Tomorrowland, a world-famous celebration of dance music, takes place each July in Boom near Antwerp. Plopsaland guests will soon be able to enjoy the spirit of the event throughout the year on The Ride To Happiness by Tomorrowland. The €17.5m attraction will be the first Xtreme Spinning Coaster in Europe from Mack Rides.
Over an action-packed layout of 35m in height and almost 1km in length, passengers will experience two launch sequences. They will hit a top speed of 90km/h as they race through five inversions. The experience will be heightened by an exclusive, stirring soundtrack based on the Tomorrowland Hymn composed by Hans Zimmer.
The festival’s creative team is working closely with the Plopsa Group and owner Studio 100 to realise the new ride. Music already plays an important part at the park near the Belgian coast, which hosts regular performances from Studio 100 stars such as K3. However, the partnership with Tomorrowland connects it with a slightly older demographic.
Bringing the festival to the theme park
With its huge, fantastical themed stages and production, the annual music festival has a theme park-style aesthetic.
“The aim is to translate the unique atmosphere that prevails in Boom every summer into this spectacular coaster,” said Tomorrowland and Plopsa in a joint statement.
“The coaster can be seen from afar on the motorway and changes the entire skyline of the park,” says Plopsa CEO, Steve Van den Kerkhof. “The fact that we can achieve this together with Tomorrowland is a dream come true. Through this collaboration, we will both be able to entertain an even larger audience, which will only make each other stronger.”
The Ride To Happiness by Tomorrowland will feature inside a new zone at Plopsaland De Panne. Further theme park projects in Europe are expected in the coming years.
A big year for Belgian theme park fans
Guests visiting Plopsaland De Panne to experience the new coaster this summer will also have the option of an overnight stay. The very first Plopsa Hotel is set to open, subject to local COVID-19 restrictions, on 13 February. The themed accommodation will feature Studio 100 characters Maya the Bee, Heidi and Vic the Viking.
In spite of the coronavirus, the coming park season will be a big one for roller coaster fans in Belgium. In addition to the Tomorrowland ride at Plopsaland, Walibi Belgium is preparing to launch the tallest and fastest coaster in the Benelux. Kondaa, by Intamin, features 1.2km of track and stands 50m tall.
Plopsa goes East
The Plopsa Group, meanwhile, continues to expand with new joint ventures east of its central European heartland. In September, construction work began on its second park in Poland, Majaland Warsaw. The €30m project is being built in partnership with Momentum Capital and shopping centre operator Ceetrus. The opening is set for 2022.
There are also plans for a Maja the Bee themed indoor park in the Czech Republic. The 10,000 sq m facility, built together with the KAPRAIN Group, will be located at the Premium Outlet Prague Airport. It was originally due to open in autumn 2021, with no word yet on how this might be affected by the pandemic.
