Hyperia at Thorpe Park: the UK can’t even open a new roller coaster

Hyperia, the UK’s new, tallest, roller coaster, opened on Saturday after years of planning. It closed again on Sunday. The £18 million ride at Thorpe Park is 263 ft tall, snatching the height record from The Big One in Blackpool. Enthusiasts worldwide had been interested and the promotional campaign has been vast, but it closed after less than a day due to “unforeseen teething challenges”. It won’t reopen until 8 June at the earliest, meaning Thorpe Park is losing business during the lucrative British half-term break. The botched opening echoes that of Co-Op Live, another British record-breaker causing lost revenue, operational headaches and reputational damage.