News about Hyperia

Soon after reopening, Hyperia suffered another serious setback. During a test run, a train failed to carry enough speed into the next element and came to rest at the low point before the outward-banked airtime hill. Thorpe Park closed the ride and brought in a crane while working to dismantle the stalled train. The technical narrative around Hyperia kept building: first the long closure immediately after opening, then guests stuck for an hour on the lift hill, and now another stopped train. Thorpe Park remained guarded about the exact causes and stressed that issues can happen with new attractions. For fans, that lack of detail made Hyperia's early weeks even more debated.

Hyperia's reopening did not mean all teething issues had disappeared. A few days later, a train carrying guests stopped for about an hour near the top of the chain lift. Thorpe Park called it a small pause, but for riders it was a long and highly visible interruption on one of the ride's most exposed sections. Staff kept communicating with passengers during the incident, and the park stressed that nobody was in danger. Still, the event fitted into the wider story of Hyperia's difficult start: a record coaster that attracted huge attention but quickly became linked with technical discussions. The ride did not reopen later that Saturday, but guests could ride again on Sunday.

After more than two weeks of uncertainty, Hyperia finally received good news. Thorpe Park announced that the tallest and fastest coaster in the United Kingdom would reopen on Wednesday 12 June. The ride had been closed after its opening days because of technical complications, though the exact cause was not disclosed. The park did say that modifications and multiple test runs had taken place. Thorpe kept the communication close to the attraction's mythology, presenting Hyperia as a goddess returning after a short pause to help guests overcome their fears. For fans, this was the long-awaited moment when the record coaster got a second chance to deliver on its promise.

A few days after the first closure, it became clear that Hyperia would not return quickly. Thorpe Park extended the downtime and warned that the ride was unlikely to reopen before Saturday 8 June. For a brand-new record coaster, that was striking: the attraction had only completed one public day. The park kept the cause vague, but work was visible on the 72-metre lift hill. Looopings also placed the issue in context by noting Mack Rides' strong reputation for smooth new projects. For visitors, the update meant uncertainty; for enthusiasts, it became a major discussion point. Hyperia's first weeks were now as much a technical story as an opening celebration.

Hyperia's technical troubles produced an unexpected fan moment. While Thorpe Park worked on the real coaster, a working K'nex version by TheKnexMaker drew attention online. The model stood around two metres tall, used roughly 65,000 pieces and recreated recognisable elements such as the lift hill, outward-banked airtime hill and stalled dive loop. Because the real Hyperia was out of service at that moment, the model gained an extra layer of humour: the miniature version was running. Thorpe Park responded warmly and said it was impressed. The story shows how quickly Hyperia became a fan object beyond the park gates.

The record rivalry around Hyperia gained another highly visible chapter on opening day. Pleasure Beach Resort, long associated with Britain's tallest coaster through The Big One, sent an advertising van around Thorpe Park with teasing lines about now having the country's second-tallest coaster. The stunt used self-deprecating humour to acknowledge that Hyperia had taken the height record by a narrow margin. It gained extra bite when Hyperia soon closed because of technical issues. For enthusiasts, the episode showed just how prominent Hyperia had become in the British theme park conversation. The ride did not only change the rankings; it gave rival parks a reason to join the story.

The celebration around Hyperia was quickly interrupted. After the official ceremony and a first public day, Thorpe Park announced that the 72-metre coaster could not open because of unforeseen circumstances. For fans who had travelled specifically for the new record ride, it was a sharp disappointment. The park offered ticket holders a free return visit while keeping the rest of Thorpe Park open. On the first public day, Hyperia had drawn huge queues, with waits reaching five hours, and had operated fairly smoothly despite a few short interruptions. That made the sudden closure stand out even more. Hyperia's debut instantly became a story of records and teething problems.

Thorpe Park staged Hyperia's opening as a major moment for both the park and the British coaster scene. Fireworks, smoke, light shows and even aircraft framed the unveiling of the 72-metre hypercoaster for invited guests. Merlin Entertainments stressed that it had never invested so much in a single coaster, underlining Hyperia's importance. The ride itself was described as short but forceful, with 995 metres of track, a top speed close to 130 kilometres per hour and elements such as a stalled dive loop. Fearless Valley also took shape on the former Logger's Leap site. Hyperia was not just a record breaker; it became Thorpe Park's new centrepiece.

