Village Roadshow announces 2nd December opening for Sea World's new Leviathan and Trident rides

Village Roadshow Theme Parks has revealed that Sea World’s new Leviathan and Trident rides, the much delayed final additions to the Gold Coast theme park’s New Atlantis precinct, will open to the public on Friday 2nd December.

The rides, announced in May 2019 as part of a $50 million investment to enhance guest experiences, were originally scheduled to open in 2020.

However, the impact of the pandemic on the rides’ supply and construction has resulted in a number of delays.

The Leviathan wooden rollercoaster is the largest ride of its type in the Soutern Hemisphere while the Trident is a flying theatre ride.

Clark Kirby the Village Roadshow Chief Executive (and then Village Roadshow Theme Parks [VRTP] Chief Executive) advised back in May 2019 that the company’s investment demonstrated its ongoing commitment to the tourism industry on the Gold Coast.

Kirby stated “the New Atlantis will be a game-changer for Sea World and will become a destination in its own right where our guests can experience the myths, mysteries, quests and challenges located within this new multi-million-dollar utopian precinct.”

Writing on LinkedIn yesterday, VRTP Chief Operating Officer, Bikash Randhawa announced yesterday that “we simply cannot wait to share this experience with our guests.

“Post Covid our first major ride precinct opening and one which we are really proud of … the experience will be world class and the thematics something never done before with a wood coaster.”

Village Roadshow improves performance
Having lost $100 million during the pandemic years, Village Roadsho has turned around its performance after cutting costs according to its newly lodged financial returns.

The BGH Capital-controlled theme park and cinema operator posted an after-tax loss of $29.3 million for the 12 months to 30th June, a significant improvement on the previous financil year.

Cost cutting by the company - delisted in 2020 - including restructuring, deferring all non-essential capital expenditure, and working with landlords for rent relief have helped it reduce its losses by around two-thirds over the past 12 months.

Village Roadshow's cost reductions are understood to include ending its naming rights sponsorship of the Gold Coast Marathon.

Image shows the Leviathan under construction.