Kentish Express Ashford & District - What's On
ALONG FOR THE RIDE
It may be historic, but the country’s oldest surviving amusement park, Dreamland, unveils its 21st century makeover this weekend, combining vintage with up-to-the-minute design. Angela Cole looks at what’s on offer
The sky’s (almost) the limit for Dreamland as it opens its doors to a new era of seaside fun. Home to a big wheel and Scenic Railway, the Margate theme park relaunches on Friday, May 26, with a new look, more rides, foodie fare and modern art installations.
The revamped site, which opens its doors at 5pm, has had a fresh creative makeover and has been re-landscaped.
The opening evening will be a chance to check out the renovated vintage rides and soak up the festival feel with a new outdoor Scenic Stage, with the Los Angeles Band bringing their rhythm and blues to get the party started.
There will be pop-up entertainment and stylish new bars including The Slide Bar and Tree Top Bar, where there will be DJ sets and a panoramic view of Dreamland.
The park will be open throughout half-term with family favourites FUN DMC and their daytime hip-hop block party for kids and parents at the Scenic Stage on Bank Holiday Monday, plus stage shows, Mermaid and Pirate School, and Teddy and Betty Land – a new area with rides and entertainment for
little ones. Contemporary dining area, The Friendliest Food Court Ever, promises to be more than your average street food market, with bold and simple flavours, while old favourites on offer include the roller disco and diner, plus there will be a boardwalk that shows off new views of the park and the antique menagerie cages.
The Dreamland Trust will also present Dreamlandscapes: A Portrait of Dreamland in the 60s, an exhibition by artist Barry Kirk, while the Cinque Ports pub will be offering British gastro-pub fare with a theatre kitchen at its centre.
On the seafront, Margate’s first rooftop bar, Ziggy’s, will be the place to get rum cocktails, Jamaican jerk BBQ, plus reggae, hip hop and big beats. Dating back to the early 1870s and considered the country’s oldest surviving amusement park, Sands Heritage Ltd was appointed commercial operator of Dreamland in 2014 and secured a £25 million investment from Arrowgrass Capital Partners.
It is working with d_raw and Aecom in collaboration with Neverland for the full restoration project. The next phase of the redevelopment will see the Sunshine Café brought back to life and the front of the cinema building restored.