Live music and theme park rides until sunset: Our review of Drayton Manor’s Summer Nights event

One of Drayton Manor's unique selling points has always been that it has more for young children than most theme parks, while also catering superbly for older children, teenagers and adults.

As a family-of-four with young children, we spent most of the day at Thomas Land and that was as rewarding as it's always been, made even more enjoyable by the introduction of new water ride Submarine Splash.

You'll be hard-pressed to find a four-year-old anywhere who doesn't think Thomas Land is the most magical place in the world. It's the best possible introduction to the adrenaline-fuelled fun of a theme park, with rides such as the Troublesome Trucks rollercoaster giving younger children just a little taste of what awaits them in the main park when they're older.

But at weekends, as the sun starts to set, Drayton Manor undergoes a subtle but noticeable transition, and envelops visitors in a new, vibrant atmosphere of live music, colourful food and drink and late night rides.

With its electric neon branding, Summer Nights is what happens when a theme park's creative team truly embraces the spirit of summer, and even though it's obviously more grown up than Thomas Land, it somehow manages to maintain the family appeal. At one point, my one-year-old daughter demanded to get out of her buggy and was soon bopping adorably to Don't Stop Believin'.

Summer Nights takes place every weekend between July 1 and August 27 with different bands, DJs and live musicians performing each weekend.

We were lucky enough to be treated to Born In The 80s - a band blasting out universally-loved hits like the aforementioned Journey track, Dancing on the Ceiling and Heaven Is A Place On Earth.

The food and drink on offer at the restaurants and stalls aligned nicely with the live music and neon, summer vibe - with colourful frozen slushies seemingly promoted as the drinks to try, but alcoholic drinks are available too.

I indulged in a Drayton Dream which carried with it an air of mystery throughout the day until I finally asked for one. I must say it's probably an acquired taste, combining two slushy flavours and creamy vanilla ice cream.

Perhaps the most exciting thing about Summer Nights is the opportunity to ride Drayton Manor's biggest and best rides long into the evening.

Because both our children currently aren't tall enough for some of the more serious rides, I went on a few by myself, but we managed to catch a trip on the park train at around 6pm, which was a real treat for my railway-loving son.

Overall, Summer Nights is an enchanting late-night event that should not be missed by theme park enthusiasts or by people who enjoy unique evenings out.

With its neon branding, colourful drinks and live music, this vibrant celebration of summer offers a party experience that will leave you with some genuinely pleasant memories.

It runs every weekend from July 1 to August 27, tickets are £20 and you can buy them here: https://www.draytonmanor.co.uk/theme-park/events/summer-nights.