• Exhibition includes 182 artifacts from the collection of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo
• Mostafa Waziri: It also contains the king’s coffin, which was transported in a majestic procession with the royal mummies from the Egyptian Museum … to the National Museum

CAIRO: Some 110,000 tickets have been sold this month for the exhibition “Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs” at the Australian Museum in Sydney.

Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt, said the exhibition included 182 artifacts from the collection of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

He added: “It also contains the king’s coffin, which was transported in a majestic procession with the royal mummies from the Egyptian Museum … to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization.”

The Sydney exhibition received an overwhelming response from the public when it opened to visitors on Nov. 18.

A delegation from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities; John Graham, the minister of arts, music and tourism in Australia; and more than 500 other invitees attended the official opening, along with Waziri, on Nov. 16.

Waziri said: “The exhibition also includes some other artifacts from the excavations of the Egyptian mission … in Saqqara, in addition to some at collections from several Egyptian museums that highlight some of the distinctive characteristics of ancient Egyptian civilization from the era of the Middle Kingdom until the Late Era.

“The exhibition also includes a collection of statues, jewelry, cosmetics, paintings, stone blocks decorated with carvings, and some colorful wooden coffins.”

Mai Sayed, a journalist specializing in tourism, told Arab News: “Since the beginning of the ‘Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs’ exhibition, its journey outside Egypt has been successful. Since its first stop in November 2021 in the American city of Houston, it has achieved great success.”

She added: “The same situation happened on its second stop in August 2022 in the city of San Francisco in the United States of America, and then its third stop in April 2023 in the French capital Paris where it attracted 820,000 visitors.”

Sayed said that the exhibition’s success confirmed the world’s fascination with Egypt, adding: “That is why I see that there should be exploitation and a continuation of these exhibitions in the many capitals of the world.”

A series of exhibitions in the country spotlight the enduring appeal of ancient Egypt for modern audiences

A rare slice of ancient Egypt arrived at Sydney’s Australian Museum this month, with the blockbuster “Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs” exhibition making the fourth stop on its international tour. The immersive show, which premiered in Houston in 2021, offers an expansive look into the reign of Ramses II, one of Egypt’s most powerful pharaohs.

“Ramses the Great was a phenomenon—a beloved father, incomparable warrior and prolific builder whose legacy is both political and cultural,” says Kim McKay, the Australian Museum’s director and CEO, in a statement. “Responsible for countless temples, pyramids and statues, the first ever peace treaty and an enormous, influential family, the stories of Ramses have been retold through generations.”

Of the exhibition’s 181 objects, the star is Ramses’ sarcophagus. Unearthed in 1881, it had never been shown publicly outside of Egypt until this year, writes the Guardian’s Kelly Burke. Other artifacts demonstrating the artistic innovation of the pharaoh’s reign include golden masks, carved sarcophagi, ornate jewelry and even a mummified lion cub.

The exhibition, which runs until May 19, 2024, also presents multimedia and immersive elements. One such technological feature is a recreation of the 1275 B.C.E. Battle of Kadesh, Ramses’ greatest military achievement, that uses a layered display and CGI, or computer-generated imagery. In 2022, Smithsonian magazine’s Emma Schkloven called the recreation a “feat of technology.”

An offshoot of the exhibition offers a virtual reality tour of the ​​historic Abu Simbel temple, guided by the pharaoh’s first wife, Queen Nefertari, though the Guardian notes that this experience eschews historical accuracy in favor of entertainment value.

“Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs” is the latest of several Egypt-focused shows to travel to Australia. Next month, the National Museum of Australia will open “Discovering Ancient Egypt,” comprising more than 220 objects from the collections of the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities. In 2024, “Pharaoh,” the largest international exhibition the British Museum has ever presented, will debut at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV).

These Egyptian exhibitions arriving in a row is largely thanks to the pandemic’s disruption of museum schedules and loans for two years, the Sydney Morning Herald’s Linda Morris reports.

“These things do happen,” Miranda Wallace, NGV’s senior curator of international programs, tells the Sydney Morning Herald. “It’s like buses: There’s nothing for ages, then three come along.”

For now, oversaturation doesn’t seem to be an issue: Ahead of the Ramses exhibition’s opening weekend, the Australian Museum announced it had already presold more than 100,000 tickets to the show. Indeed, the NGV is hoping that its show will help attract new visitors to the usually painting-focused gallery, Wallace tells the Sydney Morning Herald.

These experiences are just the latest in a long line of Egyptian-centric exhibitions. Australian institutions hosted at least seven such shows between 2007 and 2018, writes Ania Kotarba-Morley, an archaeologist and cultural heritage professional at the University of Adelaide, for the Conversation. Australia’s fascination with ancient Egypt is part of the larger obsession the West has with the subject—a phenomenon that prompted the coining of the term “Egyptomania,” which can be traced back to Napoleon Bonaparte’s expedition to Egypt in the late 18th century, Kotarba-Morley writes.

Visitors continue to attend exhibitions like “Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs” because they offer the chance to see what life was like in an ancient society, McKay tells the Sydney Morning Herald.

“It’s that human interest, that curiosity to go back in time,” she says. “It’s the same level of curiosity an adventurer might have exploring a new ocean or a new shore, a new country.”

“Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs” is on view at the Australian Museum in Sydney through May 19, 2024.

 

A harmonious blend of ancient wonders and modern innovation that explores the life of the illustrious pharaoh, Ramses the Great.

While Tutankhamun may be the most known pharaoh in modern pop culture, it is indisputable that Ramses II was among the most powerful and celebrated.

Ramses II (1303-1213 BC) ruled over a stable and prosperous Egypt, overseeing many accomplishments, including securing its borders, bringing unparalleled wealth, widening trade and facilitating massive building programs. Living to over 90 and reigning for an astonishing 66 years, his death shocked his subjects, who were mostly born under his reign.

It is this lauded royal’s sensational story and riches that grace the Australian Museum’s highly anticipated blockbuster exhibition, Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs. With 180 immaculately preserved artefacts still reminiscent of their glory, everyone will certainly find something to admire and contemplate.

Walking through the exhibition, visitors are taken on an enriching yet beautifully presented journey detailing different aspects of Ramses’ life and qualities. The exhibition’s multisensory nature heightens the sense of wonder, interweaving modern technology and ancient splendours to make us feel as if we are getting to know Ramses personally.

We learn that Ramses was a prolific builder, overseeing one of the most extensive ancient building programs – the scale of his buildings such that they towered over those built by previous pharaohs. Interspersed throughout the exhibition, TV screens play detailed reconstructions of Ramses’ various projects, revealing their complexity and opulence. This includes fly-throughs within the Ramesseum and his prosperous capital city of Pi-Ramesses.

Finely crafted mini replicas of temples such as Abu Simbel, complete with artificial sunlight, add another layer of dimension in depicting Ramses’ building prowess. Artefacts from Deir el-Medina are especially interesting, highlighting the lives of Egyptian craftsmen whose sole purpose was to build spectacular tombs carved out of the mountains for Ramses and his wife, Nefertari.

Visitors are also captivated by explanations of how Ramses ensured Egypt’s peace and security through military campaigns and expert diplomacy. The multimedia animation of the Battle of Kadesh, undoubtedly Ramses’ most renowned campaign, does exceptionally well in captivating onlookers with its energetic pulse and vivid storytelling. It is incredibly educational, exploring how the battle led to the world’s first known peace treaty, as well as being utilised as a propaganda tool.

Ramses’ skill as a master propagandist underpins the entire exhibition, with his position cemented by the frequent appearance of his image across Egypt – on stelae, obelisks and monuments to having his cartouche engraved onto other pharaohs’ works. The towering limestone and pink granite colossus statues that dominate the start and end of the exhibition, are remarkable and jaw-dropping depictions of his excellence.

Another enchanting piece is the statute of Ramses II as a sphinx offering holy water to Amun, encapsulating his absolute power and connection to the gods. Charmingly artistic faience tiles also depict Ramses as a warrior pharaoh, with a vibrant one of him smiting three of Egypt’s traditional enemies, a Syrian, Libyan and Nubian.

Of course, an Ancient Egyptian exhibition is incomplete without a section about their fascinating religion and death processes. Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs has an entire final section dedicated to this. Although Ramses’ tomb was mostly looted in ancient times, we gain a sense of its opulence through viewing the prized funerary goods of other Egyptian nobilities, including exquisitely intricate jewellery made of various precious materials, gold funerary masks and canopic coffinettes.

Cultivating an other-worldly atmosphere, a major highlight is Sennedjem’s outer coffin and the surrounding wall projections. They depict scenes from the ancient Egyptian funerary text, Book of the Dead, detailing the journey through the Underworld en route to the Field of Reeds, which is a paradise without sorrow where all Egyptians aimed to continue life. However, the show-stopping and central piece is the sarcophagus of Ramses II, a truly stunning artefact that can be marvelled at for ages and which Sydney has been very fortunate to become only the second city outside of Egypt to exhibit.

To add, the VR experience must not be missed – an extremely entertaining and innovative new way of transporting visitors into history. Flying through the Sahara, viewers are guided by Nefertari’s spirit around two of Ramses’ most stunning works: the grandiose Abu Simbel temple and Nefertari’s very own tomb, renowned as the “Sistine Chapel of Ancient Egypt”. Like an educational ride, the cinematic motion chairs do a magical and exhilarating job in painting the sensation of being around such architectural magnificence.

Although the cancellation of the Tutankhamun exhibition in 2021 disappointed many ancient history students and enthusiasts, this spectacular experience more than makes up for it. Living up to its world-class appeal, if there is any indication of what the future of museum exhibitions will look like, it is showcased in Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs.

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs is on view now until 19 May 2024 at Australian Museum; tickets from $29.

The capital city of New South Wales is falling under the spell of the ancient Egyptians with the visit of the Ramses and the Gold of the Pharaohs exhibition, reports Nevine El-Aref

“Journey back 3,300 years to the vast expanse of the Sahara Desert, where you will immerse yourself in the pulse of ancient Egypt. Explore the captivating era of the nation’s most renowned Pharaoh through a ground-breaking exhibition, Ramses and the Gold of the Pharaohs, marking its debut in Australia.”

With these words, Sydney, the capital city of New South Wales in Australia, was conquered by the “Ramses and the Gold of the Pharaohs” exhibition, now on its fourth leg outside Egypt after two stops in the US and the French capital Paris that saw 817,000 visitors.

The features of king Ramses II can be seen everywhere in Sydney, including in restaurants and residential buildings, while the golden mask of the 21st Dynasty King Amenemope is decorating the streets and metro and bus stations.

The façade of the Australian Museum has been transformed into a Pharaonic gate decorated with enormous replica colossi of Ramses the Great. Images of the king’s coffin and some of the exhibition’s artefacts have appeared on the front pages of many Australian newspapers and magazines, some of which have devoted issues to the Great King’s treasures, history, and the discovery of his mummy in the Luxor Cachette.

On the day of the exhibition’s opening, strains of oriental music and the songs of the renowned Egyptian singer Um Kolthoum could be heard at the Australian Museum as it welcomed invitees to the opening ceremony. All November tickets have been sold out, and almost 110,000 tickets sold.

The groundbreaking exhibition offers a multisensory journey, granting visitors a unique perspective into the life and achievements of Ramses II throughout his 67-year reign as the second-longest reign of any Pharaoh in ancient Egyptian history. 

Exclusively showcased in Sydney, the exhibition presents a collection of 182 priceless artefacts, encompassing Egyptian treasures and rare relics. Among these items are representations of the extraordinary Pharaoh himself, with many never having left Egypt before. 

The wooden coffin of Ramses II, considered the most remarkable ever unearthed from ancient Egypt, is among the objects showcased in the exhibition. It has never ventured beyond Egypt’s borders except for the exhibition’s third leg in Paris before making its way to Sydney.

The exhibition also features a virtual reality experience that takes visitors on a whirlwind tour of two of Ramses’ most impressive monuments: the Temples of Abu Simbel and that of his beloved wife queen Nefertari. Seated in dynamic motion chairs, attendees can soar through temples, navigate sandstorms, and encounter the mummy of Ramses II in this thrilling animated adventure. 

Before going into the exhibition, visitors enter an immersive environment that begins with a four-minute introductory film on a 120-degree screen meant to take them on a journey back in time to admire the history of the great ancient Egyptian king. 

In the centre of the screen, a digital clock counts backwards from the present. The years flash back past the Renaissance and the Middle Ages, past the time of Christ and the Roman and Greek Empires, to over 3,000 years ago, over 100 human generations, stopping abruptly at the year 1304 BCE.

The image then expands to fill the entire screen and transitions into stunning drone footage that soars over the Great Pyramid of Khufu and the Sphinx and zooms down into ancient Memphis. A new king has just ascended to the throne, one who will come to epitomise the power and wealth of ancient Egypt at its height, who secured peace with his neighbours, and is still considered the greatest of all the Pharaohs.

Historians report that when news of the 92-year-old king’s death emerged, the Egyptians were devastated. Few could remember a time before he was Pharaoh. Even in the age of Cleopatra 1,000 years after the death of Ramses, Egyptians still held him above all other Pharaohs. His name and exploits have remained well-known throughout history and his fame extends far beyond Egypt, enshrined in books and films.

Animations in the exhibition show how Ramses II pushed back invasions by Nubians in the south, Libyans on the western border, pirates on the Mediterranean coast, and Hittites on the Syrian border of Egypt. 

Kadesh, his most famous battle with the Hittites, was recorded for posterity on many of the statues and temples he erected. This war ended when Ramses negotiated and signed the world’s first known peace treaty, cemented by his marriage to the daughter of the defeated Hittite king.

Successful trade agreements, abundant harvests, and an expanding economy ushered in a period of stability and prosperity that allowed Ramses to undertake an ambitious campaign of construction that continued throughout his reign.

The narrator of the film explains the history of the king, adding that in 1817 the Egyptologist Giovanni Belzoni uncovered the entrances to the spectacular Temples at Abu Simbel, built by Ramses to celebrate his queen Nefertari and enshrine himself as a god.

Footage takes the visitor high above and through the Temples among other remarkable edifices attributed to Ramses II such as the temples at Karnak, Abydos, and the Ramesseum, his mortuary temple.

ENTERING THE EXHIBITION: Visitors then enter the world of Ramses II himself, viewing the splendour that this great king owned as well as royal statues, sarcophagi, spectacular masks, magnificent jewellery, and ornate golden treasures that reveal the fabulous wealth of the Pharaohs, the astonishing skill of ancient Egyptian tomb builders, and the superb workmanship of Egyptian artists. 

Recently discovered animal mummies, including those of cats, lion cubs, and a mongoose, from the Saqqara Necropolis are on view, as well as fabulous treasures discovered in the royal tombs at the Dahshur and Tanis archaeological sites. The exhibition also includes precious objects from several other periods of Egyptian history to showcase the opulence of Egypt’s ancient civilisation and the beauty of its treasures. Many of these precious gold and silver objects come from intact royal tombs of the Middle Kingdom.

A projected interactive multimedia timeline includes descriptions of key moments in Ramses II’s life illustrated with images that include artefacts from the exhibition. A large mural of the spectacular and unique Temples at Abu Simbel fills one wall. All the graphics emphasise the scale of the Pharaoh’s accomplishments. Full-colour, fly-through animations on monitors recreate buildings as they appeared in antiquity. Artefacts include a column drum and a relief featuring figures of deities, both with cartouches of Ramses II, and a stelae that shows one of the king’s barques.

A limestone block depicts Ramses trampling on his enemies. In a semi-circular side room, the story of Ramses’ military victories including the Battle of Kadesh unfolds in a dramatic multimedia presentation. A giant 3D relief map of Egypt and its neighbours is projected, and miniature figures, including military leaders from the different warring factions as well as Ramses and his sons, together with war chariots and archers move around the map as the story progresses.

Hundreds of arrows aimed at enemy forces by crack archers fly across the map’s terrain with the use of projection mapping. Further projections show battalions of horse-drawn chariots race across the scene, heightening the drama and storytelling as the narrator recounts some of Ramses II’s defining military campaigns, including one of the most famous battles in history.

Near the exit, visitors learn that after overseeing a period of peace, stability, and economic prosperity in Egypt, Ramses died at the age of 92 and was buried in the Valley of the Kings at Luxor.

Artefacts and panels showing the King’s tomb and its builders are on show among those displaying the necropolis in Luxor where the tombs of Ramses II and his family are located, with the surviving funerary collection of the king also being on display.

IN AUSTRALIA: The exhibition is the Australian Museum’s most prestigious cultural exhibition in over a decade, and one “where Sydneysiders, for the next six months, will enjoy an exclusive, extended period of gold-imbued awe and wonder,” said CEO and Australian Museum Director Kim McKay.

She describes the exhibition as “epic and exquisite.” Epic, because 3,000 years on from this sovereign’s life and times, the 182 one-of-a-kind artefacts help tell the story of Ramses the Great, as he was known, including his stunning cedar sarcophagus. Exquisite, because so much of the exhibition is hewn from precious metals, predominantly gold.

“Ramses the Great was a phenomenon,” said McKay and explained that he was a beloved father, incomparable warrior, a peacemaker and prolific builder whose legacy is both political and cultural. “Responsible for countless temples, pyramids and statues, the first ever peace treaty, and an enormous, influential family, the stories of Ramses have been retold through generations.” 

She pointed out that the museum has created an innovative experience that enables visitors to enjoy this with all their senses. “It marks a new chapter in the way we share culture with our visitors to the Australian museum, and we know you will experience the same awe and wonder we have felt in crafting this once-in-a-lifetime blockbuster experience,” McKay concluded.

Former Egyptian minister of antiquities and curator of the exhibition Zahi Hawass emphasised how the exhibition unveils the world Ramses II and his role as Pharaoh.

“The contemporary world starkly contrasts with ancient Egypt, and through this exhibition visitors will delve into Ramses II’s world, encountering a vastly different way of life,” Hawass said. He added that the allure of ancient Egypt persists, captivating people worldwide, as attested by the ongoing excitement over new archaeological discoveries in Egypt.

Hawass said that the masterpieces of ancient Egyptian craftsmanship, including statues, jewellery, and carvings, were crafted with the intention of honouring and immortalising the Pharaohs. Many of these artefacts, still preserved today, effectively breathe life into the stories of these revered leaders. 

“The exhibition features a selection of these exquisite items, offering a glimpse into the rich cultural heritage of ancient Egypt in which the greatest of the Pharaohs, the king of kings, Ramses II lived,” he said.

“Australian audiences have a rare opportunity to explore the unparalleled craftsmanship and refinement of objects and artworks spanning from the Bronze Age to the Classical Age.”

New South Wales Minister for the Arts, Music, Night-time Economy, Jobs and Tourism John Graham expressed his gratitude for the presence of these invaluable and historic artefacts in Sydney. He noted that the rarity of exhibitions of such magnitude meant the time-consuming efforts of hundreds of individuals and years of negotiations. 

Reflecting on the Australian Museum’s award-winning renovations, he highlighted that the new spaces were purposefully designed for exhibitions like “Ramses and the Gold of the Pharaohs”, showcasing these remarkable artefacts that have endured for 3,000 years.

Encouraging the public to seize this unique opportunity, Graham urged everyone to journey back in time by visiting the exhibition. He emphasised the exceptional chance to explore ancient Egypt’s wonders without venturing beyond Sydney, underscoring the significance of this cultural experience.

Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) Mustafa Waziri said that all the tickets available for November have been sold out, and he expects that by the end of its six months in Sydney, the exhibition will reach one million visitors. He recalled other cities the exhibition has visited during the past two years, such as Paris, where it received 817,000 visitors during a five-month stay.

He describes Ramses II as “a man of war and peace” because he proved his bravery in the war against the Nubians in the south, the Libyans on the western border, and pirates in the Mediterranean. He signed the world’s first peace treaty with the Hittites.

Waziri described Ramses II’s reign as “a golden and flourishing moment,” as he branded his reputation through immense construction work across Egypt. “The exhibition showcases the story of Egypt’s greatest Pharaoh and those Pharaohs who came before and after him through demonstrating these treasure troves,” Waziri said.

“It is and immense honour to create this magnificent touring exhibition,” executive chairman and group CEO of Neon, the organiser of the exhibition, Ron Tan said. 

He added that Sydney is the only city in the southern hemisphere to showcase this exhibition and thanked the Australian Museum for providing such a spectacular setting and the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities for their cooperation in bringing this exhibition to fruition.

The “Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs” exhibition officially opened to visitors at the Australian Museum in Sydney on Saturday.

The exhibition began its journey outside Egypt with its first stop in November 2021 in Houston, then in August 2022 in San Francisco, USA, then its third stop in April 2023 in the French capital, Paris.

Now in Australia for the very first time, the exhibit will showcase 182 exquisite antiquities direct from the pyramids and museums of Egypt, together with their extraordinary stories.

The opening ceremony was held on Friday evening and witnessed by the Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mostafa Waziri, Minister for Roads, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy of Australia, John Graham, and Director of the Australian Museum Kim McKay, Ambassador Mohamed Khairy, and Consul General of Egypt in Sydney, along with official participating delegation from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

The ceremony was also held in presence of more than 500 invitees, including senior public and governmental figures, members of the museum’s Board of Trustees, archaeologists, tourism specialists in Australia, the dean of the Egyptian community in Australia, alongside a number of influencers, bloggers, and Australian celebrities.

Sydney’s own Egyptology enthusiast AJ Lamarque is here to help you look clever at Sydney’s exclusive exhibition

Sydney’s exclusive exhibition of Ancient Egyptian artefacts has finally landed, and lovers of history and all that glitters are trying to remain cool. That overly-excited, Prince-doppelganger in the pictures (and in Time Out’s First Look video of the exhibition) is me, AJ Lamarque: comedian, presenter and amateur egyptologist. I suppose anyone can call themselves an amateur egyptologist in the same way that anyone who’s ever been to Holey Moley can call themselves an amateur golfer. But I did spend a year learning Hieroglyphs at UC Berkeley (instead of actually doing my course subjects) so I do have some credentials to back up my claim. 

Like many people, I was enamoured by Ancient Egyptian culture from a young age, and that fascination has only grown as I’ve gotten older. The grandeur and mystery of this civilisation that spanned more than 3,000 years has captured the minds and imaginations of nearly every culture since its demise in the early BC. As soon as I heard that the Australian Museum had managed to secure this exhibition, I knew I had to get my nerd on.

Now, the fact that this exhibition even is in Australia is quite a big deal in itself. So, unless you venture to Egypt yourself, there’s a very good chance that this may be the only time in our lifetimes to see these items in Australia.

