Wild Lights will run from Monday 4th November 2025 to Friday 31st January 2026. 

• Thursday to Sunday nights from 4th-23rd of November 

• 7 days a week from the 22nd of November through to the 31st of December, excluding the 23rd to the 26th of December, when it will be closed for our Christmas holidays 

• Thursday to Saturday nights in January from January 1st to 31st 

Please view the booking page for Wild Lights to view date and time slots available. 

Santa’s Grotto opens on November 22nd and will run until December 22nd. A visit to Santa’s Grotto can be purchased as part of our winter bundle offers. You have two bundles to choose from: 

• A visit to Santa’s Grotto plus a trip to Dublin Zoo  

• A visit to Santa’s Grotto while attending Wild Lights on the same evening  

Please view the booking page for Winter at Dublin Zoo to view the remaining bundles available to purchase (that include Santa). 

This year, due to popular demand, Wild Lights will be extended across the month of January to help beat the January blues! Previously Wild Lights finished by the first week of January. 

Santa will arrive to Wild Lights at Dublin Zoo earlier this year, 7 nights a week from the 24th of November until the 22nd of December. 

From the 4th of November 2025 to the 31st of January 2026, Wild Lights opens from 5pm to 9pm (last entry every evening is at 8pm sharp).  

Santa experiences during Wild Lights finish at 8pm. 

Yes, a sensory-friendly evening will take place on the 1st of December 2025 and visitors can enjoy a sensory-friendly bundle of Wild Lights and Santa’s Grotto. For more information, please visit the booking page here: 

How do I purchase Santa?  

A visit to Santa’s grotto can be purchased as part of our winter bundle offers. You have two bundles to choose from: 

• A visit to Santa’s Grotto plus a trip to Dublin Zoo  

• A visit to Santa’s Grotto while attending Wild Lights on the same evening  

No, only the Winter Bundles include Santa’s Grotto visits, you can purchase standard Wild Lights tickets if you aren’t planning a visit to Santa’s Grotto.  

All Santa visits are part of our Winter Bundle experiences, so you can choose from: 

• A visit to Santa’s Grotto plus a trip to Dublin Zoo  

• A visit to Santa’s Grotto while attending Wild Lights on the same evening  

Please view the booking page for Winter at Dublin Zoo to view the remaining bundles available to purchase (that include Santa). 

Yes, every Saturday and Sunday morning from Saturday November 22nd to Sunday December 21st, Santa’s Grotto is running, and we will be reserving the 10am visit slots for sensory-friendly Santa visits. Parents seeking to book a sensory-friendly Santa experience should purchase the following bundle: 

• A sensory-friendly visit to Santa’s Grotto plus a trip to Dublin Zoo  

Santa and the elves in Santa’s Grotto will take great care to ensure a quiet and peaceful environment the sensory-friendly visits.   

The link to book the sensory-friendly bundle that includes the sensory-friendly visit to Santa’s Grotto is here.  

No – once inside, you can enjoy the experience at your own pace until closing. 
Just be sure to arrive before final entry time. 

Something strange is happening at Dublin Zoo… the adults have stepped aside, and a team of tiny experts have taken over. The Wild Light junior team are working on a top-secret mission – but they’re not giving much away! The mission in question? To plan an unforgettable Wild Lights event that promises to be FULL of surprises, and more magical than ever before. While they are keeping this years’ theme ‘TOP SECRET’, what we CAN reveal is Wild Lights 2025/26 will be BIGGER and better than ever!  

It’s unlikely that you will see any ‘real’ animals! Most animals will be inside their warm indoor habitats during evening hours. 

No. A Wild Lights ticket is valid for the evening event only and does not include daytime Zoo admission. 

There are five products available: 

• Wild Lights at Dublin Zoo: Standard entry tickets valid for any Wild Lights dates available on our booking page. 

• Winter Bundle 2: Wild Lights and Santa’s Grotto* package for the slot you prefer on this booking page.*Santa’s Grotto opens November 22nd and runs until December 21st 

• Winter Bundle 3: Dublin Zoo Day Entry and Santa’s Grotto* for the slot you prefer on this booking page. *Daytime visits including Santa run on Saturdays and Sundays from the 22nd of November to the 21st of December 

• Sensory-Friendly Winter Bundle 4: Dublin Zoo Day Entry and Santa’s Grotto* for the slot you prefer on this booking page. The link to book the sensory-friendly bundle that includes the sensory-friendly visit to Santa’s Grotto is here. There are sensory-friendly slots available every Saturday and Sunday from November 22nd to December 21st. 

• Sensory-Friendly Wild Lights: Our sensory-friendly night for Wild Lights will take place on Wednesday 20th November 2025. 

Please view the booking page of each product to view the discounts available for senior citizens and carers.

