The Challenge
Wild Lights transforms Dublin Zoo into a night-time wonderland each winter, attracting thousands of visitors every evening.
Planning for the safe ingress, circulation, and egress of such large crowds in darkness, within the unique environment of a live zoo, presents a very specific and complex challenge.
Emergency planning, in particular, requires a bespoke approach to ensure safety without compromising the visitor experience.
The Solution
We have partnered with Dublin Zoo on Wild Lights since its inception in 2017, becoming a fully integrated extension of their team.
From the very first competitive tender, we recognised both the ambition and the challenges of delivering a Chinese Lantern festival within an operational zoo, and we pitched strongly to secure the role.
Since then, our relationship has been renewed multiple times, reflecting the trust built over years of collaboration.
Our Crowd Safety and Event Safety team is engaged for much of the year, with planning beginning almost as soon as the previous year’s event concludes.
We play a hands-on role throughout the design phase, maintaining a near-daily presence during the later stages to ensure safety is embedded in every decision.
As build and preparation ramp up, we are consistently on site—through construction, show nights, and final break – to support safe delivery at every step.
The Result
Today, Wild Lights is firmly established as one of Ireland’s most popular seasonal attractions, drawing around 300,000 visitors annually over 60+ nights.
Each evening, close to 5,000 people experience the zoo in a new light – literally – walking through themed lantern displays that change year by year to keep the experience fresh and magical.
Delivering an event of this scale within the confines of a zoo requires precision planning and seamless coordination.
Our tailored management approach ensures smooth visitor flow, effective emergency planning, and a consistently safe environment – allowing guests to focus on enjoying an unforgettable festive experience.
The event has become a highlight of the Irish Christmas calendar, loved by families, couples, and visitors of all ages.
For us, it is a privilege to help make it happen year after year.
Our Part
As a long-standing client in our home market, Dublin Zoo relies on us for more than Health & Safety oversight alone.
Our work spans strategic planning, operational support, and on-the-ground delivery to ensure Wild Lights continues to grow as a safe, successful, and much-loved event.
Services we provide include:
- Year-round planning and consultancy support
- Safety by Design consultancy
- Event consultancy (general)
- Health & Safety Strategy development
- Emergency Planning
- Crowd & Event Safety consultancy
- Statutory Agency liaison
- Operational Team deployment
- Tactical Command provision
- Stakeholder management
- Vendor management
