Chester Zoo has revealed plans for the much-anticipated return of its beloved wintertime celebration – The Lanterns.
If you’re unfamiliar with the event or have not been lucky enough to experience it before, now in its tenth year, visitors to The Lanturns are given the unique opportunity to experience the UK’s leading charity zoo after hours on a set trail in the dark.
Not only does the trail take you a collection of spectacular illuminations and colourful lanterns, but you’ll also get to meet some enchanting costumed characters along the way.
Among the many new elements at this year’s festivities will be brand new illuminated characters – including orangutans, butterflies, caterpillars and wolves – as well as a special light show dedicated to celebrating the zoo’s recent 90th birthday that will take visitors on a journey through time as they explore the zoo’s history.
Conservationists say that the event will support the zoo’s crucial work as a wildlife conservation charity.
It will also help with its recovery following the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
✨ THE LANTERNS ✨
💖 Get your tickets for the most MAGICAL event of the year💖
❄ Explore spectacular illuminations, colourful lanterns and enchanting characters at our winter wonderland spectacular ❄
Speaking ahead of the event’s return, Gemma Bamford – Senior Admissions and Retail Manager at Chester Zoo – said: “We can’t wait to welcome visitors back to our very special Christmas event, The Lanterns [as] it’s become a firm favourite and something of a family tradition for so many people now, and this year will be more magnificent and magical than ever.
“The event will see the zoo transform into a spectacular winter wonderland, where guests will be welcomed into an exotic world of colour and movement, and where larger than life illuminations and animal characters await.
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“This year’s theme is all about shining a light on species that face a fight for survival in the wild, where numbers of many of these incredible animals are plummeting to worryingly low levels.
Chester Zoo has revealed plans for the much-anticipated return of its beloved wintertime celebration / Credit: Chester Zoo
“Never-before-seen illuminations of orangutans, butterflies, caterpillars and wolves are just a few of the species that will feature as part of our ‘into the wild’ theme [and as] it’s the zoo’s 90th birthday year, another hugely exciting new area will celebrate our anniversary through a special light show [and] take visitors on a journey through time as they explore our history.”
She also confirmed that lots of firm family favourite laturns will be returning as well this year, like Father Christmas, the zebras, elephants, and lions.
Just like last year, the Christmas celebration will again have a restricted capacity due to the ongoing situation with COVID-19 – however, the zoo will be offering more timed entry slots than ever before to provide more people with an opportunity to enjoy the festive fun.
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Visitors to The Lanturns are given the unique opportunity to experience the zoo after hours / Credit: Chester ZooConservationists say that the event will support the zoo’s crucial work as a wildlife conservation charity / Credit: Chester Zoo
“It’s been another strange and challenging year for everyone, so we’re just thrilled to be able to provide our guests with some much needed Christmas cheer,” Gemma added.
“This event is an important step on the road to our recovery after all of the different challenges we’ve faced in recent times, and will help us raise valuable funds, supporting us to continue our mission of preventing extinction all around the world.”
The Lanterns has been created by the zoo in partnership with multi award-winning outdoor arts producers, Wild Rumpus.
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Tickets are now on sale for selected dates from Friday 12 November – Thursday 23 December 2021, with slots available from 4pm – 8.15pm, and tickets for children starting from £11 and adult tickets from £13.
You can find more information and pre-book your tickets here.
Featured Image – Chester Zoo
What's On
A huge free festival is coming to Kampus with frozen margaritas and canal-side pizza
Georgina Pellant
A huge free festival is coming to Kampus over the Glastonbury weekend, bringing the party vibes to the heart of the city centre.
Promising canal-side pizza from NY slice bar Nell’s, also famed for their 22″ pies, plus a prosecco van, a cocktail pop-up from Manchester Gin’s Three Little Words in the Bungalow and loads more, it’s set to run from Friday 23 to Sunday 25 June 2023.
With huge outdoor screens in amongst the lush Kampus gardens broadcasting Glastonbury’s sets live throughout the weekend, the party will kick off on Friday with pizza slices and cocktails from Kampus’s waterside spritz bar.
