Chessington World of Adventures, the theme park and zoo in south-west London, closed for the whole of Monday 10 August 2026 after a water outage struck the surrounding area. The resort said tickets booked for that day would be refunded or made valid for another visit, though it gave no explanation for the cause or an expected reopening time.
Thames Water later confirmed that a burst water main was disrupting supply in the KT9 area and said a specialist team had been sent to carry out repairs, according to the Standard. No timeframe for restoring service or reopening the park was given.
What happened to visitors already on site?
Some guests had already arrived and were queuing after the park's usual 10am opening time before staff informed them it would not open at all, per the Standard's report. The park's fan-run account, Chessington Buzz, said the closure was down to health and safety concerns, and noted that the site had also experienced a power cut on Saturday and limited ride availability on Sunday, adding to a difficult few days for visitors during peak summer.
What does this mean for ticket holders?
According to the closure notice cited by the Standard, tickets for the affected day would be automatically revalidated under the park's Return Promise scheme, allowing visitors to use them on a future date. This aligns with the park's own statement that bookings would be refunded or reissued, though the added detail of an automatic revalidation process was not mentioned in the original announcement.
The shutdown lands in the middle of the school summer holidays, traditionally one of the busiest stretches for UK theme parks, meaning the disruption is likely to have affected a significant number of planned family visits.
Has this happened before?
Chessington previously shut for a day in July 2018 following a burst water main that cut off supply or reduced pressure for homes and businesses nearby. That same year, a separate power cut at the park left 16 people needing rescue after two rollercoasters stalled mid-ride, according to earlier coverage.
The latest incident is not the only recent water-related disruption to hit venues in the region. In late July 2026, a water supply issue disrupted terminals at Gatwick Airport, closing restaurants and leaving toilets out of order after a power failure at a treatment works. Kent has also faced repeated water problems this year, including thousands of homes left without water after a burst pipe in Tonbridge in early August 2026.
What happens next?
Thames Water said its engineers were continuing repair work on the burst main, but as of the closure no confirmed time had been given for when supply, and the park itself, would return to normal. Chessington apologised for the inconvenience and thanked visitors for their patience while the situation was resolved.
Key Facts
- Chessington World of Adventures closed entirely on Monday 10 August 2026 due to a water outage.
- Thames Water attributed the disruption to a burst water main in the KT9 area.
- Tickets for the day were to be refunded or automatically revalidated for future use under the park's Return Promise.
- The park had also suffered a power cut on Saturday and limited ride availability on Sunday beforehand.
- A similar closure occurred in July 2018 after a separate burst water main affected the surrounding area.