On the eve of the public opening, Thorpe Park gave fans one last preview: Hyperia's official on-ride video. The statistics explained why the ride had drawn so much attention. Hyperia stands 72 metres tall, runs 995 metres, reaches around 130 kilometres per hour and includes three inversions. Thorpe tied that technical force to a story about overcoming fear, matching the Find Your Fearless tagline. The park also highlighted record claims around airtime, a tall inversion and the outward-banked airtime hill. For visitors, the video made the next day's experience much clearer: a short, fierce and highly visible new headline attraction.

In April 2024, Hyperia truly came to life. Thorpe Park confirmed that the first test run had taken place and shared footage of the 72-metre Mack Rides coaster in motion. Many enthusiasts gathered around the construction site to capture the moment, showing how much anticipation had built around the ride. The test run highlighted the signature elements: the stalled dive loop, the outward-banked airtime hill and the compact but intense character of the layout. Thorpe Park also confirmed the opening date: 24 May. For visitors, this was the proof that the record breaker was no longer just steel in the skyline, but a ride almost ready for guests.

In early March 2024, Hyperia reached a highly visible milestone: Thorpe Park lifted the final missing track section, the top of the lift hill, into place. From that moment, the 72-metre structure stood complete and Britain effectively had a new number one. The park marked the occasion with drone footage and framed Hyperia as a statement for the British theme park industry. The installation also carried symbolic weight, as The Big One lost the height record it had held for three decades. For visitors, the promise now physically dominated the skyline. Hyperia was no longer just a construction project; it had become the park's new vertical icon.

In October 2023, Project Exodus finally gained a face. Thorpe Park revealed the name Hyperia, paired with the tagline Find Your Fearless and a story built around a fearless goddess. The technical promise remained just as striking: 72 metres tall, around 130 kilometres per hour and the first European hypercoaster from Mack Rides. That placed the ride not only at the top of the British rankings, but firmly among Europe's major thrill coasters. For visitors, the project changed from a construction site with records into a branded attraction with story and personality. From that point on, Hyperia became Thorpe Park's next headline ride.

Even before Hyperia received its final name, it had already become part of British theme park banter. Blackpool Pleasure Beach joked that The Big One would be raised slightly to stay ahead of Project Exodus. The message was clear: Thorpe Park was about to challenge a record Blackpool had claimed since the 1990s. That tease showed how much symbolic weight Hyperia already carried. This was not just another coaster for Thorpe Park, but a fight over which park could claim Britain's tallest roller coaster. For enthusiasts, the rivalry added colour and urgency to the project.

In the summer of 2023, Project Exodus finally gained motion. Thorpe Park released a simulation of the future coaster and confirmed Mack Rides as the builder of the hypercoaster. The video did not reveal the full ride, but it showed enough to set expectations: big height changes, drawn-out inversions and overbanked turns designed to make it Britain's tallest and fastest coaster. On site, foundations and gold-coloured supports were already visible. For enthusiasts, this was the point where the project became tangible. Hyperia still had no final name, but it already had an identity as a modern European record machine.

A few weeks after the first announcement, the scale of Thorpe Park's ambition became clear. The new coaster, still called Project Exodus, was planned to reach 72 metres and take Britain's height record from The Big One at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. The plans also showed that older parts of the park would have to make way, including the long-closed Loggers Leap and Rocky Express. For visitors and enthusiasts, the project shifted from a vague promise to a concrete development file. With 2024 named as the target opening year, the future Hyperia quickly became one of Europe's most closely watched coaster projects.

Thorpe Park took its first public step toward a new coaster at the end of 2021. The park did not yet use the name Hyperia, but it did speak about an eighth, world-class roller coaster and talks with local authorities about planning permission. For enthusiasts, that was already a major signal: Thorpe had not opened a new coaster since The Swarm in 2012, despite its reputation as a thrill-focused park. The announcement offered no layout or statistics, but it did promise that something substantial was coming. In hindsight, this was the public opening chapter of Hyperia's story.