With some 182 priceless artefacts on display, there’s definitely a lot to check out. To help, I’ve picked out some highlights from the exhibition to give you the lowdown on the history behind them and what makes them so exciting. (You can also steal these notes so you can sound like a pro to your mates when you check out the exhibition too!)

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs is at the Australian Museum until Sunday, May 19, 2024. Definitely don’t miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to experience the magic of Ancient Egypt.

You can also catch me in person as I interview bioarchaeologist Professor Ronika Power as part of the Tomb Talks program. Learn more about it here. 

3 incredible Ancient Egyptian artefacts you can see in Sydney

Direct from Egypt, the highly anticipated exhibition, Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs, opens to the public at the Australian Museum on Saturday 18 November 2023.

This spectacular new exhibition – in Australia for the very first time, will showcase 182 exquisite antiquities direct from the pyramids and museums of Egypt, together with their extraordinary stories. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see treasures of these ancient wonders, right here in Sydney.

Ancient Egypt, the land of pharaohs, extraordinary art, cultural splendour, and home to the only remaining Ancient Wonder of the World: the pyramids, has captivated the imagination of people across the globe and across generations.

The name of its legendary pharaoh – Ramses the Great, has also endured. Now, visitors to Sydney can discover the legacy of Ramses the Great and the treasures of the ancient pyramids for themselves.

Director and CEO, Australian Museum, Kim McKay AO said that Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs is the most prestigious cultural exhibition to be hosted by the AM in over a decade.

“Ramses the Great was a phenomenon – a beloved father, incomparable warrior, and prolific builder whose legacy is both political and cultural. Responsible for countless temples, pyramids and statues, the first ever Peace Treaty, and an enormous, influential family, the stories of Ramses have been retold through generations” said McKay.

“The era of Ramses the Great was also a time of incredible artistic innovation. This is all on display in this extraordinary exhibition through signature pieces including: the famous coffin of Ramses the Great, the priceless golden masks of Amenemope, the exquisite carved sarcophagi of Sennedjem, the extraordinary necklace of Psusennes, and mummified animals including cats, crocodiles, and even a lion cub.”

“The exhibition also reveals the unique and sophisticated artistry of the era, as well as the spiritual life of the people during this time. With many priceless treasures from the ancient tombs and pyramids, Ramses and the Gold of the Pharaohs will also entrance audiences with interactive, multimedia elements and a thrilling VR experience that takes visitors right inside his tomb,” McKay explained. “This is a truly immersive exhibition that puts one of history’s most legendary figures into context with dynamic, modern storytelling.”

Curator of the exhibition, renowned archaeologist and former Minister of Antiquities, Dr Zahi Hawass said the one of the most wonderful things about this exhibition is that it reveals the world Ramses took over when he became pharaoh.

“Our modern world is so different from Ancient Egypt. With this exhibition visitors will be immersed in the world of Ramses and discover a completely different way of life,” said Dr Hawass. “Ancient Egypt is a part of history that continues to reveal itself and inspire people across the globe. Even today, the world is thrilled with each new discovery that’s unearthed. It holds an enduring fascination for us all.”

“Works of art – statues, jewellery, carvings – made by Ancient Egyptians were intended to honour and immortalise revered pharaohs. They’re well on their way to doing so, given so many still remain today, bringing their stories to life. These are just a few of the exquisite items included in the exhibition.”

“This is a rare opportunity for Australian audiences to discover the unique craftsmanship and sophistication of objects and artworks dating from within the Bronze Age of 3000 BCE to the Classical Age 1st century CE,” added Dr Hawass.

For those interested in learning more about Ancient Egypt, the AM is presenting Gateway to Egypt, an exclusive season of lectures, conversations, and experiences. Experts, Scholars and Curators will provide a glimpse into life on the Nile Valley and help us understand how the ancient Egyptians viewed their world.

To extend the visitor experience, there are a range of activities, talks and experiences including a thrilling Virtual Reality experience that takes you on a whirlwind tour of the Abu Simbel temples and the Tomb of Queen Nefertari.

In cinematic motion chairs visitors will fly through temples and sandstorms and even come face-to-face with Ramses’ mummy in this electrifying animated journey. Individual Audio Tours are also available, providing a compelling narrative for visitors as they walk through the exhibition and there is a full colour catalogue available for sale, containing essays and in-depth background information about Ramses the Great by Dr Zahi Hawass.

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs is presented in partnership with World Heritage Exhibitions, Neon/Global and the Houston Museum of Natural Science, with the support of Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. Proudly supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW Blockbusters Funding initiative, Adventure World and Accor Hotels.

NSW Minister for the Arts, Music, Night-time Economy, Jobs and Tourism, the Hon John Graham MLC, said that
Australians are fortunate to have these irreplaceable and historic artefacts here in Sydney. “Exhibitions of this scale don’t come around very often – they’re complex undertakings that involve hundreds of people and years of negotiation,” said Mr Graham.

“Following the AM’s award-winning renovations, we now have the kind of exhibition the new spaces were made for with Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs and these superb artefacts that have survived 3,000 years.”

“I urge everyone to take a trip back in time to see Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs exhibition, an incredible opportunity to visit Ancient Egypt without going further than the Sydney CBD!” said Mr Graham.

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Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs
Australian Museum, 1 William Street, Sydney
Exhibition: 18 November 2023 – 19 May 2024
Entry fees apply

For more information, visit: www.australian.museum for details.

Image: Funerary Mask of King Amenemopet – courtesy of World Heritage Exhibitions

The Australian Museum in Sydney is now the temporary home to one of history’s most enigmatic leaders, Ramses II, also known as Ramses the Great.

For the first time in Australasia, visitors can witness the coffin of the pharaoh who ruled Egypt for nearly seven decades.

The exhibition, titled Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs, showcases over 180 artefacts from Ramses II’s era, including his intricately designed coffin.

Kim McKay AO, director and chief executive of The Australian Museum, expressed her excitement.

“This is a monumental occasion. We’re bringing a piece of ancient history to life, right here in Sydney.”

Discovered in 1881, the coffin is not only a significant archaeological find but also a masterpiece of ancient Egyptian craftsmanship.

Mostafa Waziry, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities and a descendant of Ramses II, said the moment was full circle.

“Seeing these artefacts, especially the coffin of King Ramses, is like stepping back in time,” he said.

“It will be something different when you come here and feel it. You’re just centimetres to be away from the statue of King Ramses”

Ramses II, who reigned from 1279-1213 BCE, was known for his extensive building programs and numerous military campaigns. He was also a prolific father, with over 100 children to his name.

The exhibition’s highlight is undoubtedly the coffin of Ramses II. It represents a unique opportunity for visitors to connect with a past that shaped the world’s history.

“We decided a couple of months ago to bring the coffin to here and it’s the first time all the visitors are going to see the coffin of King Ramses standing up like this,” said Waziry.

Some of those artefacts that will be seen for the first time include one of Waziry’s own discoveries, the animal mummies, which have never left Egypt before now.

“I’m very proud that some of these pieces here in this exhibition are from my excavations in the Saqqara,” said Waziry.

“I discovered the animal mummies by my hand, you can imagine the feeling. I will never ever forget for the rest of my life.”

Of those discoveries include a rare lion cub, one of five ever discovered, mummified scarabs which served as a world-first discovery too, and a crocodile.

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs opens tomorrow.

It’s been just over 100 years since the discovery of Egyptian boy pharaoh Tutankhamun’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings

The discovery immediately started a worldwide mania for all things ancient Egyptian that was reflected in art, furniture, fashion and songs of the day.

Today, none of that enthusiasm has abated, and with the arrival of the Australian Museum’s Ramses and the Gold of the Pharaohs exhibition in Sydney this November, be prepared for an onslaught of Egypt mania all over again.

The exhibition will feature182 mostly priceless artefacts, with the highpoints including the sarcophagus of Ramses II, one of the most impressive royal coffins to be discovered, jewellery, masks, amulets and animal mummies.

“This is the biggest cultural exhibition that Australia has had in at least 10 years in terms of the range of objects, the value of them, the rarity of the objects and the fact that it is a multi-national exhibition,” Fran Dovey, head of exhibitions, Australian Museum said.

The exhibition came about via a circuitous route, with a back story almost as mysterious as ancient Egypt.

“We were meant to get the Tutankhamun exhibition, but that fell through and we were left in the lurch,” Dovey said.

In step the Indiana Jones of Egyptology, Dr Zahi Hawass, and Kim McKay, Australian Museum CEO, who had a long-standing relationship.

A deal was struck between Hawass, the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities, Neon Global and World Heritage Exhibitions that resulted in Sydney becoming the second city in the world, after Paris, to exhibit the coffin.

“Ramses’ coffin is a work of inestimable value and a powerful symbol of one of the greatest leaders of the ancient world,” Kim McKay said in a statement.

While Tutankhamun is probably the best know pharaoh, he lived only a short time and left no great mark on ancient Egypt, while Ramses II lived to around 90 years of age, won many significant battles that lead to peace and an extensive building campaign which included many monuments to himself.

Married to Nefertari, who is also represented in the exhibition, Ramses went on the sire over 100 children with his numerous consorts.

Nine more pharaohs would take his name after his death.

The main shipment of objects, including the coffin, began arriving in specially built air-conditioned crates under armed guard at the Museum last week.

“Any of these objects that travel are incredibly valuable, and right from the beginning we have been working with the conservation team to create the atmosphere controlled crates and to make sure that they are stored in conservation grade facilities,” Dovey said.

“No expense is spared to make sure that an object leaves Egypt and gets around the world in one piece.”

To make sure that the exhibition goer can see the artefacts in the best conditions the Museum is installing specially built plinths and new lighting.

“Many of the objects are in perfect condition and you can get quite close to them, and the lighting is so exquisite they just glow,” Dovey said.

“They are what you would expect from Egyptian jewellery, the lapis lazuli, the gold with gods represented, and there is a section about the people who built the tombs with some of their objects and doodles.”

In addition to the exhibition there is a Virtual Reality experience with motion chairs, where the viewer can take a journey through the ancient village of Abul Simbel, the place where Ramses was worshipped and four colossal statues representing him have been discovered.

 

In an extraordinary loan from Egypt, the ornate sarcophagus of the Pharaoh will be on display at the Australian Museum

There has been lots of excitement building around Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs, the blockbuster exhibition of Ancient Egyptian artefacts coming exclusively to Sydney this year. And the Australian Museum just dropped another announcement about the upcoming cultural event that is sure to level up the spectacle when it opens on November 18.

On October 24, it was revealed that the actual sarcophagus of Ramses II – one of the most impressive royal coffins from ancient Egypt ever to be discovered – will be travelling to Australia for the upcoming exhibition. Exclusive to the Australian Museum and on direct loan from Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, Ramses’ coffin is rarely permitted to leave Egypt. Sydney will become only the second city in the world, after Paris, to showcase the extremely valuable artefact. 

Australian Museum Director and CEO, Kim McKay, said the sarcophagus will be the “star attraction” of the exhibition, and it will be “a wonderful opportunity for Australian audiences to see this rare, fragile artefact in real life”. 

McKay continues: “Ramses’ coffin is a work of inestimable value and a powerful symbol of one of the greatest leaders of the ancient world. Egyptians worshipped their Pharaohs, and their devotion to Ramses II can be seen through the craftsmanship of the coffin.”

Dating from the late Eighteenth Dynasty, the carved cedar coffin of Ramses II and its occupant was discovered in 1811 within the Royal Cache at Deir el-Bahari – an Egyptian archaeological site located on the west bank of the Nile River, opposite the city of Luxor and east of the Valley of the Kings. The recumbent king is represented as Osiris, one of the most important gods of ancient Egypt. Arms crossed on his chest, he holds two royal sceptres and wears the Nemes headdress decorated with the erect cobra and a false beard braided beneath his chin. A number of inscriptions can be found on the coffin – on its lid, two large cartouches recall his birth name of “Ramses, beloved of Amun” and throne name “Powerful is the Maat of Ra, he whom Ra has chosen”. 

The coffin of Ramses II joins more than 180 priceless artefacts and ornate golden treasures in Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs, including one-of-a-kind relics such as sarcophagi, animal mummies, magnificent jewellery, spectacular royal masks, exquisite amulets – many of which have never left Egypt before. All of the objects in the exhibition have come from museums and historical sites in Egypt and are on loan from Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities.

This exceptional loan is the result of a long-standing working relationship between McKay and Dr Zahi Hawass, the curator of Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs and the former head of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, as well as the exhibition partners, Neon Global and World Heritage Exhibitions.

We reckon this remarkable addition certainly gives Sydney’s Egyptian blockbuster show an edge over Pharoah, the other big Ancient Egypt exhibition heading to Melbourne in 2024. (But that could just be our fierce inter-city rivalry – which runs as relentlessly as the River Nile – talking?) 

Calling all amateur Egyptologists, we’ve rounded up everything else we know about Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs over here. 

The sarcophagus of one of ancient Egypt’s most powerful Pharaohs, Ramses II, is on its way to Australia thanks to a rare loan to Sydney.

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs exhibition is days away from opening and if you weren’t already excited for it, this might pique your interest. The Australian Museum has managed to score a royal coffin all the way from Egypt and it could be one of the most monumental ones to ever be discovered. The ornate sarcophagus of Ramses II is coming to Australia for the Sydney exclusive exhibition courtesy of a direct loan from Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities. The royal coffin has rarely ever left Egypt and Sydney will be the only city in the world aside from Paris to showcase it at the blockbuster exhibition.

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs Exhibition, Sydney

The epic exhibition is set to open in Sydney this November and features over 180 Egyptian treasures including sarcophagi, animal mummies, royal masks and many more artefacts, some of which will be travelling outside of Egypt for the very first time. Making the stacked list even more grandiose is the coffin of Ramses II, one of the most powerful Pharaohs to have ever ruled Egypt.

“The beautiful sarcophagus of Ramses II will be the star attraction in the Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs exhibition and is a wonderful opportunity for Australian audiences to see this rare, fragile artefact in real life,” Australian Museum Director and CEO, Kim McKay AO, said of the striking coffin.

“Egyptians worshipped their Pharaohs, and their devotion to Ramses II can be seen through the craftsmanship of the coffin.”

The exhibition is an extensive look into the life of King Ramses II or Ramses the Great and chronicles his influential reign where he built more monuments than any other Egyptian king. The travelling exhibition is coming to Sydney after a successful run in Houston, San Francisco and Paris making it the fourth city out of 10 to be able to experience the extraordinary showcase.

Catch it at the Australian Museum in Sydney from November 18 to May 19, 2024. Tickets are on sale now. Get more information about the exhibition and book your tickets at the official Australian Museum website.

Egyptian and Australian officials said they are optimistic about the success of the 4th stop of the temporary historic exhibition “Ramses and the Gold of the Pharaohs”, set to open on November 17, in Sydney, Australia. Australian curators said they already sold 100,000 tickets a month before the opening.

During a press event to unveil the exhibition’s details on Monday, Ahmed Ghoneim, CEO of the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC), said he’s delighted to lend the coffin of Ramses II, which he described as “one of the most prominent antiquities displayed at NMEC”, adding that “it represents a great addition to the exhibition given the fame of Ramses II”.

The CEO believes that the participation of this coffin at the exhibition is “the best ambassador of Ancient Egypt and its eternal civilization.”

In its debut at the Houston Museum, US, in 2021, the exhibition hosted hundreds of thousands of visitors, and few more during its stop in San Francisco in 2022; but its third stop in Paris, at Lafayette Gallery during the first half of this year, it welcomed, 817,000 visitors within five months, according Mostafa Waziry, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA).

Waziri hailed the “great interest” the Australian museum has showed in hosting and promoting the exhibition, which promises success similar to that achieved in Paris.

He also expected the exhibition to achieve “a huge turnout and boost the influx of Australian tourists to Egypt in the near future, similar to the influx the country saw following the exhibition’s stop in France.”

The “Ramses and The Gold of Pharaohs” displays 181 antiquities from the collection of the Egyptian Museum, dating back to the Ramses II era, in addition to some antiquities discovered by the Egyptian expedition in the Bubasteum area in Saqqara.

Speaking at the press event, Zahi Hawass, a renowned Egyptologist and former Minister of Antiquities, described Ramses II, who ruled for 66 years, as the “King of Kings” and “ruler of the greatest and strongest Egyptian era”, noting that he was also known as “master of builders” because he built temples, statues, and obelisks more than any other king in Ancient Egypt.

For his part, John Norman, president of the firm curating the exhibition, expected the event to bring major success as over 100,000 tickets were sold before the opening.

“The coffin of Ramses II will be the star attraction in the exhibition,” said Kim McKay, the Australian Museum’s director and CEO, adding that “exhibiting this priceless antiquity, a strong symbol of one of the greatest leaders in the ancient world, is a remarkable success for our museum. Sydney is the world’s second city, after Paris, to display it. It’s an amazing opportunity for the Australian audience to see it alongside the other unique antiquities.”

The royal coffin rarely leaves Egypt, but it has been given permission to travel Down Under to display at the Australian Museum.

How do you make a blockbuster ancient Egypt exhibition even bigger? At the Australian Museum‘s upcoming Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs, adding the royal coffin that provided the resting place for the showcase’s namesake will do the trick. Already set to feature more than 181 rare artefacts and treasures, the Sydney event has now confirmed that the sarcophagus of Ramses II will also be on display Down Under — giving audiences a rare treat.

It isn’t often that the coffin is permitted to leave Egypt; however, it will head to the Harbour City after also recently displaying at the exhibition’s stop in Paris. When that happens, Sydney will become just the second city in the world outside of Egypt to show the 3000-plus-year-old item.

“The beautiful sarcophagus of Ramses II will be the star attraction in the Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs exhibition and is a wonderful opportunity for Australian audiences to see this rare, fragile artefact in real life,” said Australian Museum Director and CEO Kim McKay AO.

“Ramses’ coffin is a work of inestimable value and a powerful symbol of one of the greatest leaders of the ancient world. Egyptians worshipped their pharaohs, and their devotion to Ramses II can be seen through the craftsmanship of the coffin.”

“The coffin of Ramses II was one of the most popular objects in Ramses & The Gold of the Pharaohs in Paris, so we anticipate Australian audiences will find this priceless artefact equally enthralling. Shown in Australia for the very first time, Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs and the extraordinary loan of the coffin direct from Egypt, highlights how dynamic international relationships develop across the globe,” added World Heritage Exhibitions CEO John Norman.

This piece of history is carved from cedar, and discovered with the pharoah’s body more than two centuries ago, in 1811 within the Royal Cache at Deir el-Bahari.

If you need a reminder on your Egyptian history, Ramses II ruled over the country from 1279–1213 BCE. When Saturday, November 18 rolls around this year, a collection of items from the pharaoh’s rule will gleam in Australia, as first announced back in 2021 — including animal mummies, royal masks, jewellery, amulets and other golden items from the ruler’s tomb, plus now Ramses II’s coffin.

Focusing on Egypt’s third pharaoh from its 19th dynasty — a ruler also known as Ramses the Great, who enjoyed the second-longest reign of any pharaoh, and is considered a symbol of the country’s prosperous ancient New Kingdom period — the overall showcase is set to be big. The Australian Museum has dubbed it the largest cultural collection Down Under in more than a decade, in fact. While the hefty number of objects featured is impressive, so is their rare status; some of the pieces included haven’t ever left Egypt before.

Bringing a slice of history to Australia’s shores, Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs will be filled with items from museums and historical sites in Egypt, which are being loaned to the exhibition by Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities. Also included: letting attendees enter two of the ruler’s monuments — the Tomb of Queen Nefertari, and the temples of Abu Simbel — virtually.

Presented in partnership with World Heritage Exhibitions, Neon and the Houston Museum of Natural Science, with support by Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, and also funding from the NSW Government’s Create NSW Blockbusters Funding initiative, Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs heads to Australia after showing in Houston and San Francisco in the US, as well as its recent season until September in Paris.

Australia will also play host to another huge exhibition about ancient Egypt in 2024, with Pharaoh set to feature at Melbourne’s NGV International from June.

Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs will display at the Australian Museum, 1 William Street, Sydney, from Saturday, November 18, 2023–Sunday, May 19, 2024 — head to the exhibition’s website for further details and tickets.

Around 100,000 tickets were sold a month before the official opening of the 10-city tour exhibition. 

The Australian Museum will host the exhibition where the coffin of Ramses II, one of the most impressive royal coffins discovered in ancient Egypt, will be among its collection that will be unveiled to Australian audiences; this rare artefact is on loan to the museum.

Ramses’ coffin is rarely permitted to leave Egypt and Sydney will be the second city in the world, after Paris, to display it.

Before the discovery of the Deir El-Bahari royal mummies cache in 1881, ancient Egyptian kings were nothing but stories transmitted by travellers and historians, or scenes recorded on the walls of temples and tombs and the paintings of painters and epigraphers, said Ahmed Ghoneim, CEO of the NMEC.

Ramses II is one of those royalties, whose fame spread all over the world, even before discovering his mummy, due to the architectural monuments he built like the monumental structures and colossi in Luxor and Karnak temples, the great funerary Ramesseum temple, and Abu Simbel temples, he added.

“Ramses II’s coffin, which was exhibited in the NMEC and will be displayed in Sydney, would be the ambassador of ancient Egypt and its great civilization,” Ghoneim pointed out.

“Egyptian treasures have always mesmerized the world for centuries,” said Mostafa Waziry, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), highlighting the enigmatic nature of Egypt’s origins, religions, and monumental architecture, many of which were constructed during Ramses II’s rule. 

“I expect the exhibition in its fourth stop in Sydney to be another success, as it received 817,000 visitors during the five-month stay in Paris,” Waziry asserted. 

“Egyptians have secured an eternal place in history due to their ability to transcend age and time. I invite visitors to discover why Ramses II is often regarded as the greatest, most celebrated, and most powerful pharaoh of all time,” he added.

While Zahi Hawass, the renowned Egyptologist and former Minister of Antiquities, was reviewing his recent excavations in Ramses II’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor during a press conference, he told reporters that Ramses, as one of the longest-lived pharaohs, identified himself as “King of all the Kings” and that his 66-year reign is considered Egypt’s most glorious time.

He was also known as the “Master of Builders” as he erected more monuments than any other ancient Egyptian pharaoh. So, he was regarded by the Egyptians as “Ramses the Great.” Thus, Egyptologists expected his tomb to be full of wonderful treasures, especially if compared with the tomb of a minor king like Tutankhamun, Hawass added.  

He explained that currently the tomb’s state is not as expected as it underwent many difficult conditions like successive thefts, random digging in search of hidden treasures, and severe rain floods that destroyed its beautiful reliefs and inscriptions.

The tomb’s passages and internal rooms were completely blocked, so many archaeological missions failed to clean it from the debris and reveal its secrets.

