"Disneyland's Nighttime Magic is Coming to the UK: A Premier Theme Park Unveils Its Own Spectacular Show!"

BEING wowed by a spectacular show is the perfect finale to a theme park day out – as the big hitters in Europe and America do so well.

Now, one Midlands amusement park is blazing a trail for other UK attractions.

Drayton Manor near Tamworth has a new lake show, which is billed as the biggest of its kind in the UKCredit: Catherine Lofthouse The lights and water fountains were introduced this year to mark the 75th anniversary of the parkCredit: Catherine Lofthouse

near Tamworth is billing it’s new nighttime lake show as the biggest of its kind in the UK, so I went to check it out.

The lights and water fountains were introduced this year to mark the 75th anniversary of the park and mark the close of the day, just like at and

The shows will change to reflect the season.

Drayton Manor is my nearest and I’ve been on many days out there over the years.

I used to love the Mississippi showboat fun house on the lake in the late 80s and early 90s and I can also remember when you used to be able to take a turn around the water on the Drayton Queen paddleboat.

But it’s been a while since the lake has hosted attractions in its own right, instead of providing a pretty backdrop that everything else is set around.

So it was lovely to see the water taking centre stage in this spectacle of lights, fountains and music.

While it’s on a smaller scale than the likes of and Efteling, it’s a brilliant idea to bring everyone together to mark the end of a great day out.

Sometimes heading home after all the rides and fun can feel a bit anticlimactic, especially if you’re trying to load young children bouncing around with excitement into the car for the drive home.

So this water, music and fire show is the perfect way to add a little bit of a buffer between finishing your fun and heading home.

We watched the Christmas Miracle on the Lake show and it was truly magical, with jets of water lit up and set to festive classics.

The dancing jets were interspersed with a screen of mist that had an animated story projected onto it, so that Christmas scenes such as and ice palaces could be brought to life.

There were even dramatic flames shooting up into the sky at points, so Drayton Manor really has pulled out all the stops to make the most of its new spectacle.

It’s also nice that it runs shorter versions of the light show during the day so that younger guests who may not still be on site by the close of the day have something to enjoy as well.

But for the full effect, you will want to watch the 15-minute grand finale in all its splendour.

I’ve seen quite a few well-rated magic fountain shows in my travels, including at Montjuic in and in front of the Burj Khalifa in .

This year, I was wowed by the water effects while watching Kynren, an epic outdoor show telling tales of the

The show is smaller than the likes of Disney and Efteling, but it is a brilliant way to end your dayCredit: Catherine Lofthouse It feels like Drayton Manor has drawn inspiration from other theme parks for the showCredit: Catherine Lofthouse

And I would say that Drayton Manor has drawn inspiration from all of these to bring something impressive to its guests.

It’s even installed viewing platforms around the edge of the lake to give those stood further back a better view over the head of visitors in front.

Given it’s a new concept for Brits, there were lots of announcements over the course of the day in the park, letting guests know what time to expect the show to kick off.

There were even a couple of lakeside rides still running when the light show took place – I imagine it would be quite the experience to see the fountains from the pirate ship or while being spun around on the thrill ride Thor in the

I’ll certainly look forward to seeing what new shows the park comes up with as the seasons change – make sure it’s on your 2026 to-do list if you want that vibe but without leaving the UK.

In other theme park news, to start works next year – here’s when it plans to open to visitors.

Plus, named one of the best in the UK.

And there are viewing platforms around the edge of the lake to give those stood further back a better viewCredit: Catherine Lofthouse In total, the grand finale show lasts 15 minutesCredit: Catherine Lofthouse