Blockbuster Celebration: “50 Years of Europa-Park” Anniversary Gala

(eap) From July 11th to 13th, Europa-Park celebrated its grand anniversary weekend marking the park’s 50^th anniversary (read also our feature article on 50 Years of Europa-Park in EAP 2/2025). While the entire year is filled with a variety of special events and activities for guests, this weekend – exactly half a century after the official opening on July 12^th, 1975 – represented a significant highlight in the anniversary calendar.

© Europa-Park The centrepiece was a festive anniversary gala held in the Europa-Park Arena, featuring a spectacular journey through five decades of the park’s history. Numerous guests from the worlds of business, politics, culture, entertainment, and the leisure industry attended the event. Moderated by Steven Gätjen and Christa Rigozzi, the evening offered an emotional retrospective of Europa-Park’s development from its early days to its international success as a family-owned resort destination. A variety of Europa-Park artists and musicians took to the stage with a vibrant show programme, including a moving tribute to park founder Franz Mack, who passed away in 2010 (cf. EAP News from 6 March 2021).

“Europa-Park is a place of joy, wonder and togetherness for so many people. Being able to look back on 50 years of success with so many guests fills us with deep gratitude. What began as a small amusement park with a bold vision has grown into an international short-break destination that continues to inspire generations. This evening is not just a look back at what we have achieved, but also a look ahead – we want to continue serving our more than six million guests per year with passion, innovation and responsibility,” stated Roland Mack, founder and owner of Europa-Park.

© Europa-Park The weekend also marked the world premiere of the park’s first full-length feature film “Grand Prix of Europe” (cf. EAP News from 12 July 2024), shown at Europa-Park. In collaboration with Warner Bros. Film Productions Germany, the park is now bringing its beloved mascots to the big screen for the first time.

Michael Mack, producer of the film as well as managing partner of Europa-Park and CEO of MACK Magic, expressed his pride in the project: “This is a milestone for the eighth generation of our family business, as we establish ourselves as film producers. It’s also a heartfelt project that brings the magic of Europa-Park to a new medium. GRAND PRIX OF EUROPE takes audiences on a journey across Europe, blending emotion, speed and humour, and tells a story about the courage to dream big – a film for the whole family.” (Read our interview with Michael Mack on the future of emotional experiences in the digital age in EAP 3/2025.)

The film was produced under the direction of MACK Magic in Rust, with Lars Goldenbogen and Tobias Mundinger serving as executive producers. Director Waldemar Fast led a team of around 100 creatives from MACK Animation, based in Hanover. The original score was composed by Academy Award winner Volker Bertelmann.

The film is set to premiere in cinemas across Germany, Austria, and German-speaking Switzerland on July 24th. ■