However, the Egyptian excavation mission, which was in January 2021, could remove all the debris and thus revealed secrets about the construction and pictorial program of the tomb.

“It is in fact the only royal tomb full of inscriptions, decorations, and of course architecture in the Valley of the Kings,” Hawass asserted.

The excavations revealed many new scenes depicted on the tomb walls, representing important chapters from the ancient Egyptian funerary afterlife books like the “Book of Gates” and the “Book of Imy-Duat,” or “What is in the Afterlife.”

The tomb’s shaft, the deepest among the shafts of the Valley of the Kings’s royal tombs, was also uncovered completely for the first time. “Surprisingly, it is decorated like the walls, carrying three marvellous scenes and inscriptions that represent other chapters from the afterlife books,” Hawass noted.

The mission also could measure the size of Ramses’s funerary treasure using a measurement system, showing evidence that the king’s huge funerary furniture was moved outside the tomb not by robbers but by the priests of the Egyptian god Amun in the Late Period, Hawass pointed out.

The excavation showed that the priests and their architects could not take the large-size objects outside the tomb in the same way the king’s men brought them inside. So, they had to dig the floors and ceilings to expand them and thus remove the treasures. Given the fact that these treasures were not destroyed or taken by robbers, there is still a possibility of discovering them, he added.

Hawass described the exhibition as an unprecedented event which aimed not only to spread the magic of the pharaohs in the West but also for all the nations to see the greatness of that civilization which “combined perfection in workmanship and absolute beauty.”

“We are excited to bring these treasures to the land down under! I’m sure it will be a big success,” said John Norman, president of Neon Creative, celebrating the opening of the exhibition.

The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has played an instrumental role in fostering this spirit of friendship and cooperation that started in 2005 with the launch of the Tutankhamun exhibition in Los Angeles, Norman explained, praising its efforts in promoting Egypt as a tourist destination, which opened the door for countless travellers to explore its beauty and wonders.

“As we celebrate this milestone of two decades of friendship and support, let us not forget the importance of preserving and cherishing this heritage for future generations. May we continue to work hand in hand, nurturing the bond between our nations and sharing the wonders of Egypt with the world,” Norman added. 

The carved, wooden coffin will be the star attraction in the exhibition, which includes over 181 rare objects, like glittering golden masks, exquisite jewellery, amulets, and animal sarcophagi, said Kim McKay AO, the Australian Museum’s director and CEO.

“This beautiful sarcophagus is a work of inestimable value and a powerful symbol of one of the greatest leaders of the ancient world. Egyptians worshipped their Pharaohs, and their devotion to Ramses II can be seen through the craftsmanship of the coffin,” McKay explained. 

“This international collaboration between the two countries, as well as our exhibition partners, Neon Global and World Heritage Exhibitions, marks a new chapter in the way we share culture with our visitors and is an opportunity for the Australian Museum to enhance its global reputation and consolidate these valuable partnerships,” he added. 

Through the priceless artefacts of the exhibition, the whole world will see how the pharaohs made their glory through work and creativity.

The exhibition’s journey abroad had its first stop in Houston in November 2021, second stop in San Francisco in August 2022, and third stop in Paris in April 2023.

The sarcophagus of one of Ancient Egypt’s greatest pharaohs is set to make the rare journey to Australia after the Australian Museum negotiated a loan of the priceless antiquity for its upcoming antiquity blockbuster exhibition.

The sarcophagus once contained the mummified remains of Ramses II, who ruled for almost 67 years during the 13th century BC and oversaw major military conquests and monumental construction projects while fathering more than 100 children.

It will join 181 priceless artefacts and ornate treasures to go on public display at the museum next month, with the sarcophagus the star attraction of its Ramses & The Gold of the Pharoahs blockbuster. It’s the first of three exhibitions on Ancient Egypt opening in Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne in the next several months.

The exceptional loan was announced by the Egyptian government in Cairo on Monday evening Australian time as renowned archaeologist, Dr Zahi Hawass, revealed his team had made major discoveries while excavating the burial chamber of the 19th Dynasty king. These include never-before-seen funerary texts and burial chamber reliefs ushering the king into the afterlife, and showing Ramses’ god-like status in ancient Egypt.

Archaeologists say they are inching closer to finding the passage linking Ramses’ burial chamber with that of his sons in the Valley of the Kings, near Luxor. The cedar coffin of Ramses II now on its way to Sydney had been included in the Paris leg of the multi-city exhibition tour of ancient Egyptian artefacts, in recognition of the French conservators who helped save the mummy from decay 50 years ago.

It was to have returned to Cairo until museum chief executive Kim McKay intervened.

“I walked up to the Minister of Tourism in Egypt, a very charming man, and introduced myself, and he did this beautiful thing of kissing my hand. And I said, ‘I’m Kim from Australia, and I want that coffin’. He laughed. We got chatting, and he said he would see what he could do.

“This beautiful sarcophagus is a work of inestimable value and a powerful symbol of one of the greatest leaders of the ancient world. Egyptians worshipped their Pharaohs, and their devotion to Ramses II can be seen through the craftsmanship of the coffin.”

Costs of transporting the coffin to Australia will be covered by ticket admission, Ms McKay said.

Hawass says proceeds the Egyptian government receives from the ten-city blockbuster tour, of which Sydney is the fourth stop, is helping conserve the tomb and its newly discovered contents including those showing Ramses with the Lord of Death and Rebirth, Osiris.

NEON, a global experience entertainment company, has announced that Avatar: The Experience at Gardens by the Bay in Singapore has welcomed two million visitors within its first 11 months of operation. Produced by NEON, the immersive experience made its debut in the Cloud Forest on 28 October 2022, and on 9 October 2023, Alex Wu, visiting with his family became the 2,000,000th guest.

This historic occasion was celebrated by NEON in collaboration with its prestigious partners, Gardens by the Bay, Disney Location-Based Experiences, and Lightstorm Entertainment, which is led by James Cameron and Jon Landau.

The success of this experience has been ascribed to the huge popularity of the Avatar movie, as well as outstanding reviews and the recent Outstanding Attraction Experience award at the Singapore Tourism Awards, which was revealed in May 2023.

On 12 August 2023, Avatar: The Experience had 11,000 visitors in a single day—the largest daily attendance since the venue’s opening.

Explore Pandora’s wonders

This immersive experience has captivated both local and foreign viewers, drawing inspiration from the first and third highest-grossing films of all time, Avatar and Avatar: The Way of Water. In order to give more attendees the chance to experience Pandora’s wonders, the event is scheduled to run through 1 January 2024.

Executive chairman & group CEO of NEON, Ron Tan says: “It is beyond our imagination to be able to welcome our 2,000,000th visitor in less than a year right here at the iconic Cloud Forest.

“The support from our collaborators at Disney Location-Based Experiences, Lightstorm Entertainment, the Singapore Tourism Board and Gardens by the Bay, has made Avatar: The Experience a truly spectacular creative endeavor, and one that continues to delight the people of Singapore, and travelers from all over the globe.”

Avatar: The Experience, housed in the spectacular Cloud Forest at Gardens by the Bay, enhances visitor experiences with remarkable, engaging, and eye-catching content spread over five distinct zones inside the 4000-square-metre glass dome. Here, visitors explore the alien planet Pandora, taking in its bioluminescent settings, interacting with its enigmatic wildlife, and learning about the fascinating Na’vi culture.

Earlier this month, NEON Group Ltd. announced a new partnership with Itochu Property Development, Ltd. and Sankei Building Co., Ltd. establishing the foundation for its strategic expansion in Japan.

Top image: From left to right: Mr Alex Wu and his family, Ms Olivia Sim, executive director, international business integration and global development, The Walt Disney Company, Mr George Gross, senior vice president and managing director, Walt Disney Attractions Japan and Walt Disney Imagineering Japan, and Mr Welby Altidor, NEON Group chief creative and innovation officer.

Atlanta’s own Isla Nublar is coming to a close in November, the perfect opportunity to meet your favorite dinos while you can. Grab your tickets!

The Jurassic Exhibition is one of its kind in Atlanta, harnessing the power of state-of-the-art animatronics and the nostalgia of the beloved Jurassic World saga to bring a true prehistoric wonderland to life. As you step through the magnificent Jurassic Park arch (and fight off the urge to hum that legendary theme song), Isla Nublar stands in all of its glory. 

Dinosaurs like the towering Brachiosaurus, the scary Indominus Rex and the adorable Little Bumpy come out of the screen and onto the floors of Pullman Yards. Young and old alike will get to learn more about those (sometimes not so) gentle giants, especially at the Hammonds Creation Lab, where John Hammonds’ theories come alive. Kids will get to excavate fossils, unleash their inner paleontologist and so much more. 

You’re gonna want to run to Pullman Yards to discover Isla Nublar in its luscious fullness — Grab tickets before the experience leaves the ATL next month!

“Isla Nublar is just a few minutes away.” What a crazy thing to say, and yet the world of the acclaimed cinema franchise is so close to reach. At ATL’s historic Pullman Yards, you’ll find this luscious prehistoric land — waiting only on you to be discovered. Aided with the latest animatronics technology, Jurassic World: The Exhibition recreates your favorite dinos in XXL! Run a hand through their pebbly skin and feel what it must’ve been like to pet an actual dinosaur… scales and all. 

That’s probably what John Hammond had in mind when he got the idea for Jurassic Park: bringing people from all walks of life to discover the magic of dinosaurs. And while that promise didn’t quite hold up in the movies (let’s be honest, the films kept on showing us why it was such a bad idea), you have the opportunity to fulfill his dream, right here in the ATL! No need for tranquilizer guns, since you won’t actually be chased by any dinosaurs — and you can bring the entire family since it’s a super safe environment. A few thrills here and there, but no jump scares, we promise! 

Jurassic World: The Exhibition has been charming ATLiens since its opening last May, and since then it’s amassed great reviews: 

“Our family had an awesome awesome time. We really didn’t expect the experience. It was fantastic, from our youngest at 3 to oldest, 70.” Sandy A.  

“Such an awesome experience! The detail was great and I really appreciated the smaller groups to ensure we were all able to see everything.” Madison S. 

“Wow!! Definitely surpassed my expectations. This was very well done you can tell they put a lot of work into it.” Rachel M.

Group enters joint venture with Itochu Property Development, Ltd. and Sankei Building Co., Ltd.

NEON Group Limited, a global leader in creating and producing immersive experiences, has announced a new partnership with Itochu Property Development, Ltd. and Sankei Building Co., Ltd. establishing the foundation for its strategic expansion in Japan.

This collaboration offers NEON the opportunity to benefit from the expert knowledge and extensive network of Itochu Property Development, Ltd. and Sankei Building Co., Ltd.’s various business lines. This will facilitate multi-faceted projects, including identifying and securing venues in cities across Japan for NEON Group Limited’s internationally acclaimed IP experiences.

Ron Tan, executive chairman and Group CEO of NEON, comments: “This joint venture is a testament to our unwavering commitment to creating epic experiences for our audiences in Japan and around the world.

“The evolution and convergence of experiences and real estate is an emerging and inevitable trend and we are excited to embark on this journey with Itochu Property Development, Ltd. and Sankei Building Co., Ltd. to bring about extensive business opportunities for us as well as for our prominent venture partners here in Japan.”

Strategic expansion in Japan

Through this partnership, NEON will have the opportunity to take advantage of the vast networks and operational excellence of both the Itochu Group and the FUJI SANKEI COMMUNICATIONS Group. This will help to accelerate the Group’s expansion plan in Japan and create new, exciting opportunities for NEON and its valued collaborators.

NEON remains committed to delivering immersive experiences that will enchant visitors across the globe, as the Group develops its activities and engages a bigger audience in Japan.

Last month, NEON revealed that Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs, which is showing in Sydney later this year, will be the largest cultural exhibition to visit Australia in over a decade.

The exhibition will be on show at the Australian Museum and is a collaboration between World Heritage Exhibitions, NEON Global and the Houston Museum of Natural Science, with support from Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. 

The dinosaurs will continue to roam Mississauga for a few months longer.

A collection of prehistoric giants that took up residence right beside Square One Shopping Centre this past April will stay in town until early January.

Organizers of Jurassic World: The Exhibition say the 20,000-sq.-ft. touring show that allows guests of all ages to get up close with life-size versions of the king of dinosaurs, Tyrannosaurus rex, in addition to the ferocious Velociraptors and the more friendly Brachiosaurus, and many more, will continue until Jan. 3, 2024.

In an email to insauga.com, a spokesperson for the exhibit, which features up-close looks at 16 dinosaurs, said the show is being extended at Square One “due to phenomenal demand.”

The spokesperson added that the extended show will allow “dino-loving families and cinephiles to have the ultimate dinosaur experience through the holiday season.”

The opening at Square One back in April marked the touring show’s Canadian debut.

Organizers said at the time that people were in for a real treat when coming to see the show.

“Humans and dinosaurs have never shared a planet together, but that doesn’t stop our endless fascination with the creatures that roamed the earth millions of years ago,” organizers said earlier of the interactive exhibit that features life-size dinosaurs, cutting-edge technology and richly themed prehistoric environments.

“Now, for the first time in Canada, audiences will be treated to one of the most compelling, life-like dinosaur exhibitions touring today.”

Inspired by one of the biggest blockbuster movie series in cinema history, Jurassic World: The Exhibition provides to visitors a “cinematic universe come to life through innovative animatronic technology and immersive installations including Land of the Giants, Creation Lab, T. rex Kingdom, The Raptor Experience, Gyrosphere Valley and more.”

The exhibition is located on a stand-alone space beside Square One, at 199 Rathburn Rd. W.

It’s produced by NEON, a global leader in immersive and epic experiences, and presented in conjunction with Universal Live Entertainment.

For more information and tickets, click here.

It takes a lot to compete with the blockbuster-level magic of the Jurassic World film franchise, but Jurassic World: The Exhibition rises to the occasion. Billing itself as “the closest you’ll come to live dinosaurs,” the immersive exhibition is the latest interactive experience to come to Pullman Yards, the former industrial complex located in Atlanta’s Kirkwood neighborhood. The 25,000-square-foot experience, produced by entertainment company NEON, allows visitors to come face-to-face with life-size, meticulously rendered animatronic dinosaurs. Exhibit environments are just as carefully considered, showcasing memorable locations from the films, such as the Hammond Creation Lab, which houses baby dinosaurs and a wall of amber-preserved mosquitos. 

The spectacle starts early. After walking through the iconic main gate from the Jurassic World park entrance, visitors will emerge into a forest of ferns and be greeted by a sky-scraping Brachiosaurus. Other highlights include a “feeding” of the Jurassic World trilogy’s hybrid dinosaur, Indominus rex; a training session with Blue, Chris Pratt’s prodigious Velociraptor; and a fearsome encounter with fan-favorite predator, Tyrannosaurus rex. Helpful tour docents and numerous hands-on educational features—from dig sites to touch screen kiosks—add real-world context for the many extinct animals throughout the attraction. 

Jurassic World: The Exhibition premiered in 2016 and has since traveled to several major cities across the globe, including London, Madrid, and Seoul. “The sheer size and detail of these dinosaurs create a sense of awe and wonder that’s hard to replicate elsewhere,” says Zoe Tan, senior vice president of business development for the Americas at NEON. “The exhibition draws in enthusiasts and families looking to engage with the series in a tangible way.” It’s a little taste of the ancient world—no time machine required.

NEON, a global experience entertainment company, has revealed that Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs will be the biggest cultural exhibition to visit Australia in over 10 years when it goes on show in Sydney later this year.

The exhibition will open on 18 November at the Australian Museum, where it will include an exclusive interactive experience. In this, visitors will be able to see 181 exhibits, many of which have not been seen outside of Egypt before. Gold treasures, jewellery, mummified animals, royal masks, amulets and sarcophagi are among the objects to go on show.

Most powerful pharaoh of all time

All of the items in Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs are on loan to the exhibition from Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities and originated from Egyptian museums and historic sites. Dr Mostafa Waziry, Secretary-General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities and renowned archaeologist, began the Ramses countdown at the Australian Museum.

Waziry says: “Mystery surrounds Egypt’s origins, religions and monumental architecture – many of which were built during the reign of Ramses II, 1279 to 1213 BC. This ability to transcend age and time has ensured the Egyptians have an eternal place in history, and I invite visitors to discover for themselves why Ramses II is often regarded as the greatest, most celebrated, and most powerful pharaoh of all time.”

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs gives visitors a glimpse into the life and achievements of King Ramses II, also known as Ramses the Great. Ramses the Great had the second-longest reign of any Ancient Egyptian pharaoh and ruled the country for nearly 67 years.

He lived to be approximately 92 years old and came to symbolise Ancient Egypt’s strength and prosperity during the New Kingdom period, 1539-1075 BC, when Egyptian civilisation was at its peak. Ramses was known as a powerful warrior who brought peace among his neighbours, oversaw a vast building scheme – which featured numerous massive monuments to himself – and is thought to have fathered more than 100 children.

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs also includes a virtual reality tour of two of Ramses’ most remarkable monuments: the Tomb of Queen Nefertari, and the temples of Abu Simbel.

Inspiring Australian Egyptologists

The Australian Museum in Sydney will be the next host of the exhibition, which is a collaboration between World Heritage Exhibitions, NEON Global and the Houston Museum of Natural Science, with support from Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. Sydney is the only city in the region to host Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs, and this leg of the exhibition tour is funded by the NSW Government through the Create NSW Blockbusters Funding initiative.

The Hon John Graham, NSW minister for arts, music, night-time economy, jobs and tourism, comments: “Egypt was one of the most powerful civilisations in the centre of the ancient world, and we are thrilled some of the greatest Egyptian treasures are coming to Sydney with Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs. This is a magnificent exhibition, set to produce a new generation of young Australian Egyptologists. I encourage all Australians to experience this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see these magnificently preserved 3,300-year-old artefacts at the Australian Museum.”

“The Australian Museum is thrilled to present these exceedingly rare objects in an exhibition where visitors can appreciate their astonishing beauty and enduring history first-hand,” adds Kim McKay AO, director and CEO of the Australian Museum. “Ancient Egypt holds intrigue and fascination for all age groups, and I know Ramses & The Gold of the Pharaohs in Sydney will introduce the mystery of the pharaohs to new generations of locals and visitors alike.”

John Norman, World Heritage Exhibitions CEO, concludes: “Our team has created an amazing experience celebrating the greatest Pharaoh in Egypt’s history and the reaction from people has surpassed our highest expectations. We are so excited to bring the exhibition to Sydney and know Australians are going to be similarly amazed.”

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs is a touring exhibition and has previously been shown in Houston, San Francisco and Paris.

NEON celebrated a scholarship with the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) earlier this year. NEON is a leader in providing immersive IP experiences to audiences worldwide, yet its dedication to the entertainment industry goes beyond delivering exceptional experiences. It also recognises the importance of education, with a focus on preparing the younger generation for the evolving demands of the sector.

“Mummies of the World: The Exhibition” opens at The Corner Gallery in the Playhouse Square District on Sept. 23 for a limited engagement, open to the public on Thursdays through Sundays, according to a news release from organizers.

The exhibition will bring visitors face-to-face with ancient history with a collection of ancient mummies and artifacts from Europe, South America and Ancient Egypt.

“There are interactive kiosks throughout. There are multimedia displays,” said David Greene, Playhouse Square’s Senior VP of Marketing. “So you can interact with and do a great deal of learning about the mummification process, about the science behind it. All of the mummies are real people; they all have stories.”

The Corner Gallery is located at 1305 Euclid Avenue.

For more information on the exhibit and to purchase tickets, click here.

 

“Mummies of the World is one of the most popular traveling exhibitions in North America, and we are thrilled to host it at Playhouse Square in The Corner Gallery,” said Playhouse Square Senior Vice President of Programming David Greene in a press release. “We are excited that this exhibit will allow us to further activate the Playhouse Square District and give guests – both new and returning – different, exciting and memorable experiences when they come and visit.”

“Mummies of the World” is described as the largest exhibition of real mummies and related artifacts ever assembled. Previous stops in Miami, St. Louis and Hartford featured the mummified remains of 40 humans and animals, though the exhibition’s producer, World Heritage Exhibitions, says content may vary by market. The collection includes mummies from Europe, South America and Ancient Egypt. Artifact displays provide a window into these ancient civilizations, while multimedia exhibits illustrate how modern science plays a role in unlocking their mysteries.

“We say that ‘inside every mummy is a story waiting to be told’ and Mummies of the World tells thousands of years of captivating history,” said John Norman, President of World Heritage Exhibitions. “Visitors to the exhibition are in for a fascinating journey highlighted by real stories of real people. Throughout this exhibition, we really get to know these individuals and families, who, in many cases, were everyday people just like you and me. It’s that common humanity which truly connects us and brings history alive, creating a unique learning experience for visitors or all ages.”

In its announcement, Playhouse Square cautioned the show might not be suitable for younger children and acknowledged there are differing cultural and religious views on the display of deceased individuals. “Mummies of the World: The Exhibition” will run Thursday-Sunday through at least January at The Corner Gallery at 1305 Euclid Ave. Tickets, ranging in price from $10 for students to $24.95 for adults, are available now at playhousesquare.org/mummies or by calling 216-241-6000.

The new venue, along with the upcoming opening of Fresh Garden Café in the former Dynomite Burgers kiosk in U.S. Bank Plaza, is part of an effort to liven up the city’s theater district. Included in that is the free outdoor concert by Andy Grammar and new marquee lighting ceremony on Sept. 28.

“Between our incredible line-up of performances in our theaters to our fantastic eateries and the addition of these new venues and special events, the Playhouse Square District will be brimming with energy, and we are excited to welcome everyone to take part in these experiences,” Playhouse Square President & CEO Craig Hassall said.

Don’t fret, this isn’t a bunch of scientists trying to recreate the dinosaur species, even though it may look that way. The engineers behind this incredible exhibition are playing with life-like animatronics. 

Your journey through the exhibition will begin onboard a ferry taking you to Isla Nublar, the island where dinosaurs were bred in Jurassic Park. Here, you’ll be able to walk through the iconic ‘Jurassic World’ gates and encounter a life-sized brachiosaurus, velociraptors, and the fearsome Tyrannosaurus Rex. Younger fans of children’s show Camp Cretaceous will be able to snap a selfie with baby dino, Bumpy.

Rex Kingdom is the highlight, set up with replica high-voltage fences from the films and a moving, life-size meat-eating T.Rex that will make those with nerves of steel jump. The exhibition is family friendly, this might be one you want to skip if you have younger kids in tow as it could be nightmare inducing.

Jurassic World: The Exhibition will be presented starting Friday, September 22, for a limited time at the newly reimagined 3,000 sqm SuperLuna Pavilion, Sydney Showground at Sydney Olympic Park. 

