Lido Ponty, the National Lido of Wales, is making waves again this year, and it’s clear people can’t get enough! As the only facility of its kind in Wales, the stunning open-air attraction in the heart of Ynysangharad War Memorial Park continues to draw in thousands of visitors, cementing its place as one of top leisure destinations in Wales.
Even with a slightly later start to the season, over 47,000 visitors have already enjoyed the unique experience of swimming in outdoor heated pools, whizzing down the inflatable slides, or simply soaking up the sunshine in the beautifully restored Grade II listed Lido Ponty.
With early morning swims, splash-filled fun sessions, and even cold-water dips through the cooler months, it offers something for everyone.
Its popularity isn’t just weather-driven, although the recent sunshine certainly helps! The Lido’s success reflects a winning combination of family-friendly activities and the wider appeal of Pontypridd town centre’s shops and cafés, with more people than ever are visiting the town centre!
Between January and June this year, footfall was well and truly up in Pontypridd town centre, which welcomed over 1.4 million visitors – a 36.6% jump compared to the same time last year, and a huge boost that bucks the national trend.
To support our town centre businesses, financial support is available to qualifying businesses, providing a further £500 off rates to businesses that qualify for the 40% rate relief offered by the Welsh Government’s Retail, Leisure and Hospitality Rates Relief scheme. This means that many town centre businesses can benefit from significantly reduced or even zero businesses rates as a result.
Simon Gale, Director of Prosperity & Development at Rhondda Cynon Taf Council said, said:
“Lido Ponty is something really special—not just for Pontypridd but for all of Wales. It’s the only one of its kind, and people travel far and wide to enjoy it. The visitor numbers and town centre footfall figures show just how much people value what we have here. It’s brilliant to see Pontypridd going from strength to strength.”
