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Vivid Sydney at Taronga Zoo? Oh yes, it’s happening of the very first time this year as part of their Centenary celebrations! I first heard about this when I attended the Taronga Zoo 2016 Education Launch and then signed my school up to produce a number of lanterns for the event. As soon as tickets were released, I was on it, procuring passes for my staff (and kids) so we could attend as see the fruits of our labours. What I didn’t expect was the most amazing Vivid Festival experience and what I firmly believe is the BEST option for parents wanting to enjoy the Vivid Festival from 27 May to 18 June with their kids without worrying about crowds.
Getting To Vivid Sydney at Taronga Zoo
Table of Contents
We set off from Circular Quay for our Vivid Sydney at Taronga Zoo. There are extra ferries heading out during the festival and they’re even extended returns up until 10.30 pm. Perfect, right? Of course, if a ferry ride isn’t for you, the Taronga Zoo carpark is available during the event for a flat fee of $7.00 after 4.00 pm. Parking is easy, and the carpark is accessible.
Tickets and Entry
Entry to Vivid Sydney at Taronga Zoo is from 5.30 pm each night and runs right through to 11.30 pm although last entry is at 9.00pm.
You can purchase tickets directly online from the Taronga Zoo Website throughout the Vivid Sydney schedule. These will cost you $17.95 for Adults and $11.95 for Children 4-15 years. Children under 4 years of age are free. Make sure to purchase the ANZ Blue Pass. They don’t cost anything extra, but give you a return trip on Taronga’s Sky Safari Cable Car on the night. I was initially confused thinking they were for ANZ customers only BUT they are open to everyone. There is a limited allocation each night so be quick!
With ticket allocation capped each and every night during Vivid Sydney at Taronga Zoo, you virtually guaranteed that the crowds are going to be nothing compared to those over on the other side of Sydney where walking freely is difficult.
Arrival
The event starts at Taronga Zoo’s main entrance on Bradley’s Head Road each evening. It is a great place to start with a light display projected on the historic building which unveils the Vivid theme: “Don’t Let Their Lights Go Out”. We literally stood, spellbound with our mouths open, for two full rotations of the story, hypnotised by the moving images, music and narration which conveyed a very important conservation message. It primed us for the adventure we had ahead of us.
When you walk through the main entrance you will instantly start to spot the illuminated animal sculptures. If you have an ANZ Blue Pass, make sure to go to the ticketing office to grab your wrist band for the night. You’ll also be able to grab a Glow-in-the-Dark Vivid Sydney at Taronga Zoo map! I squealed in excitement when I heard it was glow-in-the-dark. How awesome!
The Vivid Sydney at Taronga Zoo Trail
The Vivid Sydney at Taronga Zoo trail weaves you through the zoo leading you to ten giant animal multimedia light sculptures which represent ten critical species from Australia and Sumatra that Taronga is committed to protecting. These are the: marine turtle, Sumatran rhino, greater bilby, sun bear, pangolin, regent honeyeaters, corroboree Frog, Sumatran tiger, asian elephant, and the platypus. Throughout the trail you will also spot smaller sculptures such as monkeys and cicadas. If you’re kids helped make a sculpture at school, you’ll also discover that there are around 1600 displayed around the zoo. I was so proud to see what had been created by our kids!
Of course, there view out across the harbour is mesmerising and the team at Taronga have made sure to plan the path along a trail that has almost continued glimpses of Vivid Sydney in the city. At every installation you will find a Taronga staff member who can answer your kids questions about the featured animal. They’ll also help describe what to do if the installation is interactive. Better yet, there are moments along the track where you’ll wonder which was to go and voila one of the Taronga team will appear from the dark to help. They’re THAT good!
Utilise your glow-in-the-dark map when the path is a little dark. The kids will love it! They’ll also love the opportunities to glimpse a real life zoo animal which spring up occasionally – my favourite being the giraffe. Be mindful that most animals in the zoo return to their night dens by the time Vivid Sydney at Taronga Zoo starts which means they are not disrupted by the people entering the zoo at night. Yay!
When it comes to accessibility, the Vivid Sydney at Taronga Zoo experience is fairly accessible although it does have some fairly steep slopes. I suggest wearing comfy shoes when you come as the experience lasts around 1.5 hours. For full information on accessibility at Taronga Zoo, please follow this link.
Food and Amenities
I don’t know how, but I had it in my head that there a number of street food vans would be at Taronga Zoo for Vivid Sydney. I kept telling my group “just a little further, I bet they’re down here”, postponing our dinner for there. They simply did not exist. FAIL!
The food at Taronga was probably the only thing I could fault. The cafeteria IS open at the bottom of the track, but all the chips, chicken and other food is in a warmer that you can take yourself. The chips looked sad. There is also a small cafe style barista alongside the cafeteria where you can get coffee, pies and pastries which were a lot nicer. I personally could not see many healthy options for kids. My advice is to eat before or after the event BUT if you need to eat when you’re there, get it on entry.
By attending Vivid Sydney at Taronga Zoo you are helping their conservation work!
Did you know that Taronga Zoo is a non-profit organisation? Every single Vivid Sydney at Taronga Zoo ticket and all purchased on the night will help with the conservation, research, and education work at Taronga Zoo. Now that means you HAVE to go!
If you are looking for a Vivid Sydney experience I highly recommend booking this experience for your family. Please let us know if you are going or your thoughts after your adventure.
Awesome post! Hopefully we can squeeze in a visit before the festivals ends.The food issue seems to always be the same no matter where you go at festivals which is disappointing.
I know! What is it with the food? They should run a chocolate festival at the same time. Or even a soup festival
I so want to go – it looks perfect for families!
Can you make it Kirsty? It’s well worth the adventure.
If I am already at the zoo that afternoon do I purchase these tickets and then re-enter or can we stay in the Zoo? Do we have to pay additional if we go to Vivid Sydney at the zoo?
Yes, you need to exit the zoo and re-enter for Vivid