Admission starts at $39 for children (ages 3+) and $49 for adults (ages 16+). For more information or to book, visit jurassicworldexhibition.com.au

Yes, a dino roamed around one of Australia’s most famous beaches.

Yes, obviously it wasn’t a real dinosaur, but fans of the Jurassic franchise will be happy to go along with it. And yes, this clever girl did look supremely lifelike. Also yes: life really does find a way.

The velociraptor was first spotted at Marks Park, then made its way to the beach’s south end. Next, following a stint near Icebergs, it ventured up around Bondi Pavilion. That’s where it was captured — or, really, where the promotional stunt for Jurassic World: The Exhibition came to an end.

Letting a realistic-looking dino loose on Bondi was all about letting people know that the Jurassic World showcase that’s been touring the world will hit Sydney this spring, and celebrate 30 years since the first Jurassic Park movie rampaged through cinemas in the process. Before now, the exhibition has made its way to London, San Diego, Paris, Madrid, Seoul, Shanghai, Toronto and more, complete with life-sized and lifelike versions of the movie franchise’s animals.

What do Bondi Beach and Isla Nublar have in common? Dinosaurs now, although Bondi didn’t score its own version of the famous Jurassic Park and Jurassic World gates. That entryway will be on show at the exhibition, however, when it arrives at the 3000-square-metre SuperLuna Pavilion at Sydney Showground in Sydney Olympic Park from Friday, September 22.

Tickets are now on sale for Jurassic World: The Exhibition, which is another reason for the promo stunt. Sadly, there were no sightings of Sam Neill, Laura Dern or Jeff Goldblum at Bondi today — just the raptor.

Add an ancient critter to the list of attention-grabbing Bondi pop-ups in the past year, including a Stranger Things rift, a giant rainbow sand sculpture in the countdown to Sydney WorldPride and a mass installation for photographer Spencer Tunick, which briefly turned the sandy stretch into a nude beach.

It’s been a big few years for pop culture-themed pop-ups in Australia, too, including Borat, Nicole Kidman, Homer Simpson and the creepy Red Light, Green Light doll from Squid Game also making an appearance in Sydney. Homer Simpson’s huge head made its way to Queensland, too, while Melbourne has scored an Everything Everywhere All At Once-style multidimensional laundromat and a massive Timothée Chalamet mural to promote Dune.

Jurassic World: The Exhibition will display at SuperLuna Pavilion, Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park from Friday, September 22 — head to the exhibition’s website for tickets. 

While the ATL is full of surprises, witnessing imposing dinos roam freely across Pullman Yards is definitely not something we’d expect to see. And yet — the stuff of dreams landed right here, in Atlanta, last May when Jurassic World: The Exhibition opened its doors. Since then, we’ve wanted to see those Isla Nublar dinos for ourselves, fangs and all. 

For those of us who grew up watching the beloved franchise, the exhibition is a truly nostalgic journey that evokes cherished memories. The opportunity to encounter these majestic creatures up close is a dream come true that transports us back to the awe and wonder of our childhood, and the same can be said for those dino-obsessed kiddos who can’t seem to get enough of their figurines. The experience is a magical treat for young and old alike, transporting us to Alan Grant’s imagined park.

A remarkable blend of animatronics, captivating set design, immersive special effects and adorable charm truly makes the saga come alive — and after embarking on the incredible journey firsthand, we couldn’t wait to share our experience. Read on for our full review of the adventure… 

Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime adventure!

Our Jurassic World journey began on a ‘boat’ leading us to Isla Nublar, that mystical island inhabited by dinosaurs brought back to life. After receiving a fascinating briefing about the park through a voiceover, the legendary Jurassic Park gates stood tall before us, with the familiar and nostalgic “Welcome to Jurassic Park” theme song playing in our minds. 

Just then, we set our eyes on the towering brachiosaurus. We were amazed by the incredible animatronics that went into crafting every detail of the mighty dino — it really felt as though a giant creature was right there in front of us! We gazed in amazement for so long our necks felt the pain, but it was all worth it.

As we made our way through the rest of the experience, we couldn’t help but notice the transformation Pullman Yards had undergone: the venue was decked out in ferns and leaves, details of a true prehistoric wonderland. The resounding roars of dinosaurs added to the immersive atmosphere, making us feel as though we stepped through the screen and into the Jurassic World film. 

After being guided by wandering eyes through the foliage, we found ourselves at Hammond’s Creation Lab. Learning about the time period, exploring walls filled with dinosaur eggs, fossils, and even dino poop (yep) was both educational and fascinating. But the real highlight was undoubtedly our interaction with the tiny baby dinosaurs in the incubator!  

Filled with menacing jaws and rattling cages, the adventure is an adrenaline-pumping experience that keeps you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. One of those pulse-racing moments was coming face-to-face with the ghostly Indominus Rex. Its piercing gaze and menacing teeth gave us full body chills.

But despite the realistic nature of the exhibit, there’s nothing to be afraid of! You can leave your tranquilizer guns at home, since the chances of a dinosaur jumping at you through the cages are close to none. You’ll still get to witness the agility and intelligence of the dinosaurs in their movement, with a few jump scares here and there. 

If you came in the company of young children and are seeking a more lighthearted and kid-friendly adventure, Jurassic World: The Exhibition‘s got you covered as well! Little ones will have the chance to unleash their inner paleontologist by sifting through sand to uncover fascinating fossils, adding an educational and interactive layer to the experience.

But the excitement doesn’t end there for the kids: they’ll have the opportunity to interact with adorable dinosaurs like Bumpy, the Ankylosaurus from Camp Cretaceous. Just a heads up: if your kids want to take a cute dino home afterwards, don’t blame it on us! 

And of course, the thrilling conclusion of the experience is a show-stopper. The queen of the kingdom herself, the legendary T-Rex, makes a spectacular appearance in all her glory. The jaw-dropping special effects, performances, and realistic animatronics created an unforgettable atmosphere that had us — and the kids — gasping in surprise.

After the mesmerizing climax, we made our way to the gift shop: a treasure trove of Jurassic memorabilia and the perfect opportunity to take home some cherished souvenirs of our beloved adventure. We’ll definitely head back to Jurassic World: The Exhibition though, and we’d love to see you there! 

The incredible experience is an absolute must for anyone who loves dinosaurs, the Jurassic Park franchise, or simply wants to be transported back to the prehistoric era.

Immerse yourself in a world where ancient giants roam freely, right here in the ATL!

The exhibition features an interactive museum experience as well as bringing a collection of 181 dazzling objects to the city, many of which are newly discovered and have never left Egypt before. The exhibition features exquisite sculpture, precious gold treasures, sarcophagi, magnificent jewellery and amulets. Carefully selected from museums and historical sites across Egypt, these objects offer a captivating glimpse into the life and achievements of Ramses II.

Alongside the exhibits, visitors can enjoy state-of-the-art multimedia reproductions that vividly depict the opulence and splendour of ancient Egyptian civilisation. “Ramses and Nefertari: Journey to Osiris,” installed in an adjacent gallery, is a virtual reality tour of King Ramses II’s magnificent monuments, such as the temples of Abu Simbel and Nefertari’s Tomb. Drone photography, immersive video settings, multimedia productions, and photomurals are used to recreate such events as the Battle of Kadesh, the largest chariot battle ever fought. 

“Egyptian treasures have dazzled the world for centuries,” said Mostafa Waziri, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities. He added that mystery surrounds Egypt’s origins, religions and monumental architecture, many of which were built during the reign of Ramses II. “This ability to transcend time has ensured the Egyptians have an eternal place in history, and I invite visitors to discover for themselves why Ramses II is often regarded as the greatest, most celebrated and most powerful pharaoh of all time.”

Hon John Graham, New South Wales (NSW) Minister for Arts, Music, Night-time Economy, Jobs, and Tourism, emphasised that Sydney is the exhibition’s exclusive host city in the region, a development made possible by funding from the NSW government.

“Egypt was once among the most influential civilisations at the centre of the ancient world, and we are delighted that some of the greatest Egyptian treasures are coming to Sydney with this magnificent exhibition, which is set to inspire a new generation of young Australian Egyptologists,” Graham remarked. He encouraged all Australians to seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Kim McKay, Director and CEO of the Australian Museum, expressed her excitement about showcasing historical objects of exceptional significance and astonishing beauty. “Ancient Egypt holds intrigue and fascination for all age groups, and I am confident that Ramses and The Gold of the Pharaohs in Sydney will introduce the mystery of the pharaohs to new generations of locals and visitors alike.”

CEO John Norman of World Heritage Exhibitions, which designed the exhibition, reported that “Ramses and the Gold of the Pharaohs” has been breaking attendance records worldwide. “Our team has created an extraordinary experience to celebrate the greatest Pharaoh in Egypt’s history, and the response from people has exceeded our highest expectations. We are thrilled to bring the exhibition to Sydney, and we believe Australians will be equally amazed.”

The exhibition’s international tour began in November 2021 in Houston, Texas. It later travelled to San Fransisco, and is currently captivating audiences in Paris.

The exhibition reveals the fabulous wealth of the pharaohs, the astonishing skill of ancient Egyptian tomb builders, and the superb workmanship of Egyptian artists. It also includes recently discovered animal mummies, including those of small cats, lion cubs, and a mongoose, from the Saqqara Necropolis, on view for the first time, as well as treasures discovered in the royal tombs in Dahshur and Tanis, many of which had never travelled before, as well as precious objects from several other periods of Egyptian history, much of it from intact royal tombs of the Middle Kingdom and the 21st and 22nd dynasties, Egypt’s Third Intermediate Period.

“This is an opportunity to experience ancient Egypt like never before,” said Norman, adding that visitors will not only see priceless historical artifacts, but will also be transported to Egyptian temples in an electrifying virtual reality journey across the sands of the Sahara. “We are proud… to bring these immersive, one-of-a-kind experiences to visitors across the globe.”

www.msichicago.org/explore/whats-here/exhibits/pompeii/

Address:

Museum of Science and Industry | Chicago, IL

5700 S Lake Shore Dr

Chicago

60637

Cross street:

at 57th St

Transport:

Bus: 6, 15, 28, 55. Train: Metra Electric or South Shore Line to 55th, 56th and 57th Street.

In 2019, NEON took a step further in supporting education by establishing the NEON – SUTD Scholarship. The aim of this initiative is to contribute to the academic success of aspiring talents and encourage academic and learning excellence by attracting outstanding students to pursue their undergraduate education at the prestigious Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD).

Through this scholarship, NEON is providing students with a strong, multi-disciplinary STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education that aligns with the ever-changing landscape of the entertainment industry.

Scholarship opens up possibilities

Over the years, the NEON – SUTD Scholarship has nurtured the academic growth of three individuals, each contributing to their respective fields of study. One of these people is Max Lee, who recently graduated from SUTD’s Engineering Systems and Design program. His success story is an example of the positive impact that the scholarship has had on the lives of its recipients.

The scholarship helped to ease the financial burden of higher education for his family and allowed him to also take part in the basketball club and the SUTD Ambassador’s club. He also went on a subsidised overseas community trip to assist underprivileged people in developing countries. Now that he has graduated, he is financially independent and can even help to provide for his parents.

Lionell Loh, an inspiring recipient in 2020, pursued his passion in Information Systems and Technology Designs in SUTD and through his dedication, he now excels as a Software Engineer at Meta, making an impact in the tech world.

Equally impressive, Glenn Teo, the scholarship recipient of 2021, turned to Engineering Product Development and has since grown his career at Red Hat, a leading provider of enterprise open source solutions, as a Technical Graduate. These shining examples not only reflect the success of the NEON-SUTD Scholarship in nurturing outstanding scholars but also serve as a source of inspiration for aspiring minds to dream big and achieve the extraordinary.

Robin Chua, director of the Office of Advancement and Development at SUTD, says that NEON’s support of the scholarship “impacts the world.” He adds: “By enabling us to provide a world-class education and opening up a multitude of possibilities to our students, Singapore’s young aspiring talent are equipped to go forth and change the world.”

NEON says it believes that just as it strives to create grand and immersive experiences for its audiences, the same level of dedication should be extended to the education experience of scholarship recipients. By providing the necessary support and recognition, NEON ensures that these talented individuals are empowered to realise their full potential.

Recently, NEON’s attraction, Avatar: The Experience at Gardens by the Bay in Singapore, won the Outstanding Attraction Experience award at the Singapore Tourism Awards 2023, in the Experience Excellence category.

A stunning homage to the beloved franchise, Jurassic World: The Exhibition is an immersive experience that promises to bring fans face-to-face with some of films’ most iconic characters. Described as a ‘family-friendly’ exhibition, the new attraction gives you the chance to explore some key moments from the series, starting first by walking through the iconic “Jurassic World” gates.

From here, Jurassic World: The Exhibition reads like a geek’s wishlist. Hit the trail and you’ll encounter a life-sized brachiosaurus, velociraptors, and if you’re (un)lucky, even a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Better yet, the exhibit organisers have confirmed newer additions to the franchise, such as “Bumpy” from the popular Netflix animated series Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous series will make an appearance, as well.

The launch of Jurassic World: The Exhibition in Sydney comes amid the franchise’s 30th anniversary and follows a series of sold-out engagements across the globe. Over the last few months, the attraction has nabbed record ticket sales across London, Paris, Madrid, Shanghai, Cologne, San Diego and many more. Now, it’s finally time for Sydneysiders to step foot inside Richard Hammond’s beleaguered park of wonders.

Jurassic World: The Exhibition kicks off on Friday, 22 September 2023 and will run for a limited time. You can find the blockbuster new attraction at the newly reimagined SuperLuna Pavilion, Sydney Showground at Sydney Olympic Park, with the waitlist now open for tickets. 

Walk through the famous gates and get up close to lifelike dinosaurs to celebrate three decades since ‘Jurassic Park’ first hit cinemas.

If you’re a dinosaur fan in Australia, life keeps finding a way to indulge your interest in prehistoric creatures. In Brisbane, the Dinosaurs of Patagonia museum showcase is currently displaying impressive fossils. In Melbourne and later Sydney, Dinos Alive: An Immersive Experience is about to hit. And also in the Harbour City, Jurassic World: The Exhibition will soon roar into town with its own critters, as well as a celebration of 30 years since the first Jurassic Park movie initially rampaged across the big screen.

Yes, it’s a great time to fascinated with dinosaurs right now — we’ve seen two seasons of Prehistoric Planet on streaming in the past two years, too — and this latest exhibition arrives as part of a global tour. A showcase with the same name displayed in Melbourne back in 2016, but this visit comes after stops everywhere from London, San Diego, Paris and Madrid to Seoul, Shanghai and Toronto. On offer: life-sized, lifelike versions of the movie franchise’s animals.

Expect to feel like you’ve been transported to Isla Nublar, complete with a walk through the big-screen saga’s famed gates. From there, you’ll walk through themed environments featuring dinos, including a brachiosaurus, velociraptors — yes, get ready to say “clever girl” — and a Tyrannosaurus rex.

Also linking in with the animated Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous series, there’ll be baby dinos, including the show’s Bumpy.

Sydneysiders and visitors to the New South Wales capital will be able to get roaming, and staring at animatronic dinos, from Friday, September 22 at the 3000-square-metre SuperLuna Pavilion at Sydney Showground in Sydney Olympic Park. Exactly how long the exhibition will hang around for hasn’t been announced, except that it’ll be a limited stay. If it’ll head to other Australian cities afterwards also hasn’t been revealed.

Now, all that’s left is to decide which Jurassic franchise character you want to emulate (the best choices: Laura Dern’s palaeobotanist Ellie Sattler, Sam Neill’s palaeontologist Alan Grant and Jeff Goldblum’s mathematician Ian Malcolm, of course).

And no, when Michael Crichton penned Jurassic Park in 1990, then Steven Spielberg turned it into a 1993 film, they wouldn’t have expected that this’d be the result three decades — and five more movies — later.

Jurassic World: The Exhibition will display at SuperLuna Pavilion, Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park from Friday, September 22 — head to the exhibition’s website to join the ticket waitlist. 

Time Out says

Have you ever dreamed of walking with dinosaurs? Well Sydney, life finds a way. Jurassic World: The Exhibition is roaring into the Harbour City this spring following recent record-breaking engagements in cities around the world. This enormous and immersive experience celebrates 30 years of the film franchise that began with the ground-breaking 1993 movie Jurassic Park.

At this family-friendly exhibit of Jurassic proportions, you can walk through the iconic “Jurassic World” gates and encounter a life-sized brachiosaurus, velociraptors, and the most fearsome dinosaur of all, the mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex. (We’re yet to receive confirmation on whether you’ll also encounter the glistening, exposed chest hair of Jeff Goldblum as you explore the richly themed environments.)

Visitors will be able to imagine what it would have been like to roam amongst these breathtaking creatures (the dinosaurs, not Sam Neil and the gang), and even interact with baby dinos, including “Bumpy” from the popular animated series Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous (currently streaming on Netflix).

Are you finding yourself thinking that the mad scientists behind this experience “were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should”? Well, hold onto your butts. They’re not playing God with real extinct creatures, but with life-like animatronics. So, Sydney should avoid an apocalyptic T-Rex escape situation.

The exhibition engages audiences of all ages in settings inspired by the Jurassic World franchise and is produced in conjunction with Universal Live Entertainment, NEON, SuperLuna, Masterworks, Sony Music Entertainment Australia, and Animax Designs – the creators of the lifelike animatronic dinosaurs.

Jurassic World: The Exhibition will be presented starting Friday, September 22, for a limited time at the newly reimagined 3,000 sqm SuperLuna Pavilion, Sydney Showground at Sydney Olympic Park. 

Admission starts at $39 for children (ages 3+) and $49 for adults (ages 16+). Family and group tickets are also available, as well as special pricing for senior citizens and students. Ticketmaster pre-sale commences at 10am on Wednesday, July 26. General Public sale commences at 10am on Thursday, July 27. The Sydney waitlist is now open at jurassicworldexhibition.com.au. 

The deep importance of animals in ancient Egyptian religious practices will be on show when a major exhibition of antiquities opens in Australia in four months’ time.

The Australian Museum’s upcoming blockbuster will feature recently discovered mummified animals, including cats, a mongoose and a 10-month-old lion cub, which are thousands of years old.

They were unearthed south of Cairo at Saqqara – an active Egyptian burial site for three millennia – where a treasure trove of ancient relics has been unearthed.

“They were just discovered a couple of years ago, so not even Egyptians have had the chance to see these pieces,” Dr Mostafa Waziry, Secretary-General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities told AAP.

Dr Waziry, Egypt’s gatekeeper of all these finds, was visiting Australia from Cairo ahead of the opening of the ‘Ramses & The Gold Of The Pharaohs’ exhibition at the Sydney-based museum in November.

Archaeologists also came across scarabs, snakes, crocodiles, and a vervet monkey. Some of these animals had never been found mummified before, he said.

They also found a grave of 500 cats mummified as offerings to the Egyptian goddess Bastet, who was often depicted as a woman with the head of a cat.

It’s fascinating discoveries like these that keep Dr Waziry returning to dig at Egypt’s archaeological sites every week, after 30 years in the field.

“Whenever you discover something that nobody has seen for thousands of years, and you are the first one … it’s a feeling that you will never forget for the rest of your life,” he said.

The intrepid Egyptologist is the also star of two recent Netflix documentaries – the 2020 release Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb, and the trending series Unknown: The Lost Pyramid.

Dr Waziry is pleased the shows have been a success but said the Lost Pyramid filmmakers were simply following archaeologists doing their regular work.

“Everybody in the world is talking about this one, and how happy they are to watch us doing excavating and digging,” he said.

Ramses & The Gold of the Pharaohs will showcase 181 priceless artefacts, many of which have never left Egypt before.

They include royal masks, jewellery, amulets, and sarcophagi, on loan from the Supreme Council of Antiquities.

It’s designed to give viewers an insight into the life and times of Ramses II, who reigned from 1279 to 1213 BC and is arguably the greatest of all the pharaohs, according to Dr Waziry.

Ramses the Great lived to the age of 92 and is believed to have fathered more than 100 children.

Much of Egypt’s monumental architecture was built during his reign, including scores of giant landmarks built as tributes to Ramses.

The exhibition will include a virtual reality tour of two of the most impressive: the tomb of Queen Nefertari, his favourite royal consort, and the temples of Abu Simbel.

The exhibition has already been to the US and is currently in France, where it has attracted record-breaking crowds, according to World Heritage Exhibitions.

The Australian Museum had organised another Egyptian antiquities show, ‘Tutankhamun: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh’ for 2021 but it was cancelled due to the pandemic.

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs will run at the Australian Museum in Sydney from November 18 until May 2024, with tickets available from Monday.

Why does an over 3000-year-old culture still pull audiences, and what is the lure of the Egyptian blockbuster for Australians?

It all feels very familiar – images of pharaohs and mummies – in an Indiana Jones-cum-Tomb Raider kind of way. As audiences, we have been tutored into the world of Egyptology via the big screen, coffee table books, TV documentaries and even graphic cartoons. So, what does it feel like to stand in front of these objects? And is it worth the cost of bringing these exhibitions to Australia?

This week, the Australian Museum (AM) gave us a teaser to its $2.6 billion exhibition Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs, scheduled to open in November. The Museum was forced to cancel its 2021 blockbuster, Tutankhamun: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh, due to COVID touring complications.

That was to be the first blockbuster presented by the AM after its $57.5 million refurbishment, and had received funding under the NSW Government’s Create NSW blockbusters funding initiative to do so.  ‘Obviously that blockbuster funding was cut with the exhibition not coming in,’ explains Fran Dorey, Archaeologist and Head of Exhibitions at AM. ‘However, with Ramses on offer, we had to reapply for new blockbuster funding, and we’ve been successful with that.’

But there is no loss to be felt with Tut replaced. Born circa 1303 BCE, Ramses the Great (Ramses II, who reigned from 1279 to 1213 BCE) lived longer than any other Egyptian pharaoh – including King Tut – had 100 children, and was a zealous architect and self-promoter. ‘Ramses would have been the rock star of the ancient world,’ Dorey tells ArtsHub.

Why is Ramses such a rock star?

Ramses lived to about 92, and came to epitomise the power and wealth during the New Kingdom period, with at least nine kings taking their name after him. Dorey says: ‘He was out there as a teenager being a great warrior and general in the Egyptian army. He became king when he was around 25 and ruled for about 66 years. He was also like a wanton PR machine. Wherever you go in Egypt – from the north all the way down to the south – he built temples, palaces and buildings with colossal statues of himself, and we’re talking 12- to 20-metre statues.

