After decades as a staple of Welsh tourism, one of the country’s most well-known theme parks has closed with immediate effect, leaving staff without jobs and the local community facing an uncertain future.
Oakwood Theme Park, one of Wales’ most iconic attractions, has officially closed its doors with immediate effect, leaving staff, visitors, and the local community in shock.
The announcement, made yesterday by owners Aspro Parks, confirmed that the park will not reopen for the 2025 season.
For the dozens of staff members who suddenly find themselves out of work, the news has been devastating. Josh, 23, had worked at the park as a ride operator for just over a year.
Speaking about the closure, he described the moment staff were informed.
“Well, we knew things weren’t looking great, but I don’t think any of us actually thought it would come to this,” he said. “Then yesterday, we got the official announcement, it was shutting for good, and we wouldn’t be coming back”.
The closure comes after a strategic review of the business, with Aspro Parks citing a combination of declining visitor numbers and increasing operational costs as key factors in the decision.
In a statement, the company acknowledged the emotional and economic impact of the closure, describing it as a “difficult decision” that was made only after exploring “all possible avenues to avoid it.”
For many of Josh’s colleagues, the park was more than just a job, it was a community.
“It’s not just the job for some people,” he explained. “The people, the routine, the feeling of actually doing something. It’s like we’ve lost more than just work.”
Oakwood had been a staple of Welsh tourism since it first opened in 1987, with generations of families visiting the park over the years.
Aspro Parks, which took over in 2008 when the park was at risk of closure, said they had invested more than £25 million into improving the site, including the recent major refurbishment of Megafobia, the park’s iconic wooden rollercoaster.
Despite this, visitor numbers have steadily declined, making further investment “unsustainable.”
The rising costs of operation, from energy prices to wage increases, were also highlighted as factors in the decision.
“The unrelenting economic challenges ahead, increases in costs affecting all areas of the operation from ride parts to electricity costs, food and beverage inflation, increases in national minimum wage and changes to national insurance thresholds have all impacted the decision.”
Beyond the loss of jobs, there are growing concerns about how the closure will affect the wider local economy.