Puy du Fou: New Show and Hotel Extension

(eap) Just in time for the start of its 37^th season this past Saturday, the French theme park Puy du Fou was able to present a new show and to open a hotel extension, further increasing the accommodation capacity. The park aims at building on last year’s success with a record of some 2.8 million visitors.

The new show is entitled “L'Épée du roi Arthur” and is about King Arthur, telling the story of the origins of Puy du Fou. The scens take free inspiration from the world of the knights of the King Arthur’s Round Table. Innovative special effects and stage technologies are used, some of which have been adapted from the aviation and automotive industries. The repertoire includes a moving stage set weighing over 40 tonnes as well as a seemingly living tree, a floating stone throne, quicksand and a face that appears in stone. The production takes place on a 3,000 square metre stage in front of up to 2,000 spectators and can be performed up to eight times on peak days. The park has invested a total of ten million euros in the new production.

© Photo: Puy du Fou, Laura Evrat Alongside the expansion of the show programme, the park has also increased its accommodation capacity. A new Gallo-Roman street has been created in the “Cité Nocturne”, behind the facades of which there are some 100 additional family rooms of the Hotel La Villa Gallo-Romaine. The themed rooms each offer space for up to five people and are designed to exude an antique atmosphere. A new restaurant called “L’Atrium” has also been opened, which is accessible without a car park ticket. Puy du Fou now has a total of 600 hotel rooms.

According to the operator, existing shows have also been revised. For example, the spectacle “Le Signe du Triomphe” will have a new main character – a boy called Aurélien, played by students from the company’s own art academy. And the evening show “Les Noces de Feu” will also feature some new characters.

During the season, which runs through 2 November, guests can enjoy a total of 20 shows in the park. From 7 June, there will also be regular performances of the popular “La Cinéscénie” evening show. ■