Drayton Manor's profits slide for fourth year as theme park hit by wet weather

Drayton Manor has reported a drop in profit for the fourth consecutive year since being saved from administration, with inclement weather continuing to dampen sales.

The Staffordshire-based theme park recorded a pre-tax profit of £1.2m for the year ending 30 September 2024, a decrease from the previous year's £2m, as reported by City AM.

This follows pre-tax profits of £3.5m and £5.6m in the two years post-rescue. Prior to its collapse into administration in 2020, Drayton Manor had been operated by three generations of the Bryan family since its opening in 1950.

The theme park was subsequently acquired by Looping Group, which operates several UK attractions including West Midland Safari Park and Pleasurewood Hills, as well as other European sites. In the three years leading up to its administration, Drayton Manor accumulated a pre-tax loss exceeding £7m.

According to recently filed accounts at Companies House, the park's turnover also fell from £29.3m to £28.1m during its latest financial year, having stood at £30.7m in the year ending 30 September 2022.

With Merlin Entertainments planning to open a Minecraft-themed park in the UK, and Universal detailing plans for a new UK theme park expected to provide a £50bn boost to the economy, Drayton Manor is set to face increased competition in the coming years.

The board of Drayton Manor released a statement acknowledging the difficulties faced by the business: "Challenges such as very high energy prices from the prior year lessened but our customers were still feeling the effect of the high cost of living."

"The weather continued to be another challenge to the business with summer 2024 being the coolest since 2015 and any heatwaves were short lived. The summer was largely overcast, wet and cool."

Despite a dip in profits, Drayton Manor distributed dividends totalling £1.2 million to its owner.

The theme park's turnover decreased slightly from £23 million to £22.3 million over the year, while revenue from its hotel and events also saw a downturn from £6.2 million to £5.8 million.