Chester Zoo’s epic Christmas Lanterns event is returning this year

Chester Zoo is full steam ahead with the planning of their Christmas events including the traditional lanterns show.

It is officially now 20 weeks until Christmas – if you blinked you might have missed this year.

Luckily, Chester Zoo has revealed plans for the after-hours event will be going ahead for the ninth year.

The trail sees illuminated wildlife, colourful lanterns and even enchanting costumed characters spread across 11 fantastical worlds, each completely different.

This year’s event has been carefully planned to ensure all guests are safe and have a memorable Chester Zoo experience. 

You will start at Cactus Desert, welcomed by a world of colour and movement. The path is lit by glowing cacti, frogs and chameleon characters. Next up is Over the Rainbow followed by the dramatically stripy world of Zebra Grasslands and then the calming power of nature in Garden of Delight. 

This year also sees the return of the Underwater World which transports you to the bottom of the sea complete with a show-stopping octopus. 

Ticket sales for The Lanterns are vital for the survival of the zoo and its contributions to ending extinction.

The coronavirus pandemic meant Chester Zoo had to shut for three months leaving a huge £5.5m scar on the finances. 

Head of guest experience at Chester Zoo, Jon Turley, 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.

“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.”

The Lanterns will be open from November 13th to December 23rd and tickets are available now, with prices starting at £16 for an adult and £13.50 for children.

Find out more here.