The countdown is finally over with gates now open to the general public to experience Lightscape 2026 at Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, the most spectacular after-dark adventure this winter.
A host of VIPs, media, content creators and key partners were treated to an early glimpse of the installations last night as part of an exclusive preview.
The 2.1km trail of light, colour and sound, with 24 installations – from artists across the globe and right here at home – is now open for everyone to explore until August 2.
A two-time Gold winner at the Victorian Tourism Awards, Lightscape has become a fixture of the Melbourne events calendar and the 2026 edition is its most ambitious yet.
The trail starts meaningfully with Wurundjeri artist Mandy Nicholson’s Layers of Country lighting the way.
Leading this year’s showstoppers is the Australian premiere of Bifröst by French studio Pitaya – a soaring tunnel of arches with a centre point that rises more than nine metres overhead, along with Firefly Field by Dutch studio TOER, where 200 points of light flicker and drift above the lawn.
Night Parrots by Melbourne studio Chalk River Labs are brought to life through intricate and colourful projection mapping.
Putting the event on is no small feat with more than 150 people working behind the scenes from production and lighting crews to stewards, security and food vendors working alongside the Gardens’ own horticulture, arboriculture, programming and science teams.
The most painstaking install has been the Pealight Tree, which was hand-wrapped branch-by-branch by a team of arborists and lighting technicians over several days, featuring approximately 6km worth of fairy lights.
Staged within a heritage-listed site, every cable and structure is carefully positioned to protect the Gardens, with daily tree-health checks and fauna assessments throughout the season.
Chris Russell, Director and Chief Executive of Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, said: “Winter is a beautiful season in the Gardens, and Lightscape provides a unique opportunity to explore them by night while enjoying world-class art, light and sound installations. This year’s trail is our most ambitious yet, bringing together amazing visual artworks, many inspired by the special plant conservation stories of the Gardens, to create a truly unique and new experience. We’re delighted to give visitors another compelling reason to experience the Gardens, one of TripAdvisor’s Top 1% of Attractions in the world, in a completely different way.”
Zoe Bottrell, Managing Director of Culture Creative, Creative Producers and Programmers of Lightscape 2026 said: “There’s no feeling quite like opening night. After weeks of watching this beautiful landscape come to life piece-by-piece, it’s a joy to finally throw open the gates and welcome everyone in. This year we’re so proud to share incredible new work by local artists alongside spectacular international installations that have never been seen in Australia before.”
Getting there has never been easier, with the Gardens just moments from the new ANZAC Station. At the Welcome Zone, visitors can warm up with hot chocolate, mulled wine and a range of food before setting off along the glowing pathways.
For the first time, those looking for some date-night inspiration can attend exclusive adults-only evenings which will be restricted to people aged over 18.
Lightscape is also committed to providing relaxed sessions for anyone who would benefit from a more supported environment, including people with autism, sensory sensitivities, learning disabilities, mobility challenges, anxiety or dementia.
Tickets are available via https://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=LSMTOURS26
Lightscape 2026 is supported by Red Energy.