£20m Bear Grylls adventure park to open in Solihull next year after council green light - The Solihull Observer

£20m Bear Grylls adventure park to open in Solihull next year after council green light

Solihull Editorial 6th Nov, 2017 Updated: 7th Nov, 2017   0

A £20 million Bear Grylls Adventure Park in Solihull is set to open next year after being approved by council chiefs.

Promoter Merlin Entertainments says it will be an action-packed unique adventure in partnership with the the survival expert, TV host and bestselling author.

It has released images of how the attraction will look.

It aims to give the public an opportunity to re-enact the adventures of Bear Grylls at a location at the Pavilion, Pendigo Way, next to the National Exhibition Centre.




The attraction will take inspiration from Bear’s real-life adventures across mountains, deserts and jungles around the world and bring them all under one roof.

Visitors will walk in the famous survivalist’s footsteps and be able to attempt diving, rock climbing, and iFLY (indoor skydiving).


For the most ambitious adventurers the park will offer the chance to zip-line from a Chinook helicopter or scale the highest free-roam high ropes in Europe.

Promoters say the adventure park will attempt to create an authentic experience, replicating the mentally and physically challenging activities depicted on Gryll’s famous TV shows.

The 8,000 square metre attraction is set to open next year .

Bear Grylls himself has spoken excitedly about the new adventure park: “It has been an unbelievable journey to work with Merlin Entertainments to bring so many iconic, one-of-a-kind adventures, all together under one roof.”

Nick Varney, the chief executive of Merlin Entertainments has also predicted it to be a success saying: “The market for adventure-based activities has incredible potential.

“Our research shows that nine out of ten young adults are actively seeking adventure and challenge experiences, and this trend is set to continue.”

The deal has been part of a long process involving several parties.

Solihull council, NEC and Merlin have been in communication with high-speed rail company HS2 Ltd, to ensure the plans do not interfere with the scheduled HS2 station construction nearby.

It has been speculated by a number of sources that the new adventure park will be forced to close temporarily if the HS2 construction goes ahead.

Promoters say Bear Grylls is one of the most recognised and celebrated adventurers in the world with global media distribution in over 180 countries, reaching an estimated 1.2 billion people.

Grylls’ fame could be an indicator of the success of the new adventure park and on Twitter, news of its arrival has sparked widespread excitement.

In a reaction to Grylls’ own tweet, a fan page wrote “That’s AWESOME! Congratulations!!!!!!! You’re the BEST, Bear!”

Another tweet reacted with surprise to the bold plans: “Did someone say zip lining from a chinook helicopter? Did I hear that right?”

Prices and activity time will vary for different activities with Basecamp entry tickets starting at £25.

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