Six Flags Great Adventure is planning to reset the boundaries of roller coaster engineering with a towering new attraction that will launch riders skyward, spin them inverted, and deliver an experience unprecedented in the industry.
The New Jersey park officially revealed its plans on Tuesday for Bakunawa, a coaster drawing inspiration from a legendary sea serpent in Philippine mythology. Opening in 2027, it is poised to shatter six world records and rank among the tallest coasters on Earth.
Standing 382 feet high, Bakunawa will accelerate to 100 mph over a 3,163-foot track. Riders will experience three launches, including the world’s first upside-down launch, while riding in free-spinning floorless trains that rotate continuously, ensuring each journey feels distinct.
On July 28, 2026, Six Flags Great Adventure unveiled Bakunawa, its latest record-setting roller coaster. (Six Flags Great Adventure / Unknown)
You’ll ascend 90 degrees straight up to the top of the 382-foot tower, momentarily slide around the exterior, which is terrifying and awe-inspiring at once, before decelerating,” said Mike Fehnel, park president, according to USA Today. “Then you’ll repeat the entire sequence in reverse.”
The park states that Bakunawa will claim the titles of the world’s fastest and tallest spinning coaster. It will also set records for the fastest inversion, the longest stall inversion, the first floorless spinning coaster, and the first inverted launch.
Guests will ascend the coaster’s towering spire, pause momentarily, and then plunge back toward the ground. (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect / Reuters Photos)
The coaster’s name references Bakunawa, a mythical serpent from folklore that rises from the sea to swallow the moon. Riders will climb to the top of the spire, pause briefly while the train rotates so they face the sky, the ground, or a mix, and then plummet back to Earth.
The seats for Six Flags Great Adventure’s new record-setting Bakunawa coaster were revealed on Tuesday, July 28, 2026. (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect / Reuters Photos)
Bakunawa will anchor a redesigned Boardwalk area at Six Flags Great Adventure, though the park has not disclosed a precise opening date or further details about the renovation.
The experience will feature two trains, each accommodating 20 riders, with a minimum height requirement of 48 inches. Individual rides are expected to last approximately two minutes and seventeen seconds.
