The Lanterns are returning to Chester Zoo later this year and it’s ready to bring a much-needed festive feeling to what has been a turbulent year.
Chester Zoo is inviting you to “discover the magic” as its famous lantern festival returns for 2020.
Now in its ninth year, The Lanterns – a popular wintertime celebration which has previously received widespread public acclaim – lets visitors experience the zoo in an after-hours setting on a trail in the dark, taking in illuminated wildlife, colourful lanterns and enchanting costumed characters along the way.
According to the Chester Zoo website, this year’s starlit Christmas is set to be “more enchanting than ever before”.
“Escape to our eleven fantastical worlds, each different from the last, that will take you on an illuminating adventure like no other! Be immersed in this magical and uniquely Chester Zoo evening event that’s inspired by some of our favourite festive family tales, giving you the chance to see the zoo in a whole new light.”
ADVERTISEMENT
“This year’s route will take you on a journey to discover faraway lands that will have your imagination running wild, each filled to the brim with colourful lanterns, spectacular costumed characters and Christmas scenes.”
The Lanterns at Chester Zoo
If you want to be sure you’ll secure your tickets though, you’ll need to book in advance as this year, as is to be expected, demand for tickets to The Lanterns is set to be even higher with visitor numbers having had to be reduced to comply with necessary social distancing measures amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
ADVERTISEMENT
Tickets are currently on sale now.
Jon Turley – Head of Guest Experience at Chester Zoo – said: “Events that help us to bring some additional income into our charity will be absolutely crucial in securing the future of our zoo and our species-saving work.
“That’s why we’re so, so excited to be able to bring The Lanterns back again this year.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Lanterns at Chester Zoo
“With safety and social distancing firmly at the forefront of our minds, far fewer tickets have been made available for our event this time around, which might just make it an even more magical experience for those who secure a ticket.
“We’re planning to transform the zoo into a spectacular winter wonderland, featuring 11 fantastical worlds. Guests will be welcomed into an exotic world of colour and movement, where larger than life illuminations and animal characters await.
“Making a return this year will be our popular ‘Underwater’ world, which will transport visitors to the bottom of the sea where they’ll discover a giant show-stopping octopus.”
He continued: “We’ve made a few adjustments so that there will be less physical interaction with visitors this time, but we’re sure that our array of never-before-seen features will ensure guests will make memories that last a lifetime.
“We can’t wait to welcome people back to The Lanterns, see lots of big smiles on faces and, at the same time, raise valuable funds so we can continue our mission of preventing extinction as a wildlife conservation charity.”
ADVERTISEMENT
As a charity zoo, all tickets purchased for The Lanterns are “vital” to Chester Zoo’s survival.
Tickets are now on sale for selected dates from Friday 13th November – Wednesday 23rd December. Children’s tickets start from £13.50, adult tickets start from £16 and you can book online via the Chester Zoo website here.
You can find more information about The Lanterns at Chester Zoo here.
What's On
Chester Zoo’s spectacular light trail returns this winter with a new route and new animals for 2026
Emily Sergeant
Chester Zoo’s popular winter light trail is set to return with a redesigned route and some magical new animals for 2026.
Produced by Chester Zoo in partnership with Sony Music and Culture Creative, Lanterns & Light has become a popular fixture in the region’s festive calendar over the years, and it’s back this winter – transforming the zoo after dark with thousands of festive lights, colour, and wildlife-themed displays.
The 2026 trail has been redesigned with some exciting new installations, including the dazzling Suspended Jellyfish underwater display, a mirrored disco tunnel, a glittering pea-lit canopy, and Floating Feathers.
New for this year too, visitors will also get to encounter parrots, dolphins, and a giant polar bear among an expanded cast of life-sized animal puppets, all brought to life by specialist performers.
More than 140,000 people visited the trail last year, but for the first time ever in 2026, the event will also host two adults-only evenings, one on 19 November and another 8 December – giving grown-ups the chance to enjoy the trail without children.
Alongside the new additions, plenty of much-loved features will return too, including the walk-through Cathedral of Light and atmospheric Fire Garden, as well as the chance to meet Father Christmas in a snowy setting.
Visitors can also enjoy marshmallow fire pits, festive food, and warming drinks, alongside a funfair at the entrance.
But Lanterns & Light isn’t just about Christmas, as every ticket purchased helps fund Chester Zoo’s vital conservation work, supporting projects protecting threatened wildlife and restoring habitats in more than 20 countries around the world.
“Lanterns & Light is a chance to have a brilliant night out, but it also helps us do something much bigger,” explained Gemma Wright, who is the Head of Guest Experience at Chester Zoo.
“Every ticket helps support Chester Zoo’s work to prevent extinction, from protecting threatened wildlife in the places where it lives to caring for and breeding endangered species here at the zoo.
“So, while our visitors are enjoying the lights, puppets and festive atmosphere, they’re helping to give wildlife a brighter future too.”
Lanterns & Light returns to Chester Zoo from 13 November 2026 through to 3 January 2027.
Tickets are on sale and available now from £19.50 for children and £27.50 for adults, while babies under 12 months go free. You can book yours here.
Featured Image – Chester Zoo
What's On
Manchester Art Fair returns this autumn with more than 180 exhibitors under one roof
Emily Sergeant
One of the UK’s largest art fairs is back in Manchester this autumn, bringing more than 180 exhibitors together all under one roof.
Not only is it one of the UK’s largest and one of the most significant art fairs, but it’s by far one of the most celebrated cultural events in Greater Manchester‘s social calendar too.
Designed for the collector, the curator, and those who are just simply curious, the event draws in tens of thousands of visitors, and will feature lots of new and returning galleries and artists this year – all of whom will be showing new works.
2026’s edition will be its biggest yet too, as the event is returning to Manchester Central for four days this year instead of the usual three.
Returning from Thursday 19 to Sunday 22 November, the fair will have more than 600 artists there for an exceptional showcase of modern and contemporary art, with thousands of works available to discover and buy from both world-renowned names and some of the most exciting emerging creative talent.
In a significant move, the fair’s highly anticipated Preview Night will move to Thursday evening, opening an expanded programme of art, talks, workshops, and new experiences across the four days that follow.
Leading the lineup of new features are Manchester Art Fair’s Art Masterclasses, which have been created for developing artists looking to advance their creative practice.
These new experiences will sit alongside a rich programme of artist talks, panel discussions, Q&As, live demonstrations, and other hands-on creative workshops.
More than 180 exhibitors will all gather together under one roof / Credit: Supplied
Manchester Art Fair 2026 will first open at Manchester Central with an exclusive preview night on Thursday 19 November, before it then continues on Friday 20, Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 November – with tockets now on sale.
Tickets are priced at £15 for a day ticket or £25 for a preview night ticket, including access throughout the weekend, all with booking fees applying.
Emily Sergeant -
31st August 2020 
