Aurora – In Bloom is set to transform the Albury Botanic Gardens into an immersive light show experience once again, from 20 March. Photo: Laservision.
Albury’s botanic gardens has a not-so-secret weapon when it comes to drawing in the crowds to the city’s annual Aurora light show.
While it’s not technically a native among the flora and fauna, the life-sized dinosaur lurking in the children’s garden has become a popular focal point of Laservision’s immersive light experience at Albury, said art director Angela Davis.
“So many of our shows are designed to the space ensuring we utilise features of that particular place,” Ms Davis said.
“Albury’s botanic gardens are just beautiful and one of the key items has become the dinosaur – people love seeing what we do with it!”
This autumn, Aurora will again light up the gardens, delivering a large-scale after-dark light spectacle to captivate families and visitors of all ages from across the Riverina and north-east Victoria from 20 March.
More than 120,000 guests have traversed the Aurora Albury gardens over the years, running, walking and soaking up every glowing moment.
This year will bring an all-new experience with the reimagined Aurora – In Bloom inviting visitors to explore a living garden of light, where colour, sound and technology combine to reawaken the natural landscape.
Ms Davis said each year the Laservision creative team began with a blank canvas for its Luna Light Journeys series. The program, which began in 2020, creates nocturnal walking trails using lighting, digital sculptures, and soundscapes to transform public spaces into enchanted environments.
Watch this space … the life-sized dinosaur in Albury Botanic Gardens will once again be brought to life after dark for the annual Aurora light show. Photo: AlburyCity Council.
“The landscapes inspire us with our new ideas and we always begin with a narrative,” Ms Davis said. “Last year we had a sea theme and this year it’s an Australian native theme.
“As the art director I love the creativity behind it and seeing the community’s response. I do a lot of the videography so I get to walk around and hear what people see and think. I love hearing the feedback.”
Families are a big part of the Aurora audience but the aim is for everyone in the community to enjoy and engage with the event, according to Ms Davis.
“We incorporate interactive elements to keep children and teenagers engaged but we also want to ensure it’s an immersive and beautiful experience,” she said. “It’s not just a bunch of lights thrown into the park!”
Albury Mayor Kevin Mack said Aurora had become a standout event on the city’s calendar, showcasing Albury as a destination for high-quality cultural and tourism experiences.
“Aurora quite literally lights up our city, drawing people into our botanic gardens and encouraging them to experience Albury in a new way,” Cr Mack said.
“It creates a unique opportunity to attract visitors, support local hospitality and accommodation providers, and strengthen Albury’s reputation as a vibrant regional centre for events.”
The 2026 Aurora – In Bloom experience features large-scale immersive light installations, interactive elements that respond to movement and touch, soundscapes that guide visitors on a self-paced journey, and striking projections transforming familiar spaces into dynamic visual environments.
And yes, visitors can be assured the dinosaur will again get his moment in the spotlight – and be suitably decorated to theme, Ms Davis promised.
“He may just have some Australian native flowers draped all over him,” she hinted. “You’ll just have to head along to the event and see what we’ve done this time!”
Aurora – In Bloom will run nightly (Wednesdays to Sundays) at Albury Botanic Gardens, 20 March to 11 April. Book tickets on the website.
