10 dismal seaside sights that could be in Banksy’s Dismaland | London Evening Standard

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10 dismal seaside sights that could be in Banksy’s DismalandCan’t get tickets to Dismaland? Here’s how to recreate the experience at the British seaside for freeWeston-super-Mare's Birnbeck pier on the verge of collapsingGetty

There have been some rather weird and wonderful goings on in Weston-super-Mare this week - a giant distorted mermaid, an upturned pumpkin carriage and a ghoulish ferris wheel all rolled into town as the street artist Banksy unveiled a secretly assembled anarchy-infused theme park in the local disused lido.

The aptly titled Dismaland houses all kinds of subversive attractions including a dilapidated fairytale castle, a Jeffrey Archer book burning fire pit and a Jimmy Saville Punch & Judy performance.

But many people who were hoping to buy £3 tickets to the grim amusement park were left disappointed today, as the website crashed under overwhelming demand from Banksy fans amid rumours that the artist was simply trolling us all with a fake ticket purchase portal.

The chances of latecomers grabbing tickets are looking slim, and with the park only open for one month between August and September this year, it’s unlikely that further tickets will be released.

Installation: Banksy's DismalandMatthew Horwood/Getty Images

But it’s not all doom and gloom - there’s still good news for ticketless Banksy fans who are looking to recreate the original experience elsewhere. We’ve noticed there are plenty more subversive sights around the seaside towns of the UK that could easily feature in the artist’s ‘bemusement park’.

Pack a picnic, throw on a waterproof jacket and make a cultural pitstop at ten of Britain's synonymous seaside landmarks...

Nightmare piers

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Very literal signs

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Soul-destroying arcade games

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Scenic seaside trains

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Picture perfect views

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Tropical waters

<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4"> <div> <div> <div> </div> </div> <a rel="nofollow" href="https://instagram.com/p/6LZ7xbs3eH/" target="_blank" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-2918781-https://instagram.com/p/6LZ7xbs3eH/" data-vars-event-id="c23">#seaside#westonsupermare#britishsummertime#sea#dayatthebeach</a> A photo posted by Tony Cunningham (@tony_2156) on <time datetime="2015-08-09T21:46:08+00:00">Aug 9, 2015 at 2:46pm PDT</time>This unsettling hotdog </div>

Apocalyptic weather

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Unspoilt views

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Golden sands

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Unsettling signs

<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4"> <div> <div> <div> </div> </div> <a rel="nofollow" href="https://instagram.com/p/6KpviDmkay/" target="_blank" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-2918781-https://instagram.com/p/6KpviDmkay/" data-vars-event-id="c23">Something unsettling about this #pier #westonsupermare</a> A photo posted by Phil (@pipfreak) on <time datetime="2015-08-09T14:45:02+00:00">Aug 9, 2015 at 7:45am PDT</time> </div>

Sad wildlife

<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4"> <div> <div> <div> </div> </div> <a rel="nofollow" href="https://instagram.com/p/54shhdzRtr/" target="_blank" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-2918781-https://instagram.com/p/54shhdzRtr/" data-vars-event-id="c23">#breandown #blackandwhitephotography #monochrome #somerset #breandown #westonsupermare #southwest #solitary #joshuatree</a> A photo posted by Chris Mitchard (@mitchagogo) on <time datetime="2015-08-02T15:23:01+00:00">Aug 2, 2015 at 8:23am PDT</time> </div>

Friendly wildlife

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Tranquil sea walks

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Seen a Banksy-worthy sight in the UK? Tweet us @ESLife&Style