A MAJOR seaside tourist attraction is set to reopen after a Dragon’s Den judge saved the iconic building.
The Brighton i360, which suddenly closed in December 2024, was bought over by Nightcap Ltd in February.
The Brighton i360 looks set to reopen[/caption]
The attraction was bought over by Nightcap Ltd in February.[/caption]
The company’s CEO and Dragon’s Den judge Sarah Willingham welcomed in punters to the tower’s pod and gift shop earlier today.
Customers flocking back to the attraction will still need to fork out £18.50 for a pre-booked ticket.
However, the i360 has introduced £5 tickets for adults and £2.50 for children who live in BN1, BN2, BN3 and BN41 postcodes.
“This is very much a phased opening,” Mrs Willingham said.
At the end of last year the i360, which provides visitors with incredible panoramic views of Brighton and Hove, filed for insolvency.
Interpath Advisory, the viewpoint’s administrators, needed to act in the best interests of creditors.
As the building’s largest creditor, the council had to agree to release the debt owed by Brighton i360.
The Brighton beach attraction, dubbed “i-sore” by locals, first opened in August 2016 with the help of £30 million’s worth of funding from the council.
City bosses claimed it would become an iconic global landmark attracting millions of tourists to the resort.
But its first 12 months were plagued by mechanical and technical faults which caused the viewing pod to become stuck leaving visitors stranded high in the air.
Falling visitor numbers, bad weather and up to £20 ticket prices left the attraction struggling to pay its debt and then the Covid pandemic struck.
Operators had promised to pay back the loan and pledged the attraction would bring “millions” of tourists into the city.
Deputy leader Jacob Taylor said: “The new government has provided a significant uplift in local government funding, but the cumulative underfunding of local government over the past 10 years is taking its toll.
“As a council that listens to its residents, we would like as many people as possible, from as many communities as possible, to take part in this budget exercise and share their views.”
The plea was met with outrage online, with one user saying: “I am absolutely stunned.
“I remember thousands of people objecting to the i360 when plans were first unveiled, especially the cost of it.
“When I heard the councillor asking for ideas to save £30million it was like being hit in the face with a wet fish.
“So in answer to the request for ideas I would say: ‘Listen to your taxpayers, councillor.’”
