The First Live Action Show Park Opens in the UK

After years of planning, design and construction, Kynren – The Storied Lands opens to the public on 18 July, marking the launch of one of the country's most ambitious new visitor attractions.

Photo credits: Kynren

Created by the team behind the award-winning Kynren – An Epic Tale of England, the new daytime attraction transforms a 150-acre site in Bishop Auckland into a series of immersive worlds where history, myth and legend are brought to life through live performance, spectacular sets, music, animals and storytelling.

Visitors will experience five large scale productions; each staged in its own purpose-built performance space.

The Lost Feather is a unique free flight bird experience featuring sea eagles, vultures, African crowned cranes, macaws, owls and many other species flying overhead while exploring humanity's relationship with birds and the natural world.

Land of the Vikings, where visitors explore a recreated Norse settlement before witnessing an action-packed live show of fire and battle. The Trusty Steed, celebrating the remarkable partnership between horse and rider through stunt riding and horsemanship.

Legend of the Wear, a dramatic retelling of the Lambton Worm on a vast lakeside stage.

Victorian Imaginariums, meet extra-ordinary Victorian characters in this winding garden maze– a curious walk-through experience. Two of the productions, The Lost Feather and Legend of the Wear, feature original musical scores recorded by the BBC Concert Orchestra.

Photo credits: Kynren

Anna Warnecke, CEO of Kynren, said: “Saturday marks far more than the opening of a new attraction. It represents years of ambition, creativity and dedication from an extraordinary team who believed we could create something completely new for the UK. For the past 10 years we've welcomed audiences to Kynren – An Epic Tale of England, and now we're opening an experience that allows visitors to spend an entire day immersed in spectacular live entertainment. “We can't wait to welcome our very first guests and begin this exciting new chapter,” she added.

Charlotte Boissinot, Creative Director, said: “For years these shows have existed only in sketches, storyboards, rehearsals and the imagination of our creative team. To finally stand in each arena and see audiences experiencing them exactly as we imagined is incredibly emotional. Every costume, every soundtrack, every set and every performance has been crafted to transport visitors into another story. Opening day is the moment those stories truly come to life,” she added.

Photo credits: Kynren

"Behind every show is years of engineering, innovation and craftsmanship,” said Graham Emerson, Chief Technical Officer. “Creating five completely different live action productions, each with its own purpose-built performance space, specialist effects and complex technical systems, has been an enormous undertaking. Seeing everything ready for opening day is something the entire team is immensely proud of, and we can't wait for visitors to experience what we've created,” he added.

The Lost Feather has been developed by Curator of Birds and Conservation Jimmy Robinson, whose team has created one of the UK's largest free-flight bird experiences. “Every bird in The Lost Feather is an ambassador for its species,” said Jimmy. “We hope visitors leave amazed by their beauty and inspired to care about the incredible wildlife we share our planet with. Watching sea eagles, vultures, crowned cranes, macaws and owls soaring freely above the audience is a truly unforgettable experience, but at its heart the show is about celebrating our relationship with birds and why conservation matters.”

Photo credits: Kynren

The opening of Kynren – The Storied Lands builds on the success of Kynren – An Epic Tale of England, which has become one of the UK's leading outdoor live shows since its debut in 2016.

Kynren – The Storied Lands is open from 18 July to 12 September, Tuesday to Sunday. Visitors receive a personalised itinerary to ensure they experience all five live productions during their visit.

The evening spectacular continues every Saturday throughout the summer, together with additional performances on Friday 21 August and Friday 4 September, allowing visitors to combine both attractions in a full day and evening experience.