Merlin Entertainments Regulatory News (MERL)

TR-1: NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTEREST IN SHARES i

1. Identity of the issuer or the underlying issuer of existing shares to which voting rights are attached: ii

MERLIN ENTERTAINMENTS PLC

2 Reason for the notification (please tick the appropriate box or boxes):

An acquisition or disposal of voting rights

X

An acquisition or disposal of qualifying financial instruments which may result in the acquisition of shares already issued to which voting rights are attached

An acquisition or disposal of instruments with similar economic effect to qualifying financial instruments

An event changing the breakdown of voting rights

Other (please specify):

3. Full name of person(s) subject to the notification obligation: iii

BLACKROCK, INC.

4. Full name of shareholder(s)

(if different from 3.): iv

5. Date of the transaction and date on which the threshold is crossed or reached: v

5 JULY 2016

6. Date on which issuer notified:

6 JULY 2016

7. Threshold(s) that is/are crossed or

reached: vi, vii

VOTING RIGHTS ATTACHED TO SHARE HOLDING FOR BLACKROcK INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT (uk) LIMITED HAS GONE ABOVE 5%.

TOTAL HOLDING FOR BLACKROCK, INC. REMAINS ABOVE 5%

8. Notified details:

A: Voting rights attached to shares viii, ix

Class/type ofshares

if possible usingthe ISIN CODE

Situation previousto the triggeringtransaction

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

NumberofShares

NumberofVotingRights

Numberof shares

Number of votingrights

% of voting rights x

Direct

Direct xi

Indirect xii

Direct

Indirect

GB00BDZT6P94

85,656,694

85,656,694

N/A

N/A

84,900,228

N/A

8.37%

B: Qualifying Financial Instruments

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

Type of financialinstrument

Expirationdate xiii

Exercise/ConversionPeriod xiv

Number of votingrights that may beacquired if theinstrument isexercised/converted.

% of votingrights

  Securities Lending

3,626,427

0.35%

C: Financial Instruments with similar economic effect to Qualifying Financial Instruments xv, xvi

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

Type of financialinstrument

Exerciseprice

Expirationdate xvii

Exercise/Conversionperiod xviii

Number of votingrights instrumentrefers to

% of voting rights xix, xx

CFD

7,592

Nominal

Delta

0.00%

0.00%

Total (A+B+C)

Number of voting rights

Percentage of voting rights

88,534,247

8.73%

9. Chain of controlled undertakings through which the voting rights and/or thefinancial instruments are effectively held, if applicable: xxi

SEE ANNEX

Proxy Voting:

10. Name of the proxy holder:

11. Number of voting rights proxy holder will cease to hold:

12. Date on which proxy holder will cease to hold voting rights:

13. Additional information:

14. Contact name:

MATTHEW JOWETT

COMPANY SECRETARY

MERLIN ENTERTAINMENTS PLC

15. Contact telephone number:

01202 634 955

Name

% of voting rights if it equals or is higher than the notifiable threshold

% of voting rights through financial instruments if it equals or is higher than the notifiable threshold

Total of both if it equals or is higher than the notifiable threshold

BlackRock, Inc.

BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc.

BlackRock Financial Management, Inc.

BlackRock International Holdings, Inc.

BR Jersey International Holdings L.P.

BlackRock Group Limited

BlackRock (Netherlands) B.V.

BlackRock, Inc.

BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc.

BlackRock Financial Management, Inc.

BlackRock International Holdings, Inc.

BR Jersey International Holdings L.P.

BlackRock Group Limited

BlackRock Advisors (UK) Limited

BlackRock, Inc.

BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc.

BlackRock Financial Management, Inc.

BlackRock Capital Holdings, Inc.

BlackRock Advisors, LLC

BlackRock, Inc.

BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc.

BlackRock Financial Management, Inc.

BlackRock International Holdings, Inc.

BR Jersey International Holdings L.P.

BlackRock Holdco 3, LLC

BlackRock Canada Holdings LP

BlackRock Canada Holdings ULC

BlackRock Asset Management Canada Limited

BlackRock, Inc.

BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc.

BlackRock Financial Management, Inc.

BlackRock Holdco 4, LLC

BlackRock Holdco 6, LLC

BlackRock Delaware Holdings Inc.

BlackRock Fund Advisors

BlackRock, Inc.

BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc.

BlackRock Financial Management, Inc.

BlackRock International Holdings, Inc.

BR Jersey International Holdings L.P.

BlackRock (Singapore) Holdco Pte. Ltd.

BlackRock Asia-Pac Holdco, LLC

BlackRock HK Holdco Limited

BlackRock Cayco Limited

BlackRock Trident Holding Company Limited

BlackRock Japan Holdings GK

BlackRock Japan Co., Ltd.

BlackRock, Inc.

Trident Merger, LLC

BlackRock Investment Management, LLC

BlackRock, Inc.

BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc.

BlackRock Financial Management, Inc.

BlackRock International Holdings, Inc.

BR Jersey International Holdings L.P.

BlackRock Australia Holdco Pty. Ltd.

BlackRock Investment Management (Australia) Limited

BlackRock, Inc.

BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc.

BlackRock Financial Management, Inc.

BlackRock International Holdings, Inc.

BR Jersey International Holdings L.P.

BlackRock Group Limited

BlackRock International Limited

BlackRock, Inc.

BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc.

BlackRock Financial Management, Inc.

BlackRock Holdco 4, LLC

BlackRock Holdco 6, LLC

BlackRock Delaware Holdings Inc.

BlackRock Fund Advisors

BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, National Association

BlackRock, Inc.

BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc.

BlackRock Financial Management, Inc.

BlackRock International Holdings, Inc.

BR Jersey International Holdings L.P.

BlackRock (Singapore) Holdco Pte. Ltd.

BlackRock Asia-Pac Holdco, LLC

BlackRock HK Holdco Limited

BlackRock Asset Management North Asia Limited

BlackRock, Inc.

BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc.

BlackRock Financial Management, Inc.

BlackRock International Holdings, Inc.

BR Jersey International Holdings L.P.

BlackRock Group Limited

BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited

BlackRock Asset Management Deutschland AG

BlackRock, Inc.

BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc.

BlackRock Financial Management, Inc.

BlackRock International Holdings, Inc.

BR Jersey International Holdings L.P.

BlackRock Group Limited

BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited

5.02%

0.04%

5.07%