Christchurch’s Favourite Light Festival Returns This August Bigger, Brighter & Longer Than Ever Before

Christchurch’s favourite winter light and sound spectacle is back! After attracting 65,000 visitors in 2024, making it one of the most attended events in Christchurch, the Illuminate Light & Sound Experience will once again transform the Christchurch Botanic Gardens into a breathtaking illuminated wonderland. This year the trail is 300 metres longer, takes a new route through the park and packed with brand new light installations, dazzling special effects, and immersive experiences.

“This year we’re operating across more nights (12 nights over three weekends) so people don’t miss out on last year’s sold out event,” says Event Hire Owner and Operator Phil Anderson. “We’ve added new themed zones, thousands of new lights, and brought in exciting new installations and performers to ensure a completely different experience for event attendees this year.”

The expanded 2.35-kilometre walk-through trail (over 3,000 steps) now travels through previously unused paths through the Botanic Gardens, offering visitors thrilling new features including life sized dinosaurs, programmed light effects, an underwater-themed DJ area, additional pond displays, a pixel ball walkthrough lighting tunnel, spinning vortex walkways, flame dancers, a talking robot head, a safari adventure, hundreds more uplighting and fairy lights, new rides and food offerings and plenty more.

“Christchurch Attractions have added some fantastic ways to get to Illuminate” says Phil, “including exclusive night punting on the Avon River though the Botanic Gardens and a nostalgic tram ride through the city, making the Illuminate experience even more magical.”

Gates open from 5.45pm to 9.30pm on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from August 14 until August 31. Tickets are from $15+booking fee, with discounted group deals available.

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