When Luna Park Sydney opened in 1935, it was one of the only attractions in town. It was an important world of escapism during the Depression Era. Nowadays, although we're in turbulent times and still in need of escapism, there’s a lot of competition for people’s time. So Luna Park has been working on a transformation – to reignite Sydney’s pride for the heritage-listed theme park and position it as one of the world’s leading experience destinations.
On December 22, 2023, Luna Park will launch ‘Dream Circus’, an enchanting $15 million immersive experience – what they’re referring to as a high-tech ‘Magic Box’ inside Luna Park’s existing 3,000 square metre Big Top building.
Luna Park CEO John Hughes and his team knew they had to become “more than just rides”, and when considering the types of attractions that appeal most around the world these days, they thought about the immersive, multi-sensory experiences like Van Gogh Alive, The Museum of Ice Cream and the WNDR Museum.
They thought about commissioning/importing an experience to Luna Park, but then they considered the breadth of creative talent right here in Sydney and decided to create their very own attraction, a locally developed, immersive experience in a permanent location for experiences of this kind.
They put together a team of Sydney-based creatives and technicians who have worked across some of the most complex creative projects in the world, from Olympic Games Opening Ceremonies to Marvel films, Vivid Sydney and award-winning, location-based experiences like ABBA Voyage.
The team leaned into Luna Park’s carnival themes, so they're developing a magical universe in the Big Top, where loveable characters will take visitors on a dream-like adventure to the circus, the seaside, underwater and beyond.
Unlike shows such as Van Gogh Alive and Frida Kahlo: Life of an Icon, which are projected onto flat wall surfaces in multiple locations around the world, the Magic Box in the Big Top is being constructed as a high-tech, theatre-like set. So custom-designed 360-degree projections, motion-activated LEDs and hologram technology will work in with 3D, textured walls and stages. And there will be a spatially mapped audio system throughout the whole room – for a truly 3D immersive experience where you feel part of the show that’s unfurling around you.
Luna Park's high-tech Magic Box will go on to deliver immersive experiences, shows, performances and events, long after Dream Circus has played out its season.
“We are proud to build for Sydney one of the most technically advanced environments in the country,” says Hughes. “The result will be a venue without equal – capable of featuring the best immersive experiences, never-before-seen immersive live music and special events.”
The Big Top site will also become a stage and training facility for Sydney’s creatives and technologists of the future – they’ll have this state-of-the-art canvas on their doorstep for skill-development opportunities and vocational pathways, which will help develop Australia’s immersive experience industry.
Everything about this new experience is aligned with the Art-Deco amusement park’s 1935 ethos of providing visitors with wonder, escapism and joy – so this next chapter for Luna Park Sydney is about finding harmony between the best of the old and the best of the new.
Tickets for the Dream Circus experience are on-sale from today over here. The hour-long experience is priced at $35 for children and $45 for adults. Be one of the first in the world to see the experience, from December 22, in Luna Park Sydney’s Big Top.