A local attraction has received two awards at the prestigious UK Theme Park Awards 2026.
Sundown Adventureland, the Retford theme park designed especially for children under 10, was awarded Gold in the Best Christmas Event category for its popular festive experience, which has become an annual tradition for many families across the region and beyond. The park also received Bronze in the Best Theme Park for Toddlers category.
The latest honours, which were both in the small parks group, aren’t the only awards Sundown has won this year. Its Wild Acre Village, a self-catering holiday village located on the edge of the theme park, won Gold for Camping, Glamping & Holiday Park of the Year at the Nottinghamshire Tourism Awards earlier this year.
Shaun Malvern, director at Sundown Adventureland, who runs the park alongside his sister Debs, said:
“We’re incredibly pleased on behalf of the whole team here at Sundown to have received these two awards. Everyone works so hard to ensure the highest of standards are met in everything we do and have to offer, combining nostalgic favourites with the addition of new experiences and events.
“Christmas at Sundown is our biggest event of the year, and we have a saying here that you haven’t truly experienced Christmas until you’ve experienced a Sundown Christmas. Whether it’s a family’s first or seventeenth Christmas with us, we guarantee that everyone will receive the same hearty Sundown welcome.
“We’re delighted that our hard work has been recognised at these awards, and we hope they will inspire even more families to come and experience Sundown Adventureland for themselves.”
Celebrating excellence in the UK’s theme park industry, the national UK Theme Park Awards are organised by Theme Parks UK, an independent consumer guide to UK theme parks.
Established with a mission to recognise, reward, and promote the very best theme parks across the United Kingdom, the awards serve as a benchmark for quality, innovation, and unforgettable experiences. Members of the public are invited to vote for their favourite theme parks across 22 categories, with the public votes combined with scores from an expert judging panel to determine the winners.
For more information about Sundown Adventureland and to book tickets, visit: www.sundownadventureland.co.uk
Posted on 15 September 2026
