Pairi Daiza invites visitors to celebrate Halloween from October 19 to November 2.
Giant string puppets, skeletons and dragons, legendary creatures, unique video mappings, artistic performances, pumpkins for the animals, and a very popular costume contest!
From Saturday, October 19 to Saturday, November 2, Pairi Daiza invites families to participate in an unforgettable Halloween celebration, every day until 10 PM.
Europe’s Best Zoo throws Belgium's largest and most family-friendly Halloween festival celebrating the passage from life to death in a non-frightening way, presenting a rich program of shows and activities that blend technology with age-old cultural practices.
During these festive weeks, visitors participating in the three competitions (costume contest, scarecrow competition, and pumpkin treasure hunt) can win overnight stays at the resort, membership cards, and stuffed animals.
Added to the natural autumnal beauty of the park, the garden is decorated and animated with life-size ghost horses, a 4-meter-tall animated giraffe skeleton, a Chinese dragon, and an 11-meter-long anaconda skeleton, a mobile string puppet theater, new deep-sea monsters projected onto the lake.
In the restaurants and event Dome, menus will be themed around Halloween and autumn flavors. In the Grand Dome event hall,open until 9:45 PM, entertainement starts at 2 PM with wordless magic shows, followed by a daily Mexican-style Day of the Dead/ Dias de los Muertos celebration and divers concerts.
Trick or treat for the animals
Throughout the year, Pairi Daiza’s animal care takers ensure the curiosity of the 7,500 animals is satisfied through enrichment activities. These include games, new scents, territory changes, and "food hunts" in various locations, with complexity adjusted based on each species’ abilities.
During Halloween, the type of enrichment takes on a seasonal twist. Animals that enjoy it, such as elephants, hippos, and gorillas, will be treated to pumpkins, while those that prefer proteins will find small surprises hidden in pumpkins. For instance, mealworms for meerkats or meat for big cats.
Inspiration from China and Southeast Asia
This Halloween will pay tribute to the five giant pandas, as it will be the last festival with the three pandas born in Belgium at Pairi Daiza before they return to China as part of their species conservation program.
On the square in front of the Buddhist temple, visitors will be able to admire an impressive creation: a monumental 11-meter-long and over 3-meter-high Chinese dragon, which took almost three months to construct. After creating many legendary creatures for the park, such as the Centaur, Medusa, and Bigfoot, Belgian artist Dominique Maghue signs this extraordinary new sculpture.
On the new Islands of the Land of the Rising Sun, the area dedicated to the beauty of Japan, visitors will discover a Kirin (Qilin), a mythical Japanese creature symbolizing harmony. In between those sites, near the Mersus Emergo— the Pairi Daiza Foundation’s reptile and amfibian refuge— an 11-meter-long anaconda skeleton will rise.
Video Mappings and Fire shows
Bright highlight's of Pairi Daiza's Halloween are the projections and performances: every evening, from dusk, the abbey tower, the waters of the lake and the historical abbey dovecote come alive thanks to the fantastic projections created by Grand Les Yeux and Drop The Spoon.
On the tower, the video mapping “Balade des Gisants” will feature two additional scenes about the history of the abbey until today, and on the lake, two new monsters will appear on the 50-meter-wide water wall.
Popular costume contest
Halloween at Pairi Daiza means also an invitation to participate and chances to win diverse prizes! The popular costume contest is open to all disguised visitors who come to the park in an original Halloween costume. In 2023, more than 1300 families and groups have participated.
They can go to the photo booth from October 19 to November 2 (between 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.) to capture their outfit. To ensure the event is enjoyable for everyone, overly scary costumes or masks covering the entire face will not be accepted. Every day, numerous prizes will be up for grabs, including membership cards, entry tickets, and stuffed animals.
This year, visitors can participate in a pumpkin treasure hunt. By discovering the mystery word and being drawn at random, they will have the chance to win an unforgettable stay.
The scarecrow competition is also highly anticipated by our community. Participants are invited to drop off their creations—homemade, friendly scarecrows—at the park’s entrance between Sunday, October 15 and Friday, October 27. The creations will be on display at the Oasis green house during the festivities, and the two winners will receive a stay as a reward.
Halloween at Pairi Daiza runs every day until 10 p.m. from October 19 to November 2.
Info and full programme : www.pairidaiza.eu
Downloadable picture gallery, please credit copyright Pairi Daiza
Johan Vreys