Icon is the steel launched roller coaster that reshaped Blackpool Pleasure Beach’s skyline in 2018 — the first multi-launch coaster ever built in the United Kingdom, and the resort’s first new coaster in 24 years. Built by German manufacturer Mack Rides for £16.25 million, it uses twin linear synchronous motor (LSM) launches to fire riders through a course that threads between the park’s other rides at ground level, overhead, and underground.
This guide answers the questions people actually search for about Icon: exactly how fast it goes, how long the track and ride time really are, and when it was built — from the first announcement in 2016 through to its opening day.
Quick Answer
Icon reaches a top speed of 52.8 mph (85 km/h) on its second launch and runs 3,750 ft (1,140 m) of track over a ride lasting about 2 minutes 41 seconds. It opened at Blackpool Pleasure Beach on 25 May 2018, having entered construction on 1 December 2016, at a total cost of £16.25 million.
How Fast Is Icon? (Both Launches Explained)
Icon doesn’t hit top speed straight away — it builds it across two separate LSM launches. The first launch fires the train to 50 mph (80 km/h) through a dark tunnel and straight into a 82 ft (25 m) top hat that passes beneath the lift hill of a neighbouring coaster.
After dropping back down and threading through a sequence of banked turns, a second LSM launch — the one most riders remember — accelerates the train to Icon’s true top speed of 52.8 mph (85 km/h), sending it up into a non-inverting 88.5 ft (27 m) junior Immelmann loop, the highest point on the ride. Riders feel up to 4.3 g through the transitions around this crest, making it one of the more forceful launch coasters in the UK despite its modest inversion count of just one.
How Long Is Icon? (Track Length & Ride Time)
Icon’s circuit measures 3,750 ft (1,140 m) end to end — roughly seven-tenths of a mile of track — making it one of the longest layouts at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. A full lap, from the first launch to the final brake run, takes about 2 minutes and 41 seconds.
That length is stretched deliberately across almost the entire footprint of the resort rather than being confined to one plot. The course intertwines with Big Dipper and Steeplechase, crosses over Steeplechase’s brake run, dives through two separate tunnels, and creates roughly 15 close-proximity interactions with neighbouring rides and structures — part of why Icon feels faster and bigger than its stats alone suggest.
When Was Icon Built? (Full Timeline)
Blackpool Pleasure Beach first announced plans for a new steel launch coaster on 28 September 2016, under the working name “Construction 2018.” Ground was broken and construction began on 1 December 2016, with foundation work — 282 concrete piles — reported as roughly 80% complete by the following spring.
The finished coaster’s name, Icon, was revealed on 11 April 2017 alongside CGI footage produced with Mack Rides. Roughly 18 months after construction started, Icon opened to the public on 25 May 2018, becoming the UK’s first multi-launch roller coaster and ending a 24-year gap since the park’s last new coaster.
The Ride Experience
Beyond the two launches, Icon’s course is built almost entirely from interaction with the rest of the park. After the first launch and top hat, the train works through a series of banked turns woven between Big Dipper and Steeplechase, executes a downward barrel roll, then disappears into a second tunnel ahead of the main launch into the junior Immelmann.
From there it’s a run of highly banked turns, airtime hills, a helix and two S-curves before the final brakes. Three trains operate at once, each made up of four cars carrying two riders across — 16 riders per train — keeping the loading and dispatch cycle fast for a ride this long.
Ensō: The Spinning Car Upgrade
In a later upgrade, the rearmost car of one train was converted into a free-spinning unit branded Ensō, named after the Japanese symbol for a circular form. Available for an extra fee, it lets riders in the back row spin freely through the course’s turns and inversion, adding an unpredictable, disorienting layer on top of Icon’s usual layout — and making it one of the only launched coasters in Europe to offer an optional spinning-seat experience.
Stats at a Glance
Park: Pleasure Beach Resort, Blackpool, England. Manufacturer: Mack Rides. Construction began: 1 December 2016. Opened: 25 May 2018. Cost: £16.25 million. Height: 88.5 ft (27 m). Top speed: 52.8 mph (85 km/h). First-launch speed: 50 mph (80 km/h). Length: 3,750 ft (1,140 m). Duration: approx. 2 min 41 sec. Inversions: 1. Max G-force: 4.3. Trains: 3, each with 4 cars carrying 16 riders.
icon blackpool speed & stats FAQs
How fast is Icon at Blackpool Pleasure Beach?
Icon’s top speed is 52.8 mph (85 km/h), reached on its second LSM launch into the junior Immelmann loop. Its first launch is slower, accelerating the train to 50 mph (80 km/h) through the entry tunnel.
How fast does Icon go at Blackpool Pleasure Beach exactly, in mph?
52.8 mph is Icon’s maximum speed. It’s produced by two separate launches rather than a single drop, which is why the ride feels faster than a one-launch coaster of similar top speed.
How long is Icon at Blackpool Pleasure Beach?
Icon’s track is 3,750 ft (1,140 m) long, and a full ride lasts roughly 2 minutes 41 seconds from the first launch to the closing brake run.
When was Icon built at Blackpool Pleasure Beach?
Construction began on 1 December 2016, the name Icon was revealed on 11 April 2017, and the ride opened to the public on 25 May 2018 at a cost of £16.25 million.
Where is Icon located?
Icon is located at Pleasure Beach Resort (commonly known as Blackpool Pleasure Beach) in Blackpool, Lancashire, England.
Who manufactured Icon?
Icon was designed and built by Mack Rides GmbH & Co KG, a German roller coaster manufacturer based in Waldkirch.
What made Icon a landmark when it opened?
Icon was the first multi-launch roller coaster in the United Kingdom when it opened in May 2018, and it ended a 24-year gap since Blackpool Pleasure Beach had last added a new coaster.
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