It has provided almost 90 years of fun but now Sydney’s iconic Luna Park is entering the digital age with a new immersive attraction pegged to be the next chapter of the park’s history.
Luna Park opened in 1935 on Sydney Harbour during a time of economic and political turbulence during the Great Depression.
The theme park offered “escapism, wonder and joy” for residents during that difficult time, CEO John Hughes said.
“Born in the midst of the great depression, Luna Park was built in Sydney out of this need for being social to escape through some of that frivolity,” he told 9news.com.au.
Eighty-eight years later, torrid times have hit again but Luna Park remains to offer a similar escape.
“Now in 2023 with what is happening globally on the back of a pandemic, we think that there is this innate need again to escape, somewhere to go have fun and somewhere to go socialise.”
From December 22, Luna Park will have upgraded the Big Top to an immersive experience attraction, opening with a locally created experience called the Dream Circus.
The park has made the $15 million investment into redeveloping the Big Top to compete with the globally growing demand for immersive experiences.
Luna Park will offer a 3000-square-metre fully accessible multi-purpose entertainment venue within the Big Top with “Barco projection technology, a spatially mapped audio system, hologram technology, motion-activated LED screens and the latest in lighting technology”.
It provides a 360-degree visual and audio experience in the Big Top that will initially be used to show the Dream Circus production and later for live music, product launches, fashion week and other corporate connections.
The move into the immersive and digital space is the future for the amusement park, the CEO added.
“We know globally that Gen Z, Gen Alpha are craving these highly social and immersive experiences,” he said.
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He acknowledged that simply relying on rollercoasters and rides at Luna Park isn’t sustainable for the future of the theme park and moving into the digital space and creating an “Instagrammable” experience will attract a new wave of visitors.
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”Luna Park has historically pushed what is possible creatively it has always been a leader in the next best thing,” Hughes said.
”It is in our DNA. We are replicating it in a 2023 way to a 2023 audience who are largely digital natives,” he said.
The park already welcomes 1.1 million visitors per year – a return to pre-COVID-19 numbers, Hughes said – but with this new experience it hopes to attract 50,000 visitors this summer alone.
Luna Park is sticking closely to its history honouring the best of the new technology while remaining a heritage Art Deco amusement park with classic rides and attractions.
But as the CEO noted, with Australia and the globe facing difficult economic times again in 2023 and the cost of living crisis squeezing budgets, the park believes it has hit the right balance on pricing with the new experience.
Starting at $35 for kids and $45 for adults, the team said it is pricing “comparable to a movie”.
“When you look at the broad spectrum of going to the cinema, going to other attractions or going to shows that come to town we think that is priced quite low given the experience and quality,” Hughes said.
“Hopefully people can see the value proposition of coming to the park for a ride pass and an experience pass for the Dream Circus for a fairly affordable price.”
