‘A starlit wonder’: Creators behind Billie Eilish, Madonna and Disney productions launch new night-time attraction on the Gold Coast

The team behind Billie Eilish and Disney productions is unveiling a ‘game-changing’ after-dark experience on the Gold Coast. Here’s a sneak peak.

A game-changing new after-dark attraction is set to launch at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary next week.

The immersive light and sound show has previously captivated audiences with pop-ups in Los Angeles, Seattle, Dallas and Philadelphia, but will make a permanent home on the southern Gold Coast from Wednesday.

The team behind some of the world’s biggest multimedia productions is unveiling a first-of it’s kind ‘immersive’ after-dark experience on the Gold Coast. Picture: Supplied.

Created by Moment Factory, the internationally acclaimed multimedia studio behind productions for Billie Eilish, Madonna and Disney, Astra Lumina is the first and only Lumina Enchanted Night Walk in the Southern Hemisphere.

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary general manager Travis Couch said the show was a “game-changer” for the region.

The team behind some of the world’s biggest multimedia productions is unveiling a first-of it’s kind ‘immersive’ after-dark experience on the Gold Coast. Picture: Supplied.

“Astra Lumina Gold Coast combines nature, storytelling, and immersive technology to create unforgettable moments under the stars,” he said.

The set-up, months in the making, involved designers, engineers, and production specialists working alongside the sanctuary’s caretakers to bring the experience to life.

After the sanctuary closes, visitors to the new attraction are invited to sip cosmic cocktails around a firepit and snacks from a food truck.

The illuminated night walk starts after the sun sets. It takes from an hour to an hour-and-a-half to walk around the different zones, scattered through the bushland.

A Moment Factory spokesperson said one of the biggest ‘wow’ moments happened when visitors reached a section where the stars seemed to “move and dance around them, creating the feeling of walking through the cosmos itself”.

The team behind some of the world’s biggest multimedia productions is unveiling a first-of it’s kind ‘immersive’ after-dark experience on the Gold Coast. Picture: Supplied.

Environment and Tourism Minister Andrew Powell said the new permanent installation

would be an exciting eco-tourism attraction for the region.

“This exciting new attraction will operate year-round, with an opportunity to draw both

local visitors and international tourists to come and take this amazing luminous journey,” he said.

Proceeds from the show directly support Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary’s conservation programs and the operation of Currumbin Wildlife Hospital.

Astra Lumina opens to the public on March 5 with tickets from $35.

ASTRA LUMINA REVIEW

Chantay Logan

I’ve seen the desert dance at Uluru’s famous Field of Light and watched transfixed as Luma lit up Queenstown.

It’s hard to imagine that kind of meditative magic unfurling just a hop from the hoon highway on the southern Gold Coast.

Yet, that’s exactly what it feels like at the Gold Coast’s newest after-dark attraction.

Visitors to Astra Lumina can expect to see Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary in a different light when it opens next week.

The team behind some of the world’s biggest multimedia productions is unveiling a first-of it’s kind ‘immersive’ after-dark experience on the Gold Coast. Picture: Supplied.

Part of a group granted a sneak peek, we set out at sunset.

The park has closed for the day and the keepers are busy feeding and putting their charges to bed – it’s a side of the sanctuary the public rarely sees.

We pass koalas tucked into tight treetop bundles and cross under the highway, the bushland buffering any telltale traffic noise by the time we reach Astra Lumina’s base.

While we wait for twilight to deepen, we sit around a fire-pit sipping star-studded cocktails and mocktails.

An onsite food truck serves big bang brisket burgers, crispy cosmic cauliflower and cheesy meteor fries.

We’re invited on the illuminated walk once night has settled, crunching down a gravel path lit by the ghostly glow of gumtrees.

An expertly knitted soundtrack adds to the otherworldly feel, the shriek of cockatoos and nocturnal critters providing an Australian remix.

It’s one of many ways the show works with its stunning and surprisingly sprawling natural setting.

With each zone hidden from the next, we arrive at forests blooming with light, waves rolling through the canopy and glowing orbs that float through foliage.

Filled with pink and blue pinpoints, a fairy disco around one corner proves to be catnip for kids.

The broad path is sloping and unsealed in places – easily navigable for families with prams in tow, but the team recommend wheelchair users contact them to discuss access as it might not be suitable.

The journey is about 1.5km and you can complete it at your own pace, usually between an hour and 90 minutes.

The team behind some of the world’s biggest multimedia productions is unveiling a first-of it’s kind ‘immersive’ after-dark experience on the Gold Coast. Picture: Supplied.

The passion from volunteers manning the moonlight paths shines as strongly as the installations — understandable when every dollar contributes to the lifesaving work of the adjoining Currumbin Wildlife Hospital.

The Queensland Government tipped in $1 million towards the permanent project in its ongoing quest to enhance eco-tourism, which fills a real gap on the southern Gold Coast for wholesome after-dark activities.

Astra Lumina deserves to take its place with the likes of Field of Lights in the tourism annals – as locals we’re just lucky to have it in our backyard.