Almost a decade after signing the MoU with the Tamil Nadu Government, Wonderla Holidays – the renowned theme park chain – has officially announced the launch of Wonderla Chennai. This is the company’s fifth park and is spread over 64.30 acres – of which 37 acres are already developed – along Chennai’s Old Mahabalipuram Road and was built at an investment of over ₹611 crore. The park will be officially inaugurated on 1 December 2025 by Chief Minister MK Stalin and open to the public on 2 December 2025. Wonderla Chennai is expected to create more than 1000 direct and indirect jobs.
An MoU for this project was signed on 10 September 2025 during the first Global Investors Meet (GIM 2015) between Wonderla Holidays Ltd and the Tamil Nadu Industrial Guidance and Export Promotion Bureau, operating under the Industries Department. In 2018, the theme park operator said it would scrap its investment plans in the state if the government did not withdraw the 10% local body tax (LBT). The company said at a press meet in Chennai on Tuesday that it has now been exempted from local tax (LBT) levied over and above GST – for a fixed period.
Arun K Chittilappilly, Executive Chairman and Managing Director, Wonderla Holidays said, “We wanted Wonderla Chennai to truly belong to the people of Tamil Nadu, to reflect their creativity, culture and warmth. Every corner of the park tells this story, from its temple-inspired design to its authentic local flavors. This launch not only marks our presence across South India and the progressive vision of South India, but also the infrastructure.”
Asked if Gen Z is interested in theme parks, Dheeran Choudhary, COO, Wonderla Holidays said they make up 35-40% of footfall. He then added, “Every aspect of the park, from ride operations and guest services to sanitation and crowd management, has been planned with precision to provide a seamless experience.” The duo also stated: 20-25% of the people who come to our parks in Kochi and Bangalore are from Tamil Nadu.
The Chennai facility has 43 rides including 9 land thrill rides, 10 family rides, 16 water rides and 8 kiddie rides. Most of the rides were made in Europe. The group has four parks across India – Kochi, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Bhubaneswar.
Published – 18 Nov 2025 21:14 IST
