Glowing Wild is Denver Zoo’s immersive spring lantern festival—an evening-only experience featuring more than 60 unique scenes and over 145 hand-painted lanterns installed throughout the campus. Created in partnership with Tianyu Arts & Culture, the larger-than-life displays depict animals and botanicals from around the world, transforming familiar pathways into vibrant, glowing environments at ground level.

From a systems standpoint, Glowing Wild builds on the same parkwide Q-SYS infrastructure developed for Zoo Lights—but without theatrical show moments or headline attractions. Instead, the focus is environmental cohesion: supporting the lantern artistry with thoughtful, geographically inspired soundscapes.

As a brand-new event in 2025, coordination was key. We conducted multiple on-site walkthroughs with Zoo operations and events staff to verify zone boundaries, test transitions, and confirm playlist configurations prior to opening. Because this was the first year, ensuring that music, pathways, and guest flow aligned properly was critical to a smooth launch.

The event was divided into regionally themed audio zones, each supported by dedicated Q-SYS playback:

  • Zone 1 – Main Gate / Parking

  • Zone 2 – Botanicals (Predator Ridge, Wildlife Plaza)

  • Zone 3 – Colorado (Wildlife Plaza)

  • Zone 3.5 – Denver International Airport (Wildlife Plaza)

  • Zone 4 – Africa (Primate Panorama)

  • Zone 5 – Australia & New Zealand (Down Under)

  • Zone 6 – Asia (Toyota Elephant Passage)

  • Zone 7 – Latin America (4D Theater, Stingrays, Harmony Hill)

Playlist curation was one of the most important aspects of the project. The music needed to complement Tianyu’s visual storytelling, while subtly reinforcing the geographic identity of each zone. The audio acts as an atmospheric layer that guides guests emotionally from continent to continent.

Special attention was paid to transition points between zones, ensuring smooth sonic handoffs and balanced levels so that one area’s soundtrack didn’t overpower the next. Because the entire campus is centrally managed, staff retain the ability to make real-time adjustments or scheduling changes from a single PC or iPad interface if needed.

Glowing Wild demonstrates how a thoughtfully zoned, centrally managed audio system can support large-scale visual installations, allowing the handcrafted lantern artistry to take center stage while sound quietly shapes the guest experience.

Denver Zoo - Glowing Wild

Client:
Denver Zoo