follow before the train arrives back at the station.

Our Thrill Verdict

This is one of the newest and certainly most exciting rides at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. There is an intense build-up as passengers nervously await the thrilling initial launch and this is repeated later in the ride for maximum effect. The banks and turns are designed to give the rider the most thrilling experience possible and there can be no denying that this is an excellent addition to the theme park. We give this our maximum Thrill Rating of 5 with no hesitation.