‘He also took over other people’s statues and ripped their names up and put his name on them. Egyptians would have seen him everywhere. We know he had at least eight wives and at least 100 children – so he was very prolific as a builder, a warrior, a politician and a breeder,’ Dorey continues.

And if that isn’t enough, Hollywood, in the iconic Cecil B DeMille film Ten Commandments, made him the pharaoh of the Exodus. The exhibition checks off all the boxes that the public expects to see, especially the mystery and mythology of ‘king as intercessor’ between gods and men.

Dorey says the story that surrounds the history is as exciting as the objects themselves. ‘These are the things you see in movies, and you see them in textbooks and marketing imagery, and there is that, “Oh, that’s pretty cool” response. But there is something about actually seeing the real thing, and standing in front of it. I always get this tingly feeling.’

She continues: ‘When I look at something, I think, “Oh, my God, somebody touched that 3000 years ago, and it’s got their fingers on it.” And then I think, “Someone found it 100 years ago, and what happened to it between then and now?” They’re not just objects. They are things with stories, and that history is right in front of you.’

A win in disguise: is Ramses better than Tut?

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs has been presented in Houston, San Francisco and Paris en route to Sydney. The AM is gearing up to welcome upwards of 500,000 people through its doors.

The Tut tour was managed by the US touring company IMG and the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities and Culture. Essentially, a new breakaway company, World Heritage Exhibitions/Neon Global, is responsible for this new blockbuster.

The Tutankhamun exhibition was going to be the largest exhibition of his treasures ever to leave Egypt, but will now be confined to the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, which is due to open later this year. But Dorey doesn’t believe we’ve missed out, admitting to ArtsHub: ‘To be honest, I think [Ramses is] a better exhibition, I think there’s a lot more to do and see, and there is also a greater depth of objects.

‘One of the things that most people don’t realise, is that Tut’s tomb isn’t the only pharaoh’s tomb that was found intact. And, in fact, his had been robbed at least twice in antiquity,’ she says. Alongside Ramses, there are other pharaohs featured in this exhibition – Amenemope and Wendjebauendjed, with gold masks and a granite bust of Merneptah.

The exhibition of 181 artefacts also includes sarcophagi, animal mummies, jewellery and amulets. Dorey says her highlights are the aforementioned gold masks, and the recreation of a tomb from the Valley of the Kings. ‘We’ve got Ramses’ coffin, and it is displayed with wall paintings and roof paintings – so it’s like you’re going back into his tomb. It tells the story of the people who painted tomb, and cut the tomb and made the coffins, and I love that.’

That immersive experience is extended with a VR (virtual reality) element that will take visitors on a whirlwind tour of two of Ramses’ most impressive monuments: the Tomb of Queen Nefertari, his favourite Royal Consort, and the temples of Abu Simbel.

Dorey says she has given the separate ticketed experience a whirl. ‘You sit in these fancy chairs that look like giant eggs and your feet are off the ground, and you have a VR headset on. So, if you can imagine a cross between an archaeologist taking you on a tour of Abu Simbel and a film director coming in doing their impression, and you do also meet Ramses – it’s very cool; I loved it.’

She adds of the $2.6 billion value of the show: ‘Once you add the value of the objects – which is the highest value for a collection that we’ve ever had – plus the VR technology, the exhibition furniture, such as the showcases and the audio guides, then that is about right.’

The Egyptian blockbuster is not a new thing

While VR may feel new regarding an Egyptian narrative, the Egyptian blockbuster is hardly a new thing. So what’s the lure for Australian audiences?

Dorey puts it simply: ‘We have to look at the history of the popularisation of Egypt. We had the ‘Egyptomania’ of the 20s and 30s, but it never goes away. That 100-year history of looking at the discoveries, we’ve all heard of it.’  By 1930 about 70% of the AM’s Egyptian Collection was assembled, following the global trend.

‘You can turn the TV on at any given day and there’s an Egyptian documentary. So it’s constantly in our mindset. But I think, when you look at the Egyptian art, and the way they made things and the way they bought in nature and animals, it’s very different – it’s engaging. And then there’s lots of gold – Egyptians loved gold.

‘I think all that combined suggests that it’s exotic, that it’s amazing. And yet, we all feel like we know something because we’ve all watched a documentary, which is nice,’ Dorey adds.

Audiences feel an additional layer of familiarity, having experienced their share of Egyptian exhibitions to date. Alongside the AM’s Ramses exhibition this year, WA Museum Boola Bardip, Perth is currently showing Discovering Ancient Egypt. It partnered with the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in the Netherlands, the National Museum of Australia and the Queensland Museum to bring over 240 objects together, including extracts from the Book of the Dead.

Regarding the exhibition’s section containing human remains (i.e. the mummies), Artshub reviewer Nanci Nott wrote: ‘More fascinating than morbid, here curatorial emphasis rests on the intrinsic value of historical knowledge, as opposed to the cheap sensationalism associated with early archaeology.’

Prior to this year’s offerings, the Powerhouse Museum presented Egyptian Mummies: Exploring Ancient Lives in 2017, while in 2011 Melbourne Museum presented the Melbourne Winter Blockbuster Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs – produced by National Geographic. And in 2007 the National Gallery of Australia presented Egyptian Antiquities from the Louvre: Journey to the Afterlife.

The AM last presented an Egyptian blockbuster in 1998, Life and Death Under the Pharaohs, which led to a reported 51% increase in visitors to the Museum during its presentation. So clearly the repetition means it works.

And, on any given day of the week, visitors can see – free of charge – exhibitions at the Chau Chak Wing Museum at the University of Sydney, with its purpose-built The Egyptian Galleries: The Mummy Room and Pharaonic Obsessions (including four mummies), and the Museum of South Australia’s display The Ancient Egypt gallery, which was unveiled in 1939. While it is pretty much ‘as-it-was’ since opening with its sarcophagus and mummy of Renpit-Nefert – it remains a favourite with visitors.

Adding to that permanent offering, the AM is planning to refurbish its Egyptian galleries as part of its forward vision for 2027 onwards.

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs opens 18 November at the Australian Museum, Sydney; ticketed.

Jurassic World: The Exhibition brings the iconic blockbuster to life at the heart of Atlanta’s very own Pullman Yards through November 12.

Since its arrival in Atlanta last May, Jurassic World: The Exhibition has captured the hearts of both young and old alike. And as proof of its resounding success, the immersive experience has announced it will be extending its stay! Prepare to be transported back to the prehistoric era, where dinosaurs once roamed the earth carelessly, and uncover the science behind it all at The Creation Lab. 

Don your explorer’s hat to encounter friendly favorites like the adorable Little Bumpy from Camp Cretaceous, come face-to-face with the daunting Tyrannosaurus-Rex and so many more. Whether you’re seeking pulse-racing or heartwarming encounters, Jurassic World: The Exhibition stays open through November 12 — the opportunity to explore Isla Nublar in its striking glory. 

Don’t miss the chance to embark on this unforgettable adventure and immerse yourself in the captivating world of Jurassic World.

Get ready for a full immersion into the groundbreaking universe of the iconic “Jurassic Park” franchise! As you step through the iconic archway, you’ll find yourself sucked into the breathtaking world of Isla Nublar, right here in Atlanta. The lush foliage, wild ferns, and vibrant leaves will make you feel like you’ve stepped right into the heart of the island, the perfect opportunity to recreate that iconic “Welcome to Jurassic Park” moment. But be wary as you explore, as curious eyes may be peering at you from the branches…

Thankfully, Jurassic World: The Exhibition offers all the excitement without the actual danger (realistically, no dinosaurs will be chasing you through Pullman Yards!). The interactive nature of the experience is perfect for kids, since they can witness their favorite dinosaurs come to life and interact with them in ways they never thought possible. And if you’re a die-hard fan of the blockbuster saga, this Jurassic World experience is the perfect opportunity to unleash the ’90s kid within you!

After a successful run in London and a current stop in Mississauga, the XXL exhibition is now open in Atlanta through November 12 — and visitors can’t get enough:

“Very realistic and perfectly done. I had the best experience! Angela T. “

“Wow!! Definitely surpassed my expectations. This was very well done you can tell they put a lot of work into it. Rachel M. “

“Did not disappoint! Worth the money! Star M. “

Secure your tickets to witness Isla Nublar IRL!

The Australian Museum in Sydney will host this Ramses the Great exhibition, which will feature items that’ve never left Egypt before.

From 1279–1213 BCE, Ramses II ruled over Egypt. When Saturday, November 18 rolls around this year, a collection of items from the pharaoh’s rule 3000-plus years ago will gleam in Australia. First announced back in 2021, and now locking in its dates and details, Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs will display more 181 rare artefacts and treasures at the Australian Museum in Sydney — including sarcophagi, animal mummies, royal masks, jewellery, amulets and other golden items from the ruler’s tomb.

Focusing on Egypt’s third pharaoh from its 19th dynasty — a ruler also known as Ramses the Great, who enjoyed the second-longest reign of any pharaoh, and is considered a symbol of the country’s prosperous ancient New Kingdom period — this showcase is set to be big. The Australian Museum has dubbed it the largest cultural collection Down Under in more than a decade, in fact. While the hefty number of objects featured is impressive, so is their rare status; some of the pieces included haven’t ever left Egypt before.

Bringing a slice of history to Australia’s shores, Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs will be filled with items from museums and historical sites in Egypt, which are being loaned to the exhibition by Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities.

Also included: letting attendees enter two of the ruler’s monuments — the Tomb of Queen Nefertari, and the temples of Abu Simbel — virtually.

“Mystery surrounds Egypt’s origins, religions and monumental architecture — many of which were built during the reign of Ramses II,” said The Secretary-General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities Dr Mostafa Waziry, who is also an archaeologist, launching the countdown to Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs.

“This ability to transcend age and time has ensured the Egyptians have an eternal place in history, and I invite visitors to discover for themselves why Ramses II is often regarded as the greatest, most celebrated and most powerful pharaoh of all time.”

“The AM is thrilled to present these exceedingly rare objects in an exhibition where visitors can appreciate their astonishing beauty and enduring history firsthand. Ancient Egypt holds intrigue and fascination for all age groups, and I know Ramses & The Gold of the Pharaohs in Sydney will introduce the mystery of the pharaohs to new generations of locals and visitors alike,” added Australian Museum Director and CEO Kim McKay AO.

Presented in partnership with World Heritage Exhibitions, Neon and the Houston Museum of Natural Science, with support by Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, and also funding from the NSW Government’s Create NSW Blockbusters Funding initiative, Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs heads to Australia after showing in Houston and San Francisco in the US, as well as its current season until September in Paris.

Sydney was also meant to celebrate a different Egyptian rule, Tutankhamun, a few years back; however, Tutankhamun: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh, which was due to bring more than 150 items to the Australian Museum in 2021, was cancelled due to the pandemic.

Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs will display at the Australian Museum, 1 William Street, Sydney, from Saturday, November 18 until May 2024 — head to the exhibition’s website for further details, and tickets from Monday, July 17.

Big news, the incredible Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs exhibition is headed to Sydney this summer.

Hosted at The Australian Museum in collaboration with Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the exhibition will feature 181 priceless artefacts and ornate golden treasures, making it the largest cultural exhibition to visit Sydney in over a decade. 

While the mystery of the pyramids and the splendour of Ancient Egypt is typically pretty distant for Sydneysiders—we’ll now get the opportunity to peer 3,30o years into the past, with one-of-a-kind archaeological finds like sarcophagi, animal mummies, jewellery, spectacular royal masks, and exquisite amulets. Many of the items on show have never left Egypt before.

The exhibition focuses on the life and times of King Ramses II, whole ruled over Egypt for 67 years during the height of their civilisation—an era known as the “New Kingdom” period of 1539-1075 BC. Ramses loved to build epic monuments, and included in the Sydney exhibition will be pieces from the Tomb of Queen Nefertari (his favourite Royal Consort) and the temple of Abu Simbel.

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs is heading to Sydney only, after showing in Paris, Houston, and San Francisco. 

Tickets will go on sale Monday 17 July at 10am. Head over here to grab yours. 

The Details

What: Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs
When: From Saturday 18 November, 2023
Where: The Australian Museum, Sydney
Tickets: Online, here from Monday 17 July

 

Explore the fascinating and rich culture of Ancient Egypt in this blockbuster Australian-first exhibition in Sydney.

A blockbuster touring exhibition — Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs, featuring 181 priceless artefacts and ornate golden treasures is making its way to Sydney. Set to be the largest exhibition in Sydney in a decade, the interactive display will be an Australian-first exhibition featuring objects and treasures from museums and historical sites across Egypt. It will take over The Australian Museum this summer in collaboration with Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the giant showcase promises to be fit for a pharaoh.

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs, Sydney

If you enjoy history and find yourself fascinated by ancient Egypt and its pyramids, this is your opportunity to get catapulted 3,300 years in the past and see it all up close.

The exhibition depicts the life and accomplishments of one of the most renowned and powerful pharaohs in Egyptian history — King Ramses II, more commonly referred to as Ramses the Great. He ruled Egypt for nearly 67 years, rebuilding several monuments and temples and was celebrated as a great warrior. He also became the embodiment of power and wealth in ancient Egypt during the New Kingdom period, 1539-1075 BC.

Exhibition highlights

Among the highlights, visitors can look forward to exploring one-of-a-kind relics such as sarcophagi, animal mummies, stunning jewellery, royal masks, and beautiful amulets, many of which have never left Egypt before.

Another highlight of the exhibition is a virtual reality experience that will take visitors on a tour of two of Ramses’ most impressive monuments — the Tomb of Queen Nefertari — his favourite royal consort, which features vibrant colours and detailed artwork and the temples of Abu Simbel, a historic site comprising twin rock-cut temples.

Bringing to life the rich culture of ancient Egypt and shedding light on its enduring mythology the exhibition will feature 181 rare artefacts sourced from some of Egypt’s most renowned historical sites.

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs dates and tickets

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs comes to Australia after sold-out seasons in Houston, San Francisco and Paris, where it is currently on display until September.

You’ll want to mark your calendars for November 18, 2023, which is when the exhibition opens at the Australian Museum in Sydney. Tickets go on sale this week from Monday, July 17 and you can join the waitlist here to get first dibs.

 

Sydney, 9 July, 2023: The Australian Museum, in cooperation with Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and World Heritage Exhibitions/Neon Global, is proud to present the blockbuster Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs, which will be the largest cultural exhibition to visit Australia in over a decade when it opens in Sydney on 18 November this year.

Exclusive to Sydney, Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs is an interactive museum experience that features 181 priceless artefacts and ornate golden treasures, including one-of-a-kind relics such as sarcophagi, animal mummies, magnificent jewellery, spectacular royal masks, exquisite amulets – many of which have never left Egypt before.

All of the objects in Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs have come from museums and historical sites in Egypt and are on loan to the exhibition from Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities. The Secretary-General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities and renowned archaeologist, Dr Mostafa Waziry, today launched the countdown to Ramses at the Australian Museum.

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs provides visitors with a window into the life and accomplishments of King Ramses II, more commonly known as Ramses the Great, who ruled Egypt for nearly 67 years – the second longest reign for any pharaoh in Ancient Egyptian history. Ramses the Great, who lived to about 92 years of age, came to epitomise the power and wealth of Ancient Egypt during the New Kingdom period, 1539-1075 BC, when Egyptian civilisation was at its height. Ramses was known as a mighty warrior who secured peace with his neighbours, led an extensive building campaign that included scores of gigantic monuments to himself, and is believed to have fathered over 100 children.

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs also features a virtual reality experience that takes visitors on a whirlwind tour of two of Ramses’ most impressive monuments: the Tomb of Queen Nefertari, his favourite Royal Consort, and the temples of Abu Simbel.

NSW Minister for Arts, Music, Night-time Economy, Jobs and Tourism, the Hon John Graham, said Sydney is the only city in the region to host Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs, funded by the NSW Government through the Blockbuster Fund: “Egypt was one of the most powerful civilisations in the centre of the ancient world, and we are thrilled some of the greatest Egyptian treasures are coming to Sydney with Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs. This is a magnificent exhibition, set to produce a new generation of young Australian Egyptologists. I encourage all Australians to experience this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see these magnificently preserved 3,300-year-old artefacts at the Australian Museum.”

Australian Museum Director and CEO, Kim McKay AO said the objects in Ramses & The Gold of the Pharaohs are drawn from Egypt’s finest museums and historical sites, and bring to life the fascinating, rich culture of ancient Egypt.

“The AM is thrilled to present these exceedingly rare objects in an exhibition where visitors can appreciate their astonishing beauty and enduring history first-hand,” McKay said. “Ancient Egypt holds intrigue and fascination for all age groups, and I know Ramses & The Gold of the Pharaohs in Sydney will introduce the mystery of the pharaohs to new generations of locals and visitors alike.”

Dr Mostafa Waziry, visiting Sydney from Cairo, said that Egyptian antiquities and treasures have dazzled the world for centuries: “Mystery surrounds Egypt’s origins, religions and monumental architecture – many of which were built during the reign of Ramses II, 1279 to 1213 BC. This ability to transcend age and time has ensured the Egyptians have an eternal place in history, and I invite visitors to discover for themselves why Ramses II is often regarded as the greatest, most celebrated, and most powerful pharaoh of all time.”

World Heritage Exhibitions CEO John Norman said Ramses & The Gold of the Pharaohs is seeing record-breaking attendance around the world: “Our team has created an amazing experience celebrating the greatest Pharaoh in Egypt’s history and the reaction from people has surpassed our highest expectations. We are so excited to bring the exhibition to Sydney and know Australians are going to be similarly amazed.”

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs comes to Sydney after successful seasons in Houston, San Francisco and Paris, where it is currently on show until September.

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs is presented in partnership with World Heritage Exhibitions, Neon and the Houston Museum of Natural Science, with the support of Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. Proudly supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW Blockbusters Funding initiative.

Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs opens at the Australian Museum on 18 November 2023.

He was Ancient Egypt’s unrivalled builder, warrior and begetter of children – historians believe he fathered at least 100. But in the annals of popular history, the great Ramses II has long been overshadowed by a teenager.

This irks archaeologist Mostafa Waziry from Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities. “Tutankhamun is nothing,” he said. “He died at the age of 18, or something. He did nothing to Egypt. Just a little boy playing with horses and chariots.”

Waziry hopes any lingering confusion about the pharaonic pecking order will be swept away by Ramses and the Gold of the Pharaohs, an exhibition of animal mummies, jewels and sarcophagi due to open at the Australian Museum in November.

While visiting Sydney to promote the exhibition before tickets go on sale on July 17, Waziry said Tutankhamun’s fame only arose from his tomb being found unplundered a century ago. “His tomb is the poorest in the Valley of the Kings,” he said.

“If you were to look at the tomb of Ramses – oh wow, what a tomb. He’s the greatest because of what he did to the history of Egypt. Wars? He was the greatest warrior. For the number of buildings or constructions or temples or kiosks or chapels, Ramses is the greatest.”

Historically, Australians have flocked to visiting exhibitions of ancient artefacts. A 1988 show, also called Gold of the Pharaohs, held attendance records at the Art Gallery of NSW for almost 25 years, followed closely by a show featuring China’s Terracotta Army in 1983.

A 2021 exhibition of treasures from Tutankhamun’s tomb – which was to have crowned the Australian Museum’s $57 million renovations – had been expected to draw 800,000 visitors before it was cancelled in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sydney will be the fourth international stop for the exhibition, which features Egyptian-owned artefacts and is run in co-operation with the Egyptian government.

Waziry said he would not raise the question of Australian ownership of Egyptian artefacts, such as the Mummy Room in the University of Sydney’s Chau Chak Wing Museum, during his tour, saying it was once legal for archaeological teams in Egypt to keep half of their discoveries.

“I don’t mind if we have Egyptian artefacts in Australia,” he said. “They have thousands of pieces in the Louvre Museum. I don’t care. We have obelisks in Italy, in England, in America. They are for me like ambassadors in those countries.”

But there are four artefacts Waziry would like returned to Egypt; the Rosetta Stone, the Dendera Zodiac at the Louvre, the bust of Nefertiti at the Berlin Museum, and the statue of pyramid architect Hemiunu in Hildesheim, Germany. “They are unique,” he said.

Warner Bros and Neon are working in collaboration to develop a new contemporary art experience based on the world of Harry Potter

A new contemporary art experience based on the Harry Potter franchise is making its way to a yet-to-be named European city ahead of a tour of Europe for the travelling exhibition.

A collaboration between Warner Bros Discovery Global Themed Entertainment and immersive experiential design firm Neon, Harry Potter: Visions of Magic explores both the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts movie IPs, with the interactive art experience featuring locations such as the Room of Requirement, Newt’s Menagerie, the Ministry of Magic, and more.

The travelling exhibition will feature multi-sensory installations, with interactive technology inviting guests to “illuminate the invisible, revealing visions of magic that bring the entire experience to life”.

“This experience is going to leave our millions of Wizarding World fans around the world awestruck,” said Peter van Roden, senior vice president, Warner Bros Discovery Global Themed Entertainment. “Art and technology have been masterfully harnessed and brought together with the Wizarding World to create a truly magical experience that puts the franchise on display like never before.”

Neon – formerly CityNeon – says more information about the exhibition and initial host city will be announced later this year. Former touring exhibitions from the company include Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N., Jurassic World: The Exhibition and The Hunger Games: The Exhibition.

“We’re excited to partner with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment to deliver this unique experience for the first time ever,” said Ron Tan, executive chairman and Group CEO of Neon.

“Whether you have been a fan of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts for decades, or are just now discovering these rich stories, expect to be taken on a journey like none other.”

A number of Harry Potter attraction and exhibitions have toured the world, with Harry Potter: The Exhibition set for a stop in Macao, China, later this year. A major attraction based on the Wizarding World has also open in Japan, with the Harry Potter Studio Tour opening in Tokyo.

NEON, a global experience entertainment company, has announced that it has partnered with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment to present Harry Potter: Visions of Magic. This new interactive art experience is inspired by the Wizarding World and will start its European tour this year, followed by global locations.

Harry Potter: Visions of Magic is a modern creative celebration of the enduring film series which aims to celebrate the worlds of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts and explore some of the Wizarding World’s mysterious elements.

Guests can discover creative and evocative settings based on enigmatic locations in the magical world, like the Ministry of Magic, Newt’s Menagerie, and more. Multi-sensory works are created by responsive video content, striking architecture, and unique soundscapes, while interactive technology enables visitors to illuminate the invisible, exposing visions of magic that bring the entire experience to life.

Art and technology combine to bring the Wizarding World to life

“This experience is going to leave our millions of Wizarding World fans around the world awestruck,” says Peter van Roden, senior vice president of Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment. “Art and technology have been masterfully harnessed and brought together with the Wizarding World to create a truly magical experience that puts the franchise on display like never before.”

