Puy du Fou, a French historical theme park, plans to open a €350 million new location, near Bicester, in Oxfordshire. The new park aims to highlight British history without rollercoasters and “neon flashlight lights”.
Puy du Fou features 20 immersive performances, different themed dining options, and more than 2,000 animals, that showcase periods from the Roman Era to the modern 20th century. This also makes the park the second most popular in France after Disneyland. Annually, it welcomes more than 2.5 million visitors, making it a high-demand attraction for locals and tourists.
Due to its popularity, the same experiences could soon come to life close to Oxford on 370 acres (150 hectares) of land. According to Puy du Fou’s chief executive, Olivier Strebelle, the park would have the capacity to employ up to 700 people, needed for it to operate.
“We are coming from a humble perspective, and we want this park to be a park that works for local people. At our French and Spanish parks 90 per cent of people are coming from inside the country,” said Strebelle.
What’s more, Strebelle, stated that the UK park would mirror Kew Gardens “with very beautiful trees, water, plants” while showcasing various periods of UK history. He also unveiled plans for 20 live performances and villages inspired by the First World War as well as the Romans and gladiators.
However, the plans will only become reality if the proposal for the attraction is approved by local authorities. The first consultations for the themed park took place at Bicester’s Weyland Hall in July 2024, leading to the engagement of local residents and gathering feedback for improvement on the project. The official planning application for the UK Puy du Fou-themed park is anticipated to be submitted in June. This is only going to happen after consultations with specialists in the upcoming months.
Puy du Fou has a long history of operating in France dating back to 1978 in Les Epesses. More recently, in 2021, the company opened a themed park in Toledo, Spain, which opened after the French park gained popularity during the pandemic.
