Butlin’s has long been synonymous with cheap, family-friendly seaside breaks, but recent decades have seen the bucket-and-spade brand quietly reinventing itself.
On certain weekends throughout the year – usually off-peak – there isn’t a child in sight at Butlin’s three UK parks: Bognor Regis, Minehead, and its original site in Skegness.
The adult-only weekend packages see the resorts double up as a playground for grown-ups, where they can, for 48 hours, be big kids again.
I’ve been going to the Bognor Regis resort every year since Mighty Hoopla’s Big Weekender launched, and each time has been pure joy.
You’ll often find me skipping between stages, watching some of the biggest pop stars from my childhood performing – including Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Mel C and B*Witched among them.
So when Mighty Hoopla announced it would be leaving Butlin’s for the more luxurious (and significantly pricier) Malta last year, I was gutted.
Enter: Don’t Tell Mama – a brand-new LGBTQ+ weekender that filled the January spot at the Bognor resort this year.
I’ll admit, I was sceptical at first, dismissing it as a Hoopla knock-off.
Hayley Minn went to Butlin’s Bognor Regis for a fun-filled weekend LGBTQ+ weekender, Don’t Tell Mama – and felt like a big kid at the arcade
Guests get to tackle a round of Las Vegas-themed mini golf at the PLAYXPERIENCE centre, which opened at the end of 2024 following a £15 million investment
Just Dance! Donna Marie as Lady Gaga – Hayley’s favourite act of the entire weekend
After all, Hoopla has since grown into one of London’s biggest festivals, with Lily Allen and Scissor Sisters headlining this summer.
Even Don’t Tell Mama’s promoter, David Hill – one of the co-founders of Brighton Pride CIC – doesn’t shy away from the comparison, openly admitting he came to see it in action at Butlin’s in 2024, and ‘studied what they did in a lot of detail’.
As I stand at the barrier screaming along to the most astonishing Lady Gaga tribute act I’ve ever seen (only Gaga herself could out-perform Donna Marie), I’m very happy to eat my words.
Donna Marie rolling through Gaga’s greatest hits is the perfect finale to a phenomenally camp three days, one that’s been packed with nostalgia-fuelled performances from 90s and noughties stars, including Claire ‘from Steps’ Richards, The Wanted 2.0 and The Vengaboys.
Yet it’s not just the cheesy pop that makes the weekend such a hit – it’s the atmosphere, starting with our first night, during which we watch The Traitors finale on a big screen with everyone shouting like it’s a football match.
Everyone we meet is friendly, giddy with excitement, and determined to relive their youth.
So welcoming are the guests at Butlin’s that I muster up enough confidence to perform Lady Marmalade onstage at karaoke to a 100-strong crowd, all dressed in glitter, in line with the weekend’s theme.
There’s nowhere off limits for pure fun. Arcades are dotted all over the site, complete with dance mats (which I obviously attempt multiple times) and giant versions of childhood games like Hungry Hippos and Bop It! – I end up winning an alarming amounts of tokens on the latter.
The Bognor resort has had handsome investment in recent years, including in futuristic arcade games. Pictured: Hayley has a go on a shoot-out at the VRCade
There are plenty of nostalgic arcade games dotted around Butlin’s – including Hungry Hippos (pictured)
The real highlight, though, is Butlin’s new PLAYXPERIENCE centre, which opened at the end of 2024 following a £15 million investment.
The two-storey space houses nine state-of-the-art attractions, from escape rooms to Digi Darts.
We try TechPutt – a crazy golf experience where sensors automatically track your score, complete with over-the-top Vegas-themed holes and even quiz questions answered by rolling your ball. It’s very fun.
There’s also the VRCade: a room packed with virtual-reality racing games, shootouts and simulators.
Over the course of an hour, we battle zombies, fly through space and ski down mountains, laughing hysterically – until our fifth or sixth go on a roller coaster leaves us all slightly nauseous after one too many vodka and cokes the night before.
Thankfully, the onsite water park offers some gentle recovery time. We float around on flamingo-shaped lilos, soak in the hot tub, and completely lose it laughing on the rapids.
Food is another pleasant surprise. Upgrading to a dining package is well worth it, with generous breakfast and dinner buffets serving cuisines from around the world, including a live cooking station.
Packed with nostalgia…the weekends feature a host of 90s and noughties pop stars, with Claire Richards, of Steps fame, performs in January
Remember them? The Vengaboys headlined the most recent Don’t Tell Mama Weekender
Alongside sausages and pancakes at breakfast, we tuck into an excellent burger at a bottomless brunch hosted by drag queens Mahatma Khandi and Ella V Ryde.
Cocktails flow freely as numbers are shouted in a chaotic bingo game, before the whole room erupts into an impressively long conga line around the restaurant.
When it’s finally time to rest, our two-bedroom suite on the top floor of the Wave Hotel feels like a sanctuary.
There’s a spacious lounge for pre-drinks and getting ready together, plus a wraparound balcony with sweeping sea views – the perfect contrast to the chaos below.
Don’t Tell Mama has already announced it’s returning next year – with Jo O’Meara from S Club 7 and Strictly star La Voix headlining, along with Freemasons.
And David insists there’ll be more huge acts added throughout the year, with Grace Jones, Olly Alexander and Mel C at the top of his wish list.
Whoever plays next year, my friends and I will certainly be there!
TRAVEL FACTS
The Don’t Tell Mama LGBTQ+ Weekender at Bognor Regis is one of several adult-only breaks at Butlins.
Prices start from around £114pp, based on four sharing a two bedroom Comfort Room in Bognor Regis or £438pp based on four sharing a two bedroom Wave Hotel Room.
Prices include access to live music venues and activities; dining packages start from £25.95 per adult, per day.
Visit butlins.com/bigweekenders for more information.
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