“We’re excited to partner with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment to deliver this unique experience for the first time ever,” adds Ron Tan, executive chairman and group CEO of NEON. “Whether you have been a fan of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts for decades, or are just now discovering these rich stories, expect to be taken on a journey like none other.”

Later this year, more details regarding Harry Potter: Visions of Magic will be released, and the European city set to host the world premiere will be announced.  For priority access to presale tickets to the European location where you may be among the first to experience the spellbinding Harry Potter: Visions of Magic, sign up for the waiting list here. Subscribers will also be the first to receive information about upcoming tours planned for other locations around the world.

Earlier this year, NEON’s Avatar: The Experience received the Outstanding Attraction Experience award at the Singapore Tourism Awards 2023, in the Experience Excellence category.

The man was barely 170cm tall and lived to the ripe age of 87, a wonder in itself. He was a warrior, peacemaker, and builder — the creator of an empire whose hazel eyes, set above an imperiously beaked nose, shone like the gold jewellery that hung from his slender frame. History knows him as Ramses II — or Ramses the Great, pharaoh of pharaohs. His name and feats more than 3000 years ago are etched in stone in the Valley of the Kings. To Zahi Hawass, the most celebrated Egyptologist of our time, it all could have happened yesterday.

We’re talking in Paris at the unveiling of the $2.4 billion exhibition about Ramses’ reign that Hawass has curated. Stay tuned, because after its run at the Grande Halle de la Villette, next stop for the blockbuster show is the Australian Museum in Sydney, a coup for director and CEO Kim McKay. She and Hawass are old friends — and that’s part of the rollicking background to how the deal was done to bring the collection to Australia in November. For now, let’s not be distracted from what’s on the bill: 181 exquisite pieces and possibly the carved cedar coffin that held the pharaoh’s mummified remains, never before seen outside of Egypt. There’s an 8kg necklace of rolled gold and gems inscribed for a successor, Psusennes I, and the Colossal Head of Ramses in pink granite that towers over the entrance gallery. Hawass, who is 76 but boyish in his enthusiasm, has had the hard-to-impress local media eating out of his hand.

“You see, this is how ancient Egypt captured the hearts of people everywhere. And why does it do that? It does it because this is history you can touch — it lives and breathes through these artefacts,” he tells The Weekend Australian Magazine as the French TV crews pack their gear away. “For me, I still live in the time of the pharaohs. I don’t live in the time of the people here … I found my love, and my love was ancient.”

Only someone as high-wattage as Hawass could say this with a straight face. Yet when he’s seated in front of the silver coffin of another pharaoh, Shoshenq II, debonair in a fashionably-cut navy suit, a touch of grandiloquence seems entirely in order. A smiling McKay is by his side, enjoying the performance. It’s quite the occasion for her, too, the culmination of years of painstaking work and perseverance to land the grand prize of Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs. And this is Paris. In spring. Blooming beautiful since they hauled away the reeking garbage that had choked the streets during the protests over Emmanuel Macron’s plan to increase the French retirement age. “I’m really excited,” she says. “I think Australians will be blown away. Now, if we can only get that coffin…”

You’ve got to hand it to her. McKay never gave up, not even when Covid-19 sank her carefully laid plans to launch a $57.5 million renovation of the nation’s oldest museum with a flourish in 2021. Hawass had phoned in the dead of night about a prestige exhibition that had toured America, France and the UK, Tutankhamun: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh. “Would you like it, Kim?” You bet, she said.

No one has more clout than he as gatekeeper of Egypt’s state collections. Sporting his trademark work hat, he famously guided US president Barack Obama through the pyramids at Giza, pointing out the discoveries he had made, naturally. As a former minister of antiquities, he also knows his way around the corridors of power in Cairo, a must in his line of work. He was purged after the autocrat Hosni Mubarak was overthrown during the Arab Spring uprisings in 2011 and brought up on corruption charges, which he successfully defended. The Islamists under Mohamed Morsi were then toppled in a military coup led by the current president, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, paving the way for Hawass to be rehabilitated. As ever, it pays to know where the political bodies are buried in the land of the pharaohs.

When the Tutankhamun show was pulled back by the Egyptian government at the height of the pandemic, McKay trusted him to make good on his promise to find her something better. “If anyone could do it, I knew Zahi would,” she remembers. There was a lot on the line if he didn’t come through. McKay had gone out on a limb, you see, to convince the NSW government to fund the upgrade of the Australian Museum at 1 William Street in Sydney. Tipped off that the project had not made it into the 2018 state budget, she pulled out the stops. McKay realised her only hope was to make the case directly to then premier Gladys Berejiklian — easier said than done when the budget was about to be locked in. As it happened, she had a lead on where the premier was going to be that Sunday. The museum’s chief scientist had been asked lo stand up with Berejiklian at a media conference at Taronga Zoo for a good news announcement about koalas. So McKay rolled up, too.

It wasn’t quite an ambush: she had told the premier’s office what she wanted to see her about, and cleared it with the zoo people. Berejiklian took it in her stride. She had a family lunch to get to so could they walk and talk? McKay gave her the spiel: the millions Tutankhamun would generate if it came to Sydney, the crying need for more room at the museum to attract blockbuster exhibitions. She even had an artist’s impression of the upgrade on hand. Berejiklian peppered her with questions. How much do you need, Kim? $50 million from the state, she replied evenly, and we’ll raise the rest. All upfront? No, we’ll take it any way you want. Leave it with me, the premier said.

The money duly came through, and the work was completed on time and within budget to create 3000sqm of additional floor space despite the travails of Covid. But now there was no Tutankhamun to open with; no option, either, of pulling in a replacement from overseas. McKay turned to the tried and true crowd-pleaser of dinosaurs.

The Australian Museum’s trove of prehistoric fossils is world renowned. Unfortunately, its Tyrannosaurs — Meet the Family exhibition was then on the road, about to open at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh after touring the US. This time she was the one pulling the plug. “I had to ring them and say, ‘Sorry, I have to recall it’. They were OK, they understood,” she says. “And as it turned out, it was the right thing to do. The exhibition was ours, created by our team, but it hadn’t been here for something like seven years. So there was a new generation of kids and families who hadn’t seen it. Dinosaurs are like gold to museums.”

Hawass hadn’t forgotten his promise, either. They’re something of an odd couple, the smooth-as-silk Egyptian archaeologist and his blunt-spoken Australian friend. Before taking charge of the museum a decade ago, McKay, 63, had an eclectic background in communications, the environment, event management, television production and non-fiction writing. Having grown up on Sydney’s northern beaches, she helped promote a nascent pro-surfing circuit before getting behind Australian of the Year Ian Kiernan’s Clean Up campaign, taking it worldwide.

She joined the Discovery Channel in 1997, moved to Washington DC and partnered with British producer Mark Burnett on a hot new show called Eco-Challenge: the Expedition Race. It was a template for reality TV and Burnett’s subsequent success with the likes of Survivor, The Apprentice, Shark Tank and The Voice. (“He’s gone on to make hundreds of millions,” she chortles.) Then it was on to the National Geographic Channel, where McKay ran global marketing and communications for the cable platform. She was weighing whether to make her home permanently in the US when her parents’ declining health made the decision for her: she returned to Sydney, co-wrote a series of books on the environment, True Green, and was brought on as a trustee of the venerable, 196-year-old Australian Museum.

She put her hand up for the director’s role after it became vacant in 2013. If the job was to clear out the cobwebs, she was up for it. Actually, no other woman had run the show before her. McKay, a people person, made it her business to break into the international “boy’s club” of her then peers. Clicking with Hawass certainly helped. While she was at NatGeo, he had led her through the secret depths of the Great Pyramid of Giza where he is convinced the tomb of the great pharaoh Khufu lies undiscovered. She loved it.

Hawass insists that the Ramses exhibition is worth the wait. Tutankhamun’s death at age 19, without an heir and before he could make anything of himself, would have relegated the boy king to a footnote in history had his burial chamber not been found intact with its treasures in 1922 by Howard Carter. Ramses’ reign from 1279-1213 BC, four generations on, was something else altogether.

He too ascended to the throne as a young man, scion of the 19th Dynasty founded by his grandfather, Ramses I. He was no pampered dilettante, though, having already proved his mettle in war. The new pharaoh fought the Nubians in the south, Libyans on the western border, pirates on the Mediterranean, and Hittites — with whom he signed the world’s first known peace treaty — through the Syrian littoral. Egypt entered a golden age of prosperity, one that was dutifully recorded on the countless monuments Ramses II raised to his own glory. It’s unclear if he was responsible for ordering the massacre of baby boys that led to the Exodus of the Israelites under Moses; attributing it to him was a Hollywood invention, some historians reckon.

Two of his numerous wives, beloved Nefertari and beautiful Isetnofret, became historical figures in their own right. A vibrant New Kingdom was at the zenith of its power and influence when the 13th of his 50 sons, Merneptah, succeeded him, aged 50. “T am telling you and I told everyone that this exhibition is a lot more than Tutankhamun,” Hamass says. “Ramses was a bigger name, a bigger personality in every respect. You see that in these 181 beautiful objects. This is why this exhibition will be a great gift from us to Australia and from me to my friend, Kim.”

It starts by transporting you back in time, past the Renaissance and the Middle Ages, beyond the birth of Christ and the rise and fall of imperial Rome, back more than 100 generations until you arrive at Memphis, seat of power in ancient Egypt. The exhibition’s introduction theatre, with its video projected in 180 degrees and rumbling surround-sound, is where 2lst-century tech meets early human civilisation. Drone footage soars over and then zooms in to the Great Pyramid and the Sphinx.

Headsets fixed, you move through a vestibule under the implacable gaze of a 2.3m bust in red granite, the Colossal Head of Ramses, a taste of the grandeur to come. The exhibition unfolds across nine galleries, each themed to a different aspect of his life: warrior, builder, living god, tomb maker. The artefacts are displayed alongside interactive elements including video timelines and scale models. For an additional cost, you can take a virtual reality tour of the majestic rock-cut temples of Abu Simbel and the Tomb of Nefertari, led by the spirit of Ramses” adored queen herself.

The story of the 1275 BC Batlle of Kadesh is vividly recreated through CGI, a spectacle of clanging swords and hissing arrows, paired with the display of part of a wooden bow from the time. The clash was trumpeted by Ramses as a smashing victory over the Hittite empire. In fact, the outcome was more like a punch-drunk draw. Five years into his reign, nearing his 30th birthday, the pharaoh had led his army into an ambush on the Orontes River near the present-day border of Lebanon and Syria. The Egyptians were facing disaster when the Hittites stopped to loot their camp; Ramses rallied his troops and drove the enemy into the river, forcing the survivors to swim for their lives. Yet his badly mauled forces lacked the strength to finish the Hittites, who fell back on the fortified city of Kadesh. Ramses also retreated.

No matter. By the time he secured his historic peace agreement with the Hittites — the treaty was inscribed on a silver tablet that today hangs in replica in the United Nations building in New York — Ramses showed he had absorbed history’s cardinal rule: it is written by the victor. Again and again as it turned out, chiselled into every available stone surface in his expanding realm. His cartouche or royal seal, etched in an oval pattern of hieroglyphs, litters the exhibition, just as it did in ancient Egypt. A gold-lipped obelisk even has Ramses’ name written over that of another king.

A time-lapse sequence depicts the new capital, Pi-Ramesse, that he established in the Nile Delta, complete with more than 50 towering statues of himself and sumptuous palaces for the royal family. They needed the space: he is said to have amassed some 200 wives or concubines and fathered at least 110 children, many of whom he outlived.

In a chamber dedicated to Ramses at Peace, we meet the pharaoh in his prime, his face round and youthful, a slight smile playing on his full lips. He holds the heka sceptre, a symbol of earthly power. The royal diadem with a uraeus (a stylised rearing cobra) representing the protective goddess Wadjet adorns his shaved scalp. The ancient Egyptians’ preoccupation with the afterlife was the measure of a precarious earthly existence, blighted by disease and often hunger for ordinary folk. The median lifespan was barely 19: people were old by their mid-30s, few and far between after 40. No wonder they hailed long-lived Ramses as divine.

Among the nobility, men and women alike used perfumed ointments, applied makeup and dripped in jewellery. Gold, the flesh of the gods, was worked into the funerary treasures with silver, electrum, lapis lazuli, obsidian, turquoise stone and chalcedony. You transit a dark corridor, ethereal music playing, to be dazzled by a glittering tableau of the pharaohs’ wealth. Enhanced by fibre-optic case lighting, the scene cuts across a number of dynasties; there are amulets studded with precious stones, gorgeous jewelled collars, 5em-long gold earrings adorned with heraldic dolphins, and heavy toe stalls that would have weighed on the entitled wearer, despite their ageless beauty.

The 8kg necklace named for Psusennes I, who reigned nearly 300 years after Ramses the Great in the 21st Dynasty, is a masterpiece of the goldsmith’s art forged from nearly 5000 disks arranged in five coils, flaring into a bib of gold chains finished with intricate gold bells. The funerary mask of one of his generals, Wendjebauendjet, exudes a very human warmth through eyes highlighted with glass inlay. An otherwise simple signet ring inscribed with the throne name of Ramses contrasts with the magnificent scarab ring with cartouche of Queen Tausret, one of the few women to become pharaoh and the last to rule in the 19th Dynasty. What a sight their courts must have been.

Sadly, the contents of Ramses’ tomb are long gone, plundered by thieves. But there’s a glimpse of the lost grandeur in the outer coffin and lid of the master artisan Sennedjem, a “servant in the place of truth” who would have decorated the royal crypt. Sennedjem’s own tomb was discovered untouched in 1886, filled with the accoutrements of everyday life including the bed he shared with his wife, Lyneferti, before she was interred by his side. Painted reliefs from the walls and ceiling of the chamber are reproduced in the exhibition, vividly charting their imagined progress from death into the afterlife. His wooden sarcophagus is finished in rich hues that look like they could have been painted yesterday, along with texts and vignettes from the Book of the Dead. In one scene, the couple are shown playing senet, a backgammon-like board game which had a dual function of connecting the living with the departed. Rich and poor alike were devoted to it.

Royal mummies were generally considered worthless by grave robbers and discarded. But during the 21st Dynasty the embalmed remains of New Kingdom rulers, Ramses’ among them, his haughty nose still recognisable, were hidden by temple priests inside an out-of-the-way cliff-face overlooking the Theban Necropolis at modern-day Luxor, between the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens. They lay there until archaeologists were led to them in 1881. The breathtaking Royal Cache is recreated in a stand-alone gallery with a cameo by the man credited with recovering the 50-odd mummies, German Egyptologist Emile Brugsch, in another piece of technological wizardry. “Soon we came upon cases of porcelain funerary offerings, metal and alabaster vessels, draperies and trinkets, until, reaching the turn in the passage, a cluster of mummy cases came into view in such number as to stagger me,” you hear him say. Sadly, the mummies themselves are too precious to tour.

But mummified animals that were routinely entombed with a pharaoh are displayed for the first time outside of Egypt in their form-fitting linen wraps: cats, mongoose, even a lion cub, its facial features sketched in. More CGI magic allows us to envisage how Ramses would have aged from the vigorous young warlord to hunchbacked old man, his face lined, a thatch of grey hair clumped beneath his bald crown, still clear-eyed and now all-powerful.

I ask Hawass what he would do if he could sit down with the great man. “We would play chess,” he answers. “And I would ask him many questions. But the most important question would be about his many wives. As someone who was deeply in love with Nefertari and who built this very important tomb to her, why did he marry the other queens? I wonder about that.”

Which brings us to the coffin, the showstopper in Paris. The cedar surface would have been stripped and painted yellow, with a handful of details highlighted in vibrant colours and the eyes outlined in black. Ramses is represented as the god Osiris: arms crossed on his chest, he holds the heqa (shepherds crook) and nekhakha (flail). The striped headdress depicts a rearing cobra; a false beard is braided beneath the chin.

The coffin last travelled to France 45 years ago, when the pharaohs fungi-infested remains were painstakingly restored at the Musée de l’Homme. The present loan was to be a one-off for the exhibition’s Paris sojourn, which began in April. But Hawass is adamant Australia will have it too. “I will get it for you, Kim,” he avows. “Definitely. For sure.”

If only it were that easy, McKay sighs. Bringing the coffin to Sydney will require ministerial if not presidential sign-off in Egypt. She’s optimistic, but knows it’s a big ask. Transporting the rest of the artefacts to the other side of the planet for the Sydney opening on November 18 is already an epic undertaking. Given the collection’s eye-watering value — $2.4 billion is probably conservative, McKay says — security must be airtight. Promoter World Heritage Exhibitions is understandably tight-lipped about the arrangements. “The insurers don’t like us talking too much,” says executive vice president Troy Collins. A team of specialist Egyptian conservators are to accompany the treasures, and the Australian Museum will be bringing in additional help to cope with the 500,000 people expected through the door. NSW Minister for the Arts and Tourism John Graham says: “Egyptian civilisation has captured the imagination of generations of Australians. Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs is one of the most impressive exhibitions of the Egyptian golden age ever to come to Australia.”

Hawass will be on hand, of course, and he’s talking about springing some surprises. In Paris, he hijacked the media launch on the morning of the grand opening, teasing his “big news” on the hunt for Khufu’s tomb in the Great Pyramid and new findings on the cause of Tutankhamun’’s death. The boy king might have died in an accident or even been murdered, he said, promising all would be revealed in “four months or $0”, neatly in time for his visit to Australia.

“Zahi is such a showman,” McKay says admiringly. “Look at him up there … he’s completely taken over the event.” Energetic as ever, she’s working the room. One of Hawass’s successors as Minister for Antiquities, Mostafa Waziry, has flown in from Cairo and she takes him aside for a quiet word because there is always something you can do, someone else you to talk to when you’re chasing a new prize. Now, about that coffin…

Hear a T-Rex roar, walk through the famous Jurassic World gates, and encounter life-sized dinosaurs at the newest experience to open in Atlanta: Jurassic World: The Exhibition.

The 22,000-square-foot experience is now open at Pullman Yards following an overnight break-in on May 29, where the experience’s general manager said four people caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage.

The experience takes guests through both the rise of dinosaurs and showcases some of the famous scenes from the movie franchise.

More Atlanta Experiences

“All of the (dinosaur) models come from the movies, the same things that you have seen, so it’s a very rigorous process of getting all of the CG drawings, the 3D models, and then looking at how do you engineer it,” said Otelo Vizcaino from the exhibition..

If you love dinosaurs or the movies, organizers believe this is the closest you’ll ever come to living dinosaurs.

“If you want to feel like you’ve walked into a place that you’ve only dreamt about, you have to come experience Jurassic World: The Exhibition.”

More than five million people around the globe have visited the experience over the last couple of years. This is the first time it has been in Atlanta.

Tickets start at $27 for adults and $25 for kids. Jurassic World: The Exhibition is in Atlanta through at least Labor Day.

Curious to know the kinds of artifacts you’ll see at the exhibit? Here are the five most remarkable mummies you’ll get to see at the exhibit and their untold stories

The largest touring collection of mummified remains and related artifacts ever assembled has arrived at the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science in downtown Miami.

Running now through September 4, Mummies of the World: The Exhibition will reveal the true lives of ancient people from all over the world.

The exhibit features the mummified remains of 40 real humans and animals and 80 rare artifacts from across the globe.

And how was it possible to study these mummified remains while keeping them perfectly preserved? Dr. Cassie Freund, director of science communication at Frost Science told NBC6 it was through modern science and technology, that their secrets are now revealed.

The exhibit highlights scientific methods used to study mummified remains, including Computed Tomography (CT), DNA analysis and radiocarbon dating, all of which allow researchers to learn about the lives, histories and cultures of these ancient people and animals.

“The use of technology, like CT scanning and X-rays, has allowed scientists to study mummified remains without disturbing the individuals or unwrapping them like they used to do,” Freund said. “We like to say, ‘inside every mummy is a story waiting to be told. So in that way, it makes their study much more respectful.”

Curious to know the kinds of artifacts you’ll see at the exhibit? Here are the five most remarkable mummies you’ll get to see at the exhibit and their untold stories.

MUMAB is the first authentic replication of the Egyptian mummification process done on a decedent body in 2,800 years.

Baron von Holz was a German nobleman found tucked away in the family crypt of a 14th century castle wearing his best leather boots.

The Orlovits Family, a mummified family discovered in a long-forgotten crypt of a small church in Vác, Hungary in 1994.

Shrunken heads from South America are typically associated with the Jivaro culture of Ecuador, where members of the group have traditionally shrunk the heads of enemies captured in battle.

At the exhibit, you will find mummies of Egyptian animals including a cat, falcon, snow rabbit, lizard, weasel and fish. Some of these which were deliberately preserved to accompany royals for eternity.

ATLANTA – You’ve seen the blockbuster “Jurassic World” movies — now, it’s your chance to star in one of your own!

“Jurassic World: The Exhibition” opens Friday at Atlanta’s Pullman Yards, allowing visitors to “step inside” the films and encounter full-sized dinosaurs around every corner. Those dinosaurs are the creations of Animax Designs in Nashville, and we caught up with the company’s executive vice president just ahead of the grand opening.

“It took 18 months to fully design, build, and construct the dinosaurs,” says Michael Mattox. “In my facility in Nashville, we have about 140 people; artists, engineers, creatives, painters, everything you can imagine to make these guys come to life.”

Creators say the experience should take around 45 minutes to an hour for visitors to walk through, although there’s no time limit for visitors once inside. Admission varies by date and time — and tickets are available for purchase here.

Jurassic World: The Exhibition is open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and we’re told it will remain at Pullman Yards (225 Rogers Street Northeast in Atlanta) through at least the summer and fall.

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – Have you ever wanted to see a dinosaur? A new exhibition opening in Atlanta is transporting you to Isla Nublar where you will come face-to-face with the fierce reptiles.

Animal behaviorist Rivka Deray and dinosaur creator Michael Mattox join Atlanta News First to talk about the 25,000-square-foot immersive experience.

Jurassic World: The Exhibition opens up to the public Friday, May 26th at Pullman Yards. Click here to get tickets.

Attraction at Gardens by the Bay received the award for Outstanding Attraction Experience

The Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt on Thursday reported thousands of visitors flocked to the exhibition “Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs,” held in Paris from April 1 to September 17.

The display of the sarcophagus came at the request of the President and CEO of the Houston Museum of Natural Science, which is organizing the exhibition.

The exhibition will be held in several major cities: Houston and San Francisco in the United States of America, Paris in France, and Sydney in Australia. It displays about 181 artifacts related to the ancient Egyptian civilization, which highlights the value of our ancient civilization.

