Minecraft World theme park to open at Chessington, near London, in 2027

The world's first Minecraft theme park is set to open in Britain in 2027. Photo / Getty Images

Britain is to welcome the world’s first Minecraft rollercoaster and attractions with the opening of “Minecraft World” in 2027, the studio behind the video game announced.

“Merlin Entertainments and Mojang Studios have today announced Minecraft World, the world’s first fully immersive Minecraft theme park land,” the Sweden-based video game developer and UK theme park company said.

The £50 million ($114.2m) project will be part of the Chessington World of Adventures Resort, a theme park complex southwest of London.

It will be inspired by the “biomes, mobs and items” of the beloved Minecraft universe, according to a press release, and will feature a roller coaster, “block-built playscapes” and themed retail and dining.

The attraction builds on the popularity of one of the best-selling video games of all time in which players build a three-dimensional world.

Minecraft was first made available on computers in 2011 and has since been released on mobile phones and several gaming consoles.

A Minecraft Movie proved a box office hit last year, becoming the most successful film adaptation from a video game in North America and generating memes and TikTok trends that went viral worldwide.

UK cinemas had to restrict audiences from partaking in a viral “chicken jockey” trend arising from the film.

“Minecraft World represents a meaningful milestone in our ongoing journey to expand the Minecraft universe,” Torfi Frans Ólafsson, senior creative director for entertainment at Minecraft, said.

Universal is also to build its first European theme park in Britain, with its first year planned for 2031.

– Agence France-Presse