Orbit slide: Excitement as tickets go on sale for world's biggest tunnel chute

Whoosh: Riders will slide for about 40 seconds from a height of 76m
Sebastian Mann27 April 2016

Tickets have gone on sale for a massive tunnel slide down the Orbit tower at east London's Olympic park.

Bosses said just a handful of tickets remained for the opening weekend following an “incredible” response in the hours after the announcement on Tuesday.

Adult tickets cost £17, with £12 paying for access to the twisted sculpture and £5 for the slide, which spirals downwards from a height of 76m.

It will take average riders about 40 seconds to zip down the 178m chute at up to 15mph.

Work in progress: The slide is set to open on June 24
PA

Its creators say the £3.5m ride will be the world’s tallest and longest tunnel slide when it opens on June 24.

It was designed by German-Belgian artist Carsten Holler after he was commissioned by Sir Anish Kapoor, who created the sculpture in time for the London 2012 Olympics.

Today Sir Anish said he hoped to be among the first people to travel down the slide with Mayor of London Boris Johnson, adding he wanted to make sure the Mayor of London’s feet land “firmly in Europe” – a reference to the EU referendum debate.

Mr Johnson, who is backing the Leave campaign, will be out of office when the slide opens as the capital elects a new mayor on May 5.

Sir Anish emphasised that a vote for Brexit would impact creative projects, adding: "It will certainly have an effect on our ability, outside of Europe, to make projects like this, so we pray and hope and work to stay in."

Peter Tudor, director of visitor service at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, said: “The response to the slide at the ArcelorMittal Orbit has been incredible and we expect the excitement to increase the closer we get to 24 June, when the world’s tallest and longest slide opens.”

Tickets for the slide are on sale now at www.acelormittalorbit.com.

Additional reporting by PA

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