Ramses II has the third longest reign in history, preceded by King Louis XIV who reigned for 72 years and Queen Elizabeth II who ruled for 70 years.

Ramesses II built a plethora of monuments throughout Egypt, including the Temple of a Million Years as well as the temples of Abu Simbel, which were built to glorify the pharaoh and his favorite wife, Nefertari.

King Ramesses II was a great conqueror who led many conquests to protect and expand his kingdom, with his army.

He had dozens of royal wives, including Sis-Nefert, Bintanat, and Nefertari. He also had more than 200 concubines, with whom he had a hundred children.

The wait is finally over for fans of Jurassic Park, as the interactive dinosaur exhibit has officially opened its doors in Mississauga this week.

It’s produced by NEON, a global leader in immersive and epic experiences, and presented in conjunction with Universal Live Entertainment.

A representative from Square One told insauga.com that the exhibit will take place outside the mall near the Cineplex.

Located on a stand-alone space beside Square One, at 199 Rathburn Rd. W., Jurassic World: The Exhibition was finally available to the public on April 21 and will remain for a yet-to-be-determined period of time.

The tour provides its visitors a “cinematic universe come to life through innovative animatronic technology and immersive installations including Land of the Giants, Creation Lab, T. rex Kingdom, The Raptor Experience, Gyrosphere Valley and more.”

The experience (from start to finish) can last between 45 minutes to one hour, however, there is no time limit once guests have passed through the entry area.

This means, you’ll have plenty of time to take your Instagram worthy pictures!

Ticket prices start at $21.49 and may vary depending on the day and time of the visit. Children under three years of age may enter for free.

The tour will be open Monday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

The dinosaurs of Isla Nublar will be coming to life in Atlanta! Sign up to the waitlist and meet some of your favorite gentle giants.

There’s an incredible exhibition coming to Atlanta in the spring — and it’s completely dinomite (pun intended)! From May 26, prehistoric life will take over Atlanta with Isla Nublar’s most gigantic creatures stepping onto the floors of Pullman Yards. Your favorite dinosaurs crawl their way out of the screen, with all their defining archaic features.

Expect to view them in all their robust teeth and scaly skin glory, channeling your inner Alan Grant as you step through the Hammond Lab to uncover the scientific mysteries behind our gentle giants. 

Sign up to the waitlist and get first dibs on tickets before they’re released to the public on April 20!

As you walk through the imposing wooden gates of Jurassic World: The Exhibition, it might feel a tad bit reminiscent of the iconic theme song. Make the most of that cinematic moment, and let that John Williams track mark the beat to your every step as you enter through the prehistoric wilderness. 

Pullman Yards will be transformed into a luscious jungle, adorned in leafy foliage and effervescent flora. All that vegetation might just fool you into thinking you’ve actually stepped into the hit franchise — with all the thrills that entails — so keep an eye out for creatures lurking through the branches. For all you know, curious little eyes may just be staring right back at you… 

Save your spot to be among the first to uncover this prehistoric world in Atlanta!

You’ll get to meet so many of the iconic dinosaurs from the saga at Jurassic World: The Exhibition. From the gigantic vegetivorous Brachiosaurus to the terrifying Tyrannosaurus Rex, each dinosaur has been recreated in extensive detail. The physical attributes of each species are distinguishable, from height, weight, all the way to jaw shape and teeth density. If you’ve ever wanted to stare straight into the eyes of a dinosaur (and why wouldn’t you), you’ll get to do so at this jaw-dropping exhibit — even if you have a penchant for baby raptors, Pterodactyl or even the adorable Bumpy of Camp Cretaceous. 

Plus, for an extra dose of sweetness, there are miniscule Parasaurolophus babies at the Hammond Lab who are gently resting in their incubator. You can pay them a visit as you discover the science behind the prehistoric era, truly stepping into your shoes as a self-proclaimed paleontologist. Spoiler: you might just discover how geneticists brought the dinosaurs of the Jurassic era back to life, with the help of a tiny mosquito embedded in amber for over a millennia.

The experience is a must for die-hard fans of the epic film saga, young and old alike. It’s the perfect experience for your little ones to experience the wowing exhibit in all its glory, marking their amazement at every single dinosaur. It’s also a great opportunity to nurture that inner child of yours who’s always wanted to be a paleontologist (no judgment!), so basically a win-win in our book. 

Get transported to Isla Nubla right here in Atlanta, and discover all the excitement of Jurassic World. 

 

 

Jurassic World: The Exhibition is produced in partnership with Universal Live Entertainment, a division of Universal Parks & Resorts and NEON, a worldwide leader in immersive experiences.

 

The mummified remains of 40 real humans and animals are on view in ‘Mummies of the World’.

Miami’s Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science is launching the new ‘Mummies of the World’ exhibition on 27 May.

The upcoming exhibition offers the largest touring collection of mummified remains and related artefacts ever assembled.

On display through 4 September, Mummies of the World explores past civilisations and cultures from across the world, including Europe, South America and ancient Egypt.

It includes the mummified remains of 40 real humans and animals, and 80 rare artefacts. State-of-the-art multimedia will take visitors on a 4,500-year journey.

Mummies of the World features ‘Mumab’, the first authentic replication of the Egyptian mummification process done on a dead body in 2,800 years.

It also includes Baron von Holz, a German nobleman found in the family crypt of a 14th century castle, and the Orlovits, a mummified family discovered in a church crypt in Hungary in 1994. 

Additionally, visitors will see shrunken heads from South America, and Egyptian animal mummies, including a cat, falcon, snowshoe hare, lizard and weasel.

“This exhibition has proven to be one of the most popular exhibitions traveling the world,” said Cassie Freund, the museum’s director of science communication.

“It has an engaging way of providing insight into the lives and cultures of these ancient people, which is important because these were real individuals with unique stories.”

Mummified remains and shrunken heads

The exhibition unveils the scientific methods used to study mummified remains, which allow researchers to learn about the lives and cultures of the people and animals.

“Mummies of the World tells thousands of years of captivating stories. Through modern science and technology, their secrets are now revealed,” Freund added.

Mummies of the World is presented by neon, a global experience entertainment company, and World Heritage Exhibitions.

neon recently announced the Canadian debut of ‘Jurassic World: The Exhibition’, which opens in Toronto on 14 April.

The interactive exhibition immerses guests in settings inspired by the Jurassic World film franchise.

neon, a global experience entertainment company, has announced the Canadian debut of ‘Jurassic World: The Exhibition’, which opens in Toronto on 14 April.

The 20,000-square-foot interactive exhibition immerses guests in settings inspired by Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s Jurassic World film franchise.

Ron Tan, the executive chairman and group CEO of neon, said fans of the $6 billion film franchise in Canada “will be in awe at this immersive experience”.

“Thank you to our partners for making this possible and I look forward to welcoming huge crowds to our experience,” Tan added.

Visitors walk through the iconic ‘Jurassic World’ gates, explore themed environments, and meet life-size dinosaur animatronics including a Brachiosaurus, velociraptor and T-Rex.

Guests also get to interact with baby dinosaurs, including ‘Bumpy’ from the animated series Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous. Jurassic World on Netflix.

The exhibition is produced in partnership with Universal Live Entertainment, a division of Universal Parks & Resorts. It will be located at the Square One shopping mall in Mississauga.

Since launching in Melbourne, Australia in 2016, Jurassic World: The Exhibition has welcomed nearly five million visitors.

The attraction has been in London, San Diego, Denver, Dallas, Chicago, Philadelphia, Paris, Madrid, Seoul, Chengdu, Guangzhou and Shanghai. It will soon open in Cologne, Germany.

Immersive settings inspired by films

“The Jurassic Park and Jurassic World franchise have been thrilling audiences for decades and we are delighted to give fans the opportunity to see these magnificent dinosaurs up close,” said Universal Parks & Resorts’ president of global business development, Michael Silver.

neon also recently opened an immersive Avatar experience at Gardens by the Bay in Singapore, which celebrates the highest-grossing film of all time.

Elsewhere, London’s Natural History Museum has turned one of its shops into a nostalgic replica of the store featured in 1993 film Jurassic Park.

“It’s a privilege to be celebrating 30 years of Jurassic Park,” said Paul Bufton, VP EMEA for Universal’s products and experiences division.

 

Join the waitlist to come face-to-face with the fascinating dinosaurs from Jurassic World at this incredible exhibition.

As Ray Arnold would say, “hold onto your butts” — Jurassic World: The Exhibition is heading less than one hour away from Toronto! Beginning April 14, dinosaurs from the cinematic blockbuster will claw their way into the real world so dinosaur aficionados and Jurassic Park lovers can get a close-up look at them in all their sharp-toothed, razor-clawed glory! Channel your inner paleontologist as you come face to face with life-sized recreations of these prehistoric creatures and examine amber-trapped specimens in the Hammond Lab.

Join the waitlist to get exclusive access to tickets before they’re released to the public on February 28 at 11am!

Hum the iconic Jurassic World tune as you head through wooden gates, placing you right in the middle of the series’ adventure. Square One Shopping Centre will be made over as a prehistoric wilderness complete with all the plants, leaves, and branches you’d see in the millennia-old forests of the Jurassic period. But be on the lookout at all times–you wouldn’t want a devious dinosaur sneaking up behind your back!

As you explore Jurassic World: The Exhibition, keep your eyes peeled for all sorts of roar-some dino delights. Each dinosaur replica has been re-created in unbelievable detail, from the herbivorous Brachiosaurus–one of the largest creatures to ever exist–to the Tyrannosaurus Rex, complete with its signature bone-crushing grin.

Though, of course, there will still be some room for “awws” to fill the room as you gaze upon some adorably wide-eyed baby raptors, pterodactyls, and parasaurolophus babies.

Jurassic World: The Exhibition is a must, not only for fans of the epic film franchise, but for prehistoric lovers in general. How often do you get to say you’ve put yourself in the mud-splattered boots of Owen Grady and seen for yourself where Jurassic World all started: Hammond Creation Lab. And, who knows, you may even learn the secret to bringing these creatures back to life!

Meet the dinosaurs of Isla Nublar. Join the waitlist to Jurassic World: The Exhibition!

 

 

Almost two thousand years ago, the Roman city of Pompeii was destroyed by a volcano. A new exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry explores part of the archaeological record only discovered 250 years ago.

Aphrodite, the ancient Greek Goddess and Mother of Cupid, is first to greet you as you enter Pompeii: The Exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry.

The Greek goddess is one of 150 artifacts on loan from the Naples National Archeological Museum to help tell the fateful story of Pompeii, the Roman city destroyed by a volcano almost 2,000 years ago.

The new exhibition explores part of the archaeological record only discovered 250 years ago.

“This will tell the story of the way that these people in Pompeii lived, worked, how they worshiped, how they entertained themselves and how, unfortunately, they met their untimely fate,” said exhibition curator Voula Siridakis.

Almost 2,000 full-body casts were recovered from the rubble. The exhibition features several replicas, including a dog cast.

These people fell exactly where they were standing, Spiridakis said.  

“It got difficult for them to breath,” she said. “They would cover their mouths with cloth or something. It’s just a very powerful statement of how these people perished.”

Pompeii: The Exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry runs through Sept. 4.

 

CHICAGO (CBS) — Workers opened up a crate full of history at the Museum of Science and Industry on Thursday.

This contents of the crate are much older than the museum – which will celebrate its 90th anniversary this year – or its building, which was constructed for the World’s Columbian Exposition 130 years ago this year. Compared to what was in the crate, those historical dates are actually very recent.

The crate contained an ancient Roman painting from the city of Pompeii. The Cupid fresco is just one of the ancient artifacts you’ll see on display when the museum’s Pompeii exhibit opens next week.

The MSI notes that Cupids are associated with the god of love in classical mythology – and are a common motif seen in ancient art and sculpture.

A fresco – a term derived from the Italian word for “fresh” – is a type of wall painting in which the paint is applied where the plaster is still wet, the MSI noted. This method bonds the fresco painting to the wall.

Pompeii was destroyed by nature in 79 A.D., more than 1,900 years ago. But as the museum notes, it was preserved in a volcanic time capsule after being destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

“Pompeii: The Exhibition” will take you right to the commercial port city of Pompeii. The museum notes that the exhibition features “treasures, marble and bronze sculptures, jewelry, gladiator armor, weapons, ancient Roman coins, and full body casts of the volcano’s victims.”

Also on display will be multimedia experiences – including a holographic gladiator display at the Pompeii amphitheater, and a 4D eruption simulation at Mount Vesuvius.

“Pompeii: The Exhibition” opens on Thursday, Feb. 23, and runs through Sept. 4. It is not included in general museum admission and requires an additional timed-entry ticket.

Advance tickets are available now.

NOUS Y ÉTIONS – Alors que le deuxième volet du film de James Cameron sort ce mercredi sur les écrans en France, nous avons visité Avatar – The Experience, dans les Gardens By The Bay de Singapour.

Si vous l’ignoriez encore, Avatar 2 nous donne rendez-vous sous l’eau et sur grand écran depuis ce mercredi. Mais les fans absolus du chef-d’œuvre de James Cameron ont aussi rendez-vous à Singapour où se tient jusqu’au 31 mars prochain, l’exposition Avatar – The Experience. Direction plus précisément la Cloud Forest Dome, une immense serre climatisée qui présente sur plusieurs étages la végétation tropicale avec, en point d’orgue, une petite montagne intérieure de 35 mètres de haut, recouverte de plantes d’où jaillit la plus haute cascade d’eau intérieure du monde. «On ne pouvait pas rêver décor plus inspirant pour recréer l’ambiance de Pandora. Une partie de la scénographie était déjà là. Il n’y avait plus qu’à l’adapter en y ajoutant des animations et les personnages du film», souligne Michael Mattox, le directeur technique, qui compte plus de 25 ans d’expérience dans la 3D.

Dès l’entrée dans le Dome, l’effet immersif est immédiat. Au pied de la cascade, on est «accueilli» par un Banshee plus vrai que nature, l’un des volatiles que les Na’vis ont pu dompter pour se déplacer dans les airs. Un peu plus loin, deux imposants Prolemuris, sortes de singes bleus, sont accrochés à des arbres tropicaux. L’arrivée devant une famille de Na’vis est poignante. Les voici enfin, face à nous, ces fameux humanoïdes bleus de plus de 3 mètres de haut ! Attention, un impressionnant Marteaureau Titanothère semble surgir de la végétation (ouf, c’est un herbivore inoffensif). À ce stade, que l’on ait vu ou pas le film Avatar 1, on est totalement pris dans l’univers de science-fiction de Pandora.

Un volatile de 12 mètres

Effets sonores et bruitages renforcent l’expérience, tout comme plusieurs animations interactives, dont le Flyer Banshee, très apprécié : on se met face à un écran et, grâce à des capteurs qui détectent les mouvements, on a la sensation de voler dans Pandora, en bougeant les bras et en inclinant le corps. Sensations garanties ! Dans une autre salle, on traverse des lianes lumineuses avant de se retrouver dans un spectacle multimédia. Sur un écran géant défilent des scènes d’Avatar, tandis qu’au sol, les spectateurs, en bougeant, déplacent avec eux des centaines de particules lumineuses, signe de leur connexion avec Pandora…

Dévoilons le clou de l’exposition : un énorme Banshee adulte, piloté par de l’intelligence artificielle. Le volatile, de 12 m d’envergure, détecte la présence des visiteurs et interagit avec eux. Le résultat est visuellement époustouflant et d’un réalisme saisissant : mouvements de la tête, des ailes, de la gueule, des yeux… tout y est, y compris les grondements rauques ! «Cette animation est, sur le plan technologique, ce qui se fait de plus abouti aujourd’hui», se réjouit Michael Mattox.

Et comme ce deuxième épisode d’Avatar est intitulé La Voie de l’eau, on a aussi fait un tour dans la grotte marine reconstituée pour admirer un Ilu, la créature aux airs de plésiosaure qui fait son apparition dans le film. Une magnifique sculpture aux douces teintes bleues… On passe facilement une heure dans cet autre monde, déconnecté de la réalité. Et on se dit qu’on reviendrait bien le soir, lorsque d’autres jeux de lumière créent une ambiance encore différente.

Avatar – The Experience. Cloud Forest, Gardens By The Bay, Singapour. Jusqu’au 31 mars 2023. Tous les jours de 9h à 21h. À partir de 37 €.

The lush greenery of the movie’s alien planet comes to life at Garden by the Bay

Alien flora and fauna have invaded the Cloud Forest at Gardens by the Bay.

Acid-dripping plants and assorted creatures from director James Cameron’s 2009 blockbuster film Avatar have sprouted amid the lush greenery.

They are part of an immersive installation created with the Cloud Forest in mind.

Avatar: The Experience, which is on till March 31 and organised by Cityneon Holdings, Disney Location-Based Experiences and Lightstorm Entertainment, comes in time to build the hype for the movie’s sequel. Avatar: The Way Of Water opens here on Dec 15 and visitors can get a sneak peek at a new creature called an Ilu at the exhibition.

Scattered through the Cloud Forest’s more than 72,000 plants are realistically detailed sculptures of the Na’vi, the bipedal humanoid inhabitants of Pandora; interactive stops where visitors can play with light and create their own Na’vi avatars; and what the creators say is the most sophisticated animatronic creature in the world.

The animatronic mountain banshee, with a wingspan of 10m and weighing about 2 tonnes, had to fit through a lift door measuring just 1.2m by 2.1m.

Cityneon’s chief technical officer Michael Mattox, 47, solved the puzzle by building it like a Lego structure. The four sections, he says, each fit into the lift with barely an inch to spare.

The idea for the show was seeded in 2017 when Cityneon’s group chief creative officer Welby Altidor first visited the Gardens and walked into the Cloud Forest dome.

The 49-year-old says: “The doors opened, I saw this water fall and I said, ‘This is Avatar.”

It took years of discussions with Disney and Lightstorm, as well as 18 months of planning, before the seed bore fruit.

There were unusual design and installation challenges for the Cityneon team. Mr Mattox says: “This is a living environment. There are unique parameters for what you can do and what you can’t do.”

The veteran who has worked with San Diego Seaworld and Cirque du Soleil adds: “Usually for an exhibition, it’s in a black box. There are no visitors and you don’t have to worry about lighting and sound.”

Here, the team had to work overnight for two months, shivering in the damp cold as temperatures dipped to 18 deg C, to install the show as the dome remained open to visitors throughout the day.

The glass dome means sound waves would bounce, so audio had to be carefully calibrated. Mr Mattox also had to worry about damp affecting the electronic equipment, as light and music are integral to the show.

Another challenge was that the works had to be designed to be viewed in the day as well as at night.

Mr Altidor resolved this by reaching for old-fashioned inspiration. He says: “I connected to the tradition of sculpture gardens, where you have a great garden, then you bring in sculptures or attractions.”

While indoor attractions can rely on darkness and lighting to hide imperfections, the Cloud Forest’s daytime brightness meant that the sculptures had to be designed and made to exacting standards to withstand close scrutiny.

Mr Mattox is particularly pleased with the Unidelta tree, one of the first works to be installed when works began two months ago. He says with a chuckle: “No one realised it was fake.”

The deception is complemented by the landscaping design. Mr Jeffrey Alan Courtney, 47, the Gardens’ senior director (conservatory operations), says an additional 5,700 plants were brought in for the show. These comprise more than 160 different species and varieties, including 20 that have not been displayed in the Gardens before.

He adds: “We selected plants that looked like they could have come from an alien planet, with bizarre yet beautiful forms, colours, leaf patterns, or flowers.

“To match the blue and purple tones in Avatar: The Experience, we chose plants with blue-hued inflorescences or silvery leaf patterns or colours, so they would reflect light and complement the display from day to night.”

Look out for the Aechmea ‘Blue Tango’, an eye-catching bromeliad with electric-blue flowers and contrasting hot-pink flower stalks, and the iridescent Blue Oil Fern (Microsorum thailandicum).

There are also plants that mirror Pandora’s life forms, such as the Colocasia ‘Pharaoh’s Mask’, whose leaves have exaggerated deep purple veins that bulge, giving it a ribcage-like appearance.

All the plants, Mr Courtney says, will remain in the Cloud Forest’s living collection after the show ends.

Mr Altidor says the Cloud Forest presents a great baseline because “I already have an incredible garden walk experience”.

This provided the foundation for the Avatar experience, which he designed to take into consideration logistics as well as visitor experience.

The dome is divided into five zones, offering a journey for visitors. Mr Altidor says: “It’s like when you write a piece of music. There are crescendos and diminuendos, peaks and valleys.”

The first zone eases visitors in with a photo opportunity in the form of a strategically positioned statue of a juvenile mountain banshee, before a light show at the waterfall draws them further in. This was planned so that visitors would flow through smoothly without clogging the pathways.

The interactive stations scattered throughout are designed to be as intuitive as possible. The Sacred Space stop, for example, has large “leaves” which visitors can touch to spark sound and light. But there are no text instructions. Instead, the “leaf” lights up, drawing the attention of visitors and enticing them to interact with it.

While the show is meant to entertain, Mr Altidor says Pandora’s story and the healing vibe of the Gardens combine to offer visitors a message. “We are not here to preach. But just going through this experience is a beautiful metaphor for how important it is to care for our world.”

 

Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction. 

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada recently teamed up with Cityneon Holdings’ Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N inside Treasure Island Las Vegas to surprise a local teen and his family with a dream vacation to the theme park capital of the world.

16-year-old Erick, a high school junior who goes by his middle name of Josh, wished for a trip to Orlando, Florida. At the Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. inside Treasure Island, the family was met with a surprise celebration at which Josh’s dream of being immersed in a universe of superheroes was revealed.

During the trip, Josh and his family stayed at Give Kids the World Village, a Florida nonprofit resort that provides no-cost lodging to children with serious conditions and their families. The family spent the next week exploring Orlando’s multiple theme parks, including Walt Disney World and Universal Studios.

“They say it takes a village to raise a child, but we here at Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada believe it takes a community to grant a wish,” said Scott Rosenzweig, President & CEO of Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada. “We couldn’t grant wishes like Erick’s without community partners such as Cityneon. We’re grateful for their partnership and can’t wait to see the pictures from Erick’s wish trip to Orlando, Florida.”.

“Making a positive impact in the Southern Nevada community by helping those faced with challenges to find their strength is a top priority for our team,” said Zoe Tan, Head of Business Development and General Manager of Victory Hill Exhibitions, Cityneon Holdings. “Working alongside Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada to make Josh’s wish come to life was truly incredible and we hope to continue this partnership and create unique memories for many more families.”

As a Super Hero fan, Josh was excited to experience the numerous Marvel-related attractions at Universal Studios, including Marvel Super Hero Island® in Universal’s Islands of Adventure.