Saturday will take things up a notch with live music from Manchester’s talented The Untold Orchestra, who will celebrate 40 years of Glastonbury headliners with their own orchestral renditions of classics from Bowie to Jay Z and Diana Ross.
Sunday will end on a quieter note, promising a day of family fun with Born To Be Wild Child decamping to the garden with craft tables and festival headband making, all set to the soundtrack of rock and roll hits.
There will also be free prosecco samples from the Delevigne sisters’ brand Della Vite, served direct from their pink vintage car ‘Penelope’.
Image: Nell’s at Kampus
Image: Nell’s at Kampus
Speaking on the upcoming festival Antonia Lallement, from Nell’s, said: “This is our first Kampus Fest and it’s all about bringing true festival vibes to the heart of Manchester.
“We’re decking out the Kampus garden to capture the bohemian magic of the UK’s favourite live events and flooding the space with music for the whole weekend.
“Manchester is full of music lovers and we want to give people a fun, city centre alternative to the real thing! We’ll be serving up slices to keep people going throughout the weekend and can’t wait to see people getting involved.
“Kampus has got to be one of the best outdoor spaces in the city. We felt it only right to put on a big summer block party come rain or shine.”
Abbie Duthie, from Three Little Words, added: “Glastonbury is an icon of the cultural calendar and we’re beyond excited to be staging Kampus Fest, bringing all the highs of the festival experience to Manchester, minus the mud of course.
“We’ll be serving our signature drinks canal-side for those whose ‘go to’ is summer spritzes and cocktails in the city over warm beer in a field! Kampus will be alive all weekend with great food and drinks, live music and festival vibes taking centre stage.”
Kampus Fest is free to attend from Friday 23 June – Sunday 25 June.
The Family Fun Day event on Sunday for youngsters requires reservation, with £2 tickets available to book in advance here.
Featured image – Kampus
What's On
Chester Zoo calls for runners to take on new charity 10k to help ‘save endangered animals’
Emily Sergeant
Chester Zoo is calling for thousands of runners to take on a charity 10k through the zoo’s grounds in a bid to help save one of its many endangered species.
The UK’s biggest charity zoo is looking for 2,500 runners of all abilities to sign up for its brand-new ‘Run for Nature‘ later this year – which begins inside the zoo’s 128-acre grounds, and sees participants race past the elephant, giant otter, and giraffe habitats, all before heading out and around the wider countryside estate.
As well as the 10k route, there’s also a special one-mile ‘zoom’ fun run around the zoo, which is perfect for energetic kids under 12.
All runners will get a medal when they cross the finish line, and there’ll even be some exciting prizes up for grabs for those who raise the most money.
Chester Zoo calls for runners to take on new charity 10k through its grounds and beyond / Credit: Chester Zoo
Taking place on Sunday 24 September, all funds raised from the run will go towards the Chester Zoo’s ongoing and extremely-important efforts to find a vaccine for a deadly virus that threatens endangered elephant populations all across the world – which is known as Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV).
Scientists at the zoo are currently in the middle of the world’s first vaccine pilot study to fight the virus, and hope that proceeds raised from the upcoming events can help “create a future where Asian elephants survive and thrive.”
“We’re so excited to be able to offer places for 2,500 fundraisers to run our first ever 10k Run for Nature later this year,” explained Hannah Wright, Fundraising Lead at Chester Zoo.
Runners will raise money to help the zoo’s efforts to save endangered Asian elephants / Credit: Chester Zoo
“As a charity, fundraising is at the core of this event, but we also hope that it’s a great fun event that the whole family can get involved in – whether running, supporting or sponsoring.
“All participants will be receive a sustainable medal and top fundraisers will have the opportunity to win a variety of prizes, which include annual memberships, animal experiences, and meal vouchers for our gastro pub, The Oakfield, as well as a selection of animal adoptions.”
Emily Sergeant -
11th October 2021 
