Glencar has been appointed as main contractor for the £50m Minecraft World development at Chessington World of Adventures, marking a significant step forward for one of the UK’s most high-profile themed entertainment projects. The attraction is being delivered for Merlin Entertainments in partnership with Mojang Studios, the creator of Minecraft, and is scheduled to open at the Greater London theme park in 2027.
Announced by Merlin earlier this year, Minecraft World is being described as the first fully immersive theme park land based on the globally successful video game franchise. The scheme will combine themed rides, interactive environments and family-focused entertainment designed to recreate elements of the Minecraft universe within a physical setting.
The development will feature a Minecraft-themed rollercoaster alongside a range of interactive attractions, block-inspired playscapes, retail units and themed food and beverage spaces. The project reflects the continued growth of intellectual property-led attractions within the leisure and tourism sector, where operators increasingly rely on globally recognised entertainment brands to drive visitor numbers and long-term engagement.
Glencar confirmed that structural steelwork has now commenced on site, signalling the transition from groundwork and enabling works into the vertical construction phase. The contractor said this milestone marks the point at which the scheme is beginning to emerge visibly above ground level.
The project involves extensive civil engineering and structural works, including large-scale foundations designed to support both the themed buildings and the attraction infrastructure. The integration of ride systems, specialist structural elements and heavily themed architectural finishes adds further complexity to the programme, particularly within an operational theme park environment where public access and visitor safety must be maintained throughout construction.
Delivering major works within a live leisure destination presents significant logistical and operational challenges. Construction activity must be carefully sequenced around park operations, visitor circulation routes and seasonal attendance patterns, while noise, access and site safety require constant management. Coordination between contractors, ride specialists, structural engineers and themed entertainment designers is also critical given the technical requirements of immersive attraction projects.
The attraction forms part of Merlin Entertainments’ wider strategy to expand its portfolio of globally recognised intellectual property experiences. Minecraft, first released in 2011, remains one of the world’s most commercially successful video games, with a large international audience spanning children, families and adult players. Translating the digital environment into a fully immersive physical destination requires a combination of themed construction, digital integration and experiential design.
Merlin Entertainments senior vice-president of global brand Angela Jobson said the attraction would allow families to “play, explore and craft together”.
Minecraft senior creative director of entertainment Torfi Frans Ólafsson said the project would let visitors experience the Minecraft Overworld in physical form.
The scheme also highlights the growing intersection between construction, entertainment and experiential design. Modern themed attractions increasingly combine advanced structural engineering with immersive storytelling, digital technology and bespoke architectural detailing. Contractors working within the sector must therefore manage not only conventional construction delivery but also the integration of specialist ride systems, audiovisual infrastructure and highly detailed thematic finishes.
For Glencar, the appointment adds another major leisure and entertainment project to its portfolio. The contractor has been involved in a range of commercial, industrial and logistics developments across the UK, and the Chessington project represents a high-profile addition within the specialist attractions market.
Minecraft World is expected to become a major visitor draw for Chessington World of Adventures once completed, reinforcing the park’s position within the UK leisure sector while contributing to wider tourism activity across Greater London. The combination of branded entertainment, large-scale themed construction and immersive visitor experiences reflects the direction of travel within the global attractions industry, where operators continue investing heavily in destination-led environments built around internationally recognised franchises.
