Thrillseekers in the UK don’t have to travel far to ride the best water ride in Europe – they’ll find it in the north of England.
Valhalla at Blackpool’s Pleasure Beach Resort in Lancashire has officially been named Europe’s Best Water Ride in the European Star Awards – for the fourth time.
It beat off competition from other popular rides on the continent, including Chiapras at Phantasialand in Germany, and De Vliegende Hollander at Efteling in the Netherlands.
The European Star Awards are widely considered to be the most important awards in the European leisure industry, where winners are decided by a panel of 32 influential industry professionals from across the globe.
They were presented at PortAventura World in Spain, on the eve of the IAAPA (International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions) Expo Europe.
Valhalla, dubbed “the UK’s wettest ride”, originally opened in 2000, before undergoing a £4M re-imagining project in 2023. Riders climb aboard a longboat and take a journey to the Viking afterlife, battling extreme elements – fire, ice and lots of water – along the way.
Winning this award is a huge achievement, especially with so many other fantastic rides in the category. We’re incredibly proud to be home to the Best Water Ride in Europe.
Pleasure Beach Resort’s director of operations, Andy Hygate
“With the exciting arrival of our new ride Aviktas in 2026, our future is looking brighter than ever – but it’s fantastic to see our current line-up continuing to set the standard and bring home top industry awards
This latest win comes hot on the heels of Pleasure Beach taking home four awards at the UK Theme Park Awards last week. The park was awarded Gold in the Best Seaside Park and Best Re-Imagined Ride categories; Silver for Best Use of IP; and Bronze for Best Theme Park for Thrills.
Valhalla has also previously been named Best Water Ride in the World at the 2023 Golden Ticket Awards – an award it has won seven times over.
Pleasure Beach Resort is open weekdays and weekends until November, and then every weekend in November before closing for the 2025 season.
Guests can secure their tickets for the final thrills of the season online in advance to guarantee the best savings at www.pleasurebeachresort.com
They can also take advantage of the Autumn Saver Season Pass, which includes unlimited visits to Pleasure Beach throughout October and November for £65.00.
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