Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Announces the Closure of Its Kumba Roller Coaster

- Michelle Snow
Kumba Roller Coaster
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay – Kumba

After thrilling guests for 33 years, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has announced the Kumba® roller coaster will close this summer.

Visitors are invited to enjoy one final roar on the iconic attraction before it closes on Sunday, August 2, 2026.

Debuting in 1993, Kumba was the tallest, fastest, and longest roller coaster in Florida at the time, and featured the world’s tallest vertical loop. During the almost three-minute ride, guests experience a 135-foot drop, top speed of 60 miles per hour and seven inversions.

Kumba quickly became a fan-favorite ride, and enthusiasts have consistently voted Kumba as one of the world’s best roller coasters.

While Kumba may be retiring this summer, Busch Gardens has already announced it will be continuing the Kumba story with Kumba’s Revenge!

This new attraction is a part of a $100 million investment.

The park also says Annual Pass members for Busch Gardens Tampa Bay will get the opportunity for exclusive ride time from 8-11am on August 1sr ahead of the ride’s retirement.

For more information, visit BuschGardens.com.

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About Michelle Snow

Michelle is the owner and editor of CitySurfing Orlando. She also owns Zengrrl.com, is a freelance writer specializing in travel and entertainment, has authored/co-authored four guidebooks on Orlando and Florida, and was head editor/writer at TheDisneyBlog.com for 10 years. She's lived in Orlando near Walt Disney World since 1995, and still finds there's so much fun to be had in Central Florida.
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