We appreciate the importance of accessibility and affordability for all our visitors. We are committed to continue to provide lower-cost and free entry options for carers , and carer entry to regular daytime visits to Dublin Zoo remains free of charge when accompanying a visitor with additional needs.

Additional large-scale events like Wild Lights and Santa’s Grotto require significant resources to produce and have a limited capacity, and as a not-for-profit organisation we are reliant on the support of our visitors to be in a position to offer these wonderful experiences.

We’ve worked hard to keep the carer ticket price as low as possible, capping them at €9.50 which represents less than half the cost of a standard adult ticket for Wild Lights and Winter Bundles. We sincerely appreciate your understanding and look forward to welcoming you this winter.

While Santa and Wild Lights are not included as standard Annual Pass benefits, discounts are offered across all Wild Lights tickets and Winter Bundles to our Annual Pass holders.  

Yes. Sensory-friendly Santa visits are available at 10am on Saturday and Sunday mornings, with reduced capacity (max 16 people per slot). 

Yes. It’s a family-friendly, multi-generational experience enjoyed by children, adults, couples, and groups alike. 

Absolutely! What’s more romantic than a stroll around a winter wonderland lit by the light of hundreds of beautiful lanterns? Not to mention the other surprises we have in store for our visitors!  

Yes, the route has been planned with accessibility in mind. 

Yes, there will be a wide array of food and beverage options on offer at Wild Lights for you to enjoy, so feel free to arrive hungry and enjoy the offerings during your visit! 

Yes. Mobility scooters are available to rent for €25 per scooter from the Visitor Operations desk at the main entrance. The scooters are offered on a first-come, first-serve basis and they are non-refundable. This price does not include your event entry. 

No. Guide dogs and assistance dogs are not permitted at Wild Lights. 

No. Pets are not allowed inside the Zoo or Wild Lights. 

NO WHEELS ALLOWED* 

To ensure a safe and enjoyable visit for all visitors, scooters*, bicycles, rollerblades and skateboards are not permitted inside Dublin Zoo.  

*This policy does not apply to mobility scooters used as a mobility aid. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation. 

Dress for the season – this is an outdoor winter event, so please wear warm clothing and sturdy footwear. 

Yes. Lockers are available at the entrance (€5 per use, key-operated). 

Yes. All bags will be searched on entry.
Only small bags (max A4 size: 21cm x 29.7cm) are allowed. 

Exceptions apply for medical needs and children’s items, but all bags are subject to search. 

Yes. Alcohol and drugs are strictly prohibited.  

While alcoholic beverages such as mulled wine may be available to enjoy in designated food and beverage locations at Wild Lights, the consumption of alcoholic beverages not purchased on-site is prohibited, and the consumption of any alcoholic beverage outside of the food and beverage zone is prohibited.

Dublin Zoo reserves the right to refuse admission or remove anyone interfering with the event or entering restricted areas. 

Yes, the main Dublin Zoo gift shop will be open during Wild Lights. 

Yes, there is an ATM inside the gift shop at the entrance. 

Dublin Zoo is situated in Phoenix Park in the city of Dublin. The city is easily accessible from all over Ireland by car, bus and train.

Dublin Bus is the easiest and most extensive travel network in Dublin.

Please double-check bus timetables before you depart as each line does not run all day.

The bus routes that stop closest to Dublin Zoo are: 26, 68, 69, 46A, C5, C6

There is no designated parking for Dublin Zoo in Phoenix Park and parking will be on a first-come basis, but below are our suggested parking based on your time slot:

You can view the parking in more detail on this map.

• 5-6pm: Park on the Upper North road, Garda Headquarters and Married Quarters
• 6-7pm: Park on Lords Walk car park and Citadel Pond
• 7-8pm: North Road

Dublin Zoo has a strict no refunds policy for Wild Lights tickets, as per our terms and conditions, apart from in the event of a venue closure actioned by Dublin Zoo.

Dublin Zoo accepts no responsibility for a customer’s inability to attend Wild Lights due to any external factor including but not exclusive to traffic restrictions, illness, weather conditions etc.

Dublin Zoo reserves the right to change or update event timings and content up to and on the day of the event.

Dublin Zoo reserves the right to cancel any nights of the Wild Lights event for any reason deemed necessary for the safety and well-being of our visitors, staff, and animals. This includes unsafe weather conditions.

In the event of a cancellation of Wild Lights by Dublin Zoo management, customers will be notified at the earliest possible convenience by email to the email address used to make the booking. It is the responsibility of customers to check for any email updates before arriving at the venue, and to make sure their email address is correctly entered at time of purchase. In the event of a cancellation by Dublin Zoo, customers will receive a full refund to the card used for payment within 15 working days of the cancelled event date. Refunds will be processed automatically and you do not need to contact Dublin Zoo. A change of date is not possible.