Josh identifies especially with Iron Man – a hero is known for having a repaired heart – since Josh himself was diagnosed at birth with congenital heart disease. Josh was an infant when he had his very first heart surgery, and at just three years old, he underwent another surgery, after which Josh went into kidney failure and has been on dialysis and oxygen ever since.

Like Iron Man, Josh lives heroically with his condition and has remained positive despite the numerous medical challenges he faces on a daily basis.

Josh loved sharing his theme park experience with his family, who has given him the support, care and encouragement he needs throughout his medical journey. The memories of a special trip to Walt Disney World and Universal Studios will help provide the Las Vegas teen the strength to continue to battle congenital heart disease and kidney failure.

CITYNEON, a company that provides immersive experiences, on Wednesday (Oct 26) welcomed a fresh capital injection of S$150 million from Temasek’s 65 Equity Partners.

This comes after the group closed its last funding round in April with a total of S$235 million raised.

The collective funds raised will be utilised to further strengthen the group’s growth trajectory and aspirations, said Cityneon. These include expanding into new markets, acquiring new intellectual property, building up technological capabilities via its in-house research and development department, establishing new and profitable lines of businesses, and shoring up its balance sheet.

“We are excited to partner Cityneon’s management team in its next phase of growth,” said Tan Chong Lee, chief executive of 65 Equity Partners.

“This investment aligns strategically with our mandate of supporting high growth, leading businesses led by founders and entrepreneurs, to help them scale and fulfil their growth aspirations, as well as facilitating their eventual public listing,” he added.

In addition, Cityneon will rebrand its company name to “Neon” as it strives to “always be relevant, offering new, exciting and epic experiences for fans and families around the world”.

 

Source: The Business Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction. 

The long-term, 20,000-square-foot exhibition features large animatronic adult dinos, human-powered adolescent dinos and hand-held puppet baby dinos

Thanks to movies like “Jurassic Park,” the idea of dinosaurs existing today has been a popular, but improbable, fantasy for paleontology fans. But a massive new exhibition that opened Friday in its West Coast premiere in San Diego offers visitors the best chance they’ll ever get of seeing, hearing and even touching “live” dinosaurs up close.

“Jurassic World: The Exhibition” re-creates the look, feel, sound and scaly characters of the fictional Jurassic Park, the live-dino theme park on mysterious Isla Nublar in the 1993 Universal Pictures film “Jurassic Park,” and the 1990 Michael Crichton book that inspired it. The immersive, tented walk-through exhibit in the Westfield Mission Valley mall parking lot is in town through April 16.

Rather than just a mix of movie props and stationary dinosaur robots, “Jurassic World” puts ticket-buyers inside the theme park itself, where actors playing park docents and animal handlers encourage visitors to touch a baby Stygimoloch, feel the gooey consistency of dinosaur poop and watch a training session with Blue, the slightly less dangerous Velociraptor featured in the most recent films in Universal Pictures’ “Jurassic World” franchise.

Visitors can also explore a nursery where they’ll see dino eggs and young hatchlings; meet Bumpy, the baby Ankylosaurus featured in Netflix’s animated “Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous” series; and watch a feeding demonstration with an Indominus Rex, a genetically modified dinosaur in the Jurassic World: Evolution video game series. The 16 dinosaurs in the exhibit range from elaborate hand puppets to a fast-moving human-size raptor with an adult puppeteer inside, and gigantic animatronic beasts that not only have fully functioning eyelids, mouths and necks, but also move around rooms and produce the foghorn-like roars heard in the films.

But — as in all “Jurassic World” stories — humans’ selfish desire to re-create often-lethal extinct creatures can have consequences. The exhibition’s grand finale involves a truly gigantic robotic Tyrannosaurus Rex that gets loose from its enclosure and mayhem ensues.

Over the past five years, experiential exhibitions have become a worldwide sensation. In San Diego, last year’s immersive “Beyond Van Gogh” projection-mapped exhibit at the Del Mar Fairgrounds was so popular it was extended by an extra month. And in Anaheim, Disney spent an estimated $225 million building its most ambitious experience attraction Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disneyland.

“Jurassic World: The Exhibition” launched in 2016 in Melbourne, Australia, and has toured internationally in the years since. There are now three touring companies including one now operating in London and another in Japan. The San Diego visit is the third stop on a four-city American tour.

Ellie Armitage, who bills herself as the exhibition’s lead dinosaur ranger, said it’s hard to gauge which experience is the most popular with guests. Although the T-Rex finale is a hit, Armitage said most visitors are “astonished” when they disembark from the “water ferry” that motors them to Isla Nublar and they encounter a towering 12,500-pound animatronic Brachiosaurus at the park’s entrance.

“The most awesome moment for many people is when they come off the boat, the music is playing and they come through the gates and enter the land of giants. It’s a big wow moment,” Armitage said.

While Armitage said the staff undergoes “scared child protocol” training for toddlers who can’t separate fact from fiction, the exhibit is designed for all ages, with particular appeal for children ages 8 to 10. Beyond the dinosaurs themselves, there are dozens of video and touch screens where visitors can learn more about the various dinosaur species, their diets, habitats and unusual physical features. Docents are also trained to answer visitors’ questions. There’s also a gift shop, where a staffer said the $40 plush toy of Blue the velociraptor is the top-selling item.

Exhibition tickets are sold online by timed entry, with a maximum of 60 visitors admitted every 15 minutes to avoid overcrowding. Visitors can stay as long as they like, but the average visit is 45 to 60 minutes. The exhibit is set up on the east side of the mall’s former Macy’s department store, near Broken Yolk Café and the seasonal pumpkin patch.

Jurassic World: The Exhibition

Hours: 11 a.m. to 6 pm. Mondays and Thursdays. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fridays. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays. Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Through April 16

Tickets: Weekday admission is $29.50 for adults and $19.50 for children ages 3 to 15; weekend admission is $34.50 for adults and $24.50 for children

Online sales: jurassicworldexhibition.com

High turnout of visitors during the first days of the “Ramses and Gold of the Pharaohs” exhibition at De Young Museum in San Francisco.

Large number of visitors flocked to see the great Egyptian antiquities.

During the first days of its opening, the exhibition witnessed a large turnout of visitors of different age groups.

The exhibition of “Ramses and the Gold of the Pharaohs” includes 181 artifacts that highlight some of the distinctive characteristics of the ancient Egyptian civilization, especially in the Middle and Modern eras until the late era, through a group of statues, ornaments, cosmetics, paintings, stone blocks decorated with inscriptions, and statues of some deities in the form of birds and animals in addition to some colorful wooden coffins.

The De Young Museum in San Francisco, USA, witnessed the opening of the traveling exhibition “Ramses and the Gold of the Pharaohs” at its second stop.

It had previously been exhibited at the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences; nearly 8,000 tickets of the exhibit have been sold so far.

The exhibition includes 181 artifacts from the era of King “Ramses II” stemming from the collections of the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir, in addition to artifacts unearthed by the Egyptian mission in the Bubasteum in Saqqara.

It is worth mentioning that The exhibition of “Ramses & The Gold of The Pharaohs” welcomed visitors from all over the American city of Houston to enjoy the splendor of the great Egyptian antiquities with the enchanting melodies of the harp instrument in the background.

During the first days of its opening, the exhibition witnessed a huge turnout of visitors from different age groups. Some 8000 tickets were booked and sold in the first hours of the exhibition’s opening day.

Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mostafa Waziri explained that an Egyptian delegation representing the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities had received the visitors, who expressed their fascination with the greatness of the Egyptian civilization.

For her part, Assistant Minister for Tourism Promotion Lamia Kamel said that the Egyptian pavilion at the exhibition also witnessed a great turnout from the museum visitors, who used the QR code shown on the main panel in the pavilion to access the promotional site for Egypt on various social media platforms, in order to get acquainted with the brilliance of the Egyptian tourist destinations and Egypt’s countless tourism products.

Kamel confirmed that the visitors of the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences expressed their enthusiasm to visit Egypt, especially in winter.

Moreover, Kamel reviewed the efforts exerted by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, in cooperation with the Ministry of Civil Aviation, to create a direct flight route between Sharm El-Sheikh and Luxor to link beach tourism with cultural tourism, within the framework of the ministries’ efforts to create an integrated tourism product.

It is worth noting that the “Ramses & The Gold of The Pharaohs” exhibition showcases 181 artifacts that highlight some of the distinctive characteristics of the ancient Egyptian civilization, especially from the Middle and Modern Kingdoms to the late era. The exhibits include a group of statues, ornaments, paintings, stone blocks decorated with inscriptions, and statues of deities in the form of birds and animals, as well as some colorful wooden coffins.

Also, the Egyptian pavilion in the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences will be broadcast Egypt’s grand celebration “The Sphinx Avenue ” that will take place on November 25 at 7:30 p.m.

They’re the most dangerous creatures to have ever roamed the planet – dinosaurs have been a source of fascination for both the young and old for centuries. And now London’s ExCeL Centre will see them come to life in our city, as Jurassic World’s jaw-dropping exhibition opens its doors in the UK for the very first time.

Fans of the blockbuster films will be able to see the thrilling beasts up close as they step into a world of discovery inside the ferocious dinosaur’s domain. From a life-sized velociraptor to a towering Brachiosaurus, and even the Tyrannosaurus Rex. The dinosaurs are more real than ever before.

Visitors will be able to watch them move, roar and even feed as they come to life in a 20,000 sq ft space. Park rangers will also be on the premises to guide adventurers around the huge Jurassic Park – but they should watch out for the fierce beasts lurking behind every shrub or forest path.

In addition to experiencing the world inspired by the beloved films, exhibition guests will be able to pose for one-of-a-kind “Instagram-able” photo moments throughout the event. There will also be an interactive dig site where youngsters can become palaeontologists for the day and scavenge for dinosaur bones and remains.

James Cassidy, COO of FKP Scorpio Entertainment UK says: “The entire Jurassic World: The Exhibition experience has been designed to be as immersive as possible for visitors. From the moment our guests walk through the doors, all the sights and sounds of the event will be geared towards fueling the experience of being in the dinosaurs’ domain.

“The Jurassic Dominion movie came out quite recently and the entire exhibition has been organised in collaboration with its creative film team, and it will be held in collaboration with Universal studios and NBC. All of our dinosaurs are animatronic so they move and hiss on their own – guests can go up to them and touch them as well as get plenty of selfie opportunities.”

Jurassic World: The Exhibition tour has previously taken major cities across the world such as Chicago, Philadelphia, Paris, Madrid and Seoul, Shanghai and Chengdu by storm. A record-breaking number of tickets have already been sold for the London event.

The exhibition will be open from Thursday, August 25, until the end of 2022. It will provide the ideal day out for both children and adults across the city and elsewhere in the UK, who are seeking an unforgettable experience.

Tickets for the Jurassic World: The Exhibition start at £26 per adult and £18.50 per child. Car parking will be available on-site and visitors can also travel to the ExCeL Centre directly on the London Underground via the new Elizabeth Line.

To buy tickets for Jurassic World: The Exhibition at London’s ExCeL Centre, visit the website here.

What’s there to discover?

As well as seeing lots of giant species throughout the day, there will be plenty of opportunities for families to interact with incredible baby dinosaurs. This includes “Bumpy” from the hit Netflix series Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, which premiered in 2020 and released season 4 in December 2021.

Fans will even have the chance to play Jurassic World Alive – the popular location-based AR mobile game. In the game, dinosaurs are back on Earth and they roam free in our world.

Players can explore their surroundings to find their favourite Jurassic World characters. The app is available to download for free on the App Store and Google Play.

When the exhibition opens, players who visit ExCeL London and open the game on their device can locate an exclusive Jurassic World: The Exhibition incubator, which are capsules that contain valuable resources to use as an in-game reward.

Those who want to relax after walking the perilous path housing Jurassic World’s ancient beasts will be able to buy refreshments from a range of food and drink outlets in the ExCeL Centre. There are plenty of restaurants and cafés to choose from.

Film fans will also be able to purchase souvenirs from the full merchandise retail store on site, including t-shirts, stationary and more, as a memory of their incredible experience of visiting the dinosaurs’ domain.

To buy tickets for Jurassic World: The Exhibition at London’s ExCeL Centre, visit the website here.

Ever heard that story where a group of people are trapped in a park and faced with surviving some very ferocious pre-historical predators that have broken free?

Well, dino lovers across the city can relive that iconic storyline from today, as ‘Jurassic World: The Exhibition’ opens. The ExCel centre in Docklands is welcoming thousands of explorers through the famous Jurassic Park gates where they will be greeted by life-size, animatronic dinosaurs and their (extremely cute) babies. Only this time, they’re not likely to chase you and then dismember you.

The 20,000-square-foot exhibition holds 16 life-sized dinosaurs, including a velociraptor, brachiosaurus and Tyrannosaurus Rex. Curious explorers can interact with the dinosaurs, which are mechanical puppets that are deceptively lifelike. It’s a timewarp, where you can envision what prehistoric life on earth was like 140 million years ago, before the dinos became extinct… just in the ExCel centre.

This summer, the blockbuster season continues with the release of ‘Jurassic World Dominion’, the sixth instalment of the ‘Jurassic Park’ franchise, 30 years after the original movie. Okay, we reckon it’s shit, but the idea remains sound.

So, as you wait for the next film to drop, why not pay a visit to the dinos and keep them company? Tell them we said ‘roar!’.

‘Jurassic World: The Exhibition’, Excel London, Royal Victoria Dock, E16 1XL. From £25 per adult and £18.50 per child.

Find tickets here.

《侏罗纪世界》展览登陆英国伦敦，让影迷们沉浸式地体验电影里的场景，还能和会动的恐龙们进行互动。

摆脱禁锢的霸王龙朝围观者愤怒嘶吼；从大门进入，迎接游客的还有一只巨型腕龙。

这个庞大的展览空间里展示着侏罗纪电影里的所有事物，按照真实比例打造的电子动态恐龙结合音效和灯光，给人营造一种身临其境的感觉。

英国《侏罗纪世界》展览发起人乔治伍德说：“你真的会感觉，这是你最接近活恐龙的一次，也是这个体验最棒的地方。”

恐龙幼崽在器皿里休息，表皮纹路和呼吸节奏都几近逼真。现场不仅有各类恐龙，游客还能戴上手套触摸恐龙粪便，让大人小孩都乐在其中。

一名游客赛雷尔拉朱说：“他差不多两岁，非常喜欢这里。他出乎意料的非常冷静，但也很享受。”

英国儿童电台主持人康纳奈特说：“我们终于能亲身体验、感受、触摸恐龙，了解它们的皮肤、骨骼和一切。现象级的，非常棒！太好了！虽然也有点可怕。”

原定展出到11月的侏罗纪世界展，可能展延到当地假期结束。

The dinosaurs are coming to London!

A 20,000-square-foot immersive Jurassic World exhibition is coming to London in August 2022.

The exhibition, based on one of the biggest franchises in the world, will be landing at Excel London on August 25, 2022. This real-life experience will feature life-sized roaming dinosaurs, the actual Jurassic Park gates for guests to enter through, and never-before-seen baby dinosaurs.

Visitors will be able to interact and explore the environment and be greeted by infamous dinosaurs like the Velociraptor, Brachiosaurus and the Tyrannosaurus Rex as they make their way through the experience.

Talking about bringing the exhibition to London, Cityneon’s Executive Chairman & Group CEO, Ron Tan, said: “I am equally excited that we are launching Jurassic World: The Exhibition in the UK for the first time so soon after the theatrical release of Jurassic World: Dominion. Fans in London, stay tuned for a once-in-a-lifetime experience and see your favourite dinosaurs come to life right in front of your eyes!”

Speaking about bringing the exhibition to life, Universal Parks & Resorts’ President of Global Business Development, Michael Silver, said that the most exciting thing about this exhibition is to give fans a chance to experience the world of Jurassic Park for themselves.

“What excites us about Jurassic World: The Exhibition is the opportunity to give fans a real-world, immersive experience based on the amazing adventures of the franchise and delivered to a location near them,” he said, “Visitors will come face-to-face with life-sized dinosaurs and walk through richly themed environments, all inspired by the beloved global franchise.”

In addition to the amenities above, fans also get an exclusive opportunity when playing Jurassic World Alive – the popular location-based AR mobile game. Players who visit the exhibition in London and open the game on their devices can locate an exclusive Jurassic World: The Exhibition incubator, which are capsules that contain valuable resources, as an in-game reward. In addition, players with AR-enabled devices can snap a picture or take a video of a dinosaur using the game’s AR feature.

Tickets go on sale on June 23 at 12pm. You can buy them here.

Jurassic World 3 is now playing in US and UK cinemas.

It’s immersive, it has dinosaurs and there are 20,000 square feet of it coming to ExCel London

Just when you were starting to feel a bit fossilised this summer (it’s this dry heat), the sound of gigantic T-Rex-sized feet thundering in the distance, slowly heading over to ExCel London, has definitely livened things up. That’s right, August 25 sees the launch of ‘Jurassic World: The Exhibition’, a new immersive experience.

As you might imagine, any space that’s going to house hordes of life-size velociraptors, brachiosauruses and their scaly mates roaming around as though they own the place – and let’s be honest who’s going to argue with them – needs to be BIG, and it is: there’s 20,000 square feet of dinosaur-dodging site to navigate and plenty to do if dino parks are your vibe.

The exhibition coincides with the cinema release of the sixth (and last in the Jeff Goldblum-serving storyline) film in the blockbuster franchise: Jurassic World: Dominion but there’s plenty from earlier films to get up close and personal with, too. For starters, visitors will walk through the famous ‘Jurassic World’ gates… look how well that worked out eh? Alongside that, you’ll be able to have an up-close look at a velociraptor, crick your neck standing under a towering brachiosaurus and encounter the famous tyrannosaurus rex just to ramp up the fear factor. Whether the toilets are dino-proof was unconfirmed at time of going to press.

As light relief from the fearsome fire lizards, there’s also the chance to interact with new baby dinosaurs, including the rather cute ‘Bumpy’ from the animated series ‘Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous’. Fans also get an exclusive opportunity when playing Jurassic World Alive – the AR mobile game. Any players who visit the exhibition and open the game on their devices can locate an exclusive ‘Jurassic World: The Exhibition’ incubator as an in-game reward. Players with AR-enabled devices can then snap a picture or take a video of a dinosaur using the game’s AR feature and post it to their social media channels using the #JurassicWorldAlive hashtag.

So hop on the Elizabeth line down to Custom House. Just don’t blame us when the baby dinos eat some of your party. Don’t you people watch films?

‘Jurassic World: The Exhibition’, ExCeL London, One Western Gateway, Royal Victoria Dock, E16 1XL. From Aug 25, tickets from £13. For details and booking head here.

The 20,00sq ft site is being billed as “the closest you’ll ever come to living dinosaurs”

A brand new exhibition themed for the Jurassic Park film franchise is set to open at the ExCel centre in east London later this summer. It is being billed as “the closest you’ll ever come to living dinosaurs.”

Jurassic World: The Exhibition — named for the latest movie, which has just been released — will welcome visitors from August 25. The 20,00sq ft space is designed to mimic the fictional park, complete with its famous gates. Inside will be enormous, life-size models of dinosaurs, including a velociraptor, brachiosaurus, and tyrannosaurus rex, while much of the rest of the space will bring to life prehistoric environments. Elsewhere will be baby dinosaurs, and organisers say the entire thing is family-friendly.

Those using the Jurassic World Alive gaming app will also be able to unlock new features when playing it on site.

Michael Silver of Universal parks and resorts, who with Cityneon are behind the project, said: “What excites us about Jurassic World: The Exhibition is the opportunity to give fans a real-world, immersive experience based on the amazing adventures of the franchise and delivered to a location near them. Visitors will come face-to-face with life-sized dinosaurs and walk through richly themed environments, all inspired by the beloved global franchise .”

Chairman and CEO of Cityneon, Ron Tan added: “I am equally excited that we are launching Jurassic World: The Exhibition in the UK for the first time so soon after the theatrical release of Jurassic World: Dominion. Fans in London, stay tuned for a once in a lifetime experience and see your favourite dinosaurs come to life right in front of your eyes!”

The exhibition arrives in London after something of a world tour. It first launched in Melbourne and has since travelled across America — including stops in Dallas, Denver, Chicago, and Philadelphia — and through Seoul, Chengdu, Guangzhou and Shanghai.

The Jurassic Park franchise, based on a science fiction novel of the same name by Michael Crichton, first attracted widespread public attention when Steven Spielberg directed a 1993 film which shared its title with Crichton’s book. It starred Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum and Sir Richard Attenborough. There have since been five sequels, including this year’s release.

Tickets start at £13, though under-twos go free with an accompanying adult. For more information, visit jurassicworldexhibition.com

In the inimitable words of Samuel L. Jackson’s Ray Arnold, hold onto your butts; Jurassic World: The Exhibition is coming to London. From August 25, prehistoric life will find a way once more, with dinosaurs from the cinematic blockbuster clawing their way out of the big screen to be viewed in all their needle-toothed, long-necked or water-rippling glory inside the sprawling ExCeL London. You’ll be able to channel your inner Alan Grant as you encounter life-sized dinosaurs up close, take in the amber-trapped specimens of Hammond Lab and even meet some baby dinos. Sign up to the waitlist now to be first in line for tickets.

Sign up for the waitlist now to be one of the first to get tickets before they open to the public on Thursday, June 23, at 12pm!

Of course, it wouldn’t be a real Jurassic World experience without some whopping wooden gates to wander through. You’ll no doubt be humming the iconic tune in your head as they open dramatically to reveal the expansive space of ExCel London transformed into a prehistoric wilderness; floors appear dappled with sunlight that has shone through a tangle of branches, while ferns and leafy branches will sprout from every corner, giving the illusion that you have truly stepped into the millennia-old forests of the Jurassic period. Look out for glinting teeth or beady yellow eyes gleaming among the shrubbery – you might be doing the viewing but chances are there’s a scaly-something watching you right back.

Sign up to the waitlist now to be first in line to explore this wondrous world of dinosaurs.

On your exploratory stroll through Jurassic World: The Exhibition you’ll discover all manner of roarsome dinosaur delights. Gaze up at the treetop-munching Brachiosaurus – one of the largest creatures to ever roam the earth – get close (as you dare) to the clever girls of the raptor paddock and pay a visit to the Tyrannosaurus Rex where you’ll hear that rumbling roar and witness that bone-crushing grin with your own two eyes. Each incredible roaring and moving dinosaur has been re-created with fascinating detail, so you can take in every scale, pointed talon and jagged horn up close with none of the realism lost.

It’s not all chomping jaws and deadly glares, there’s some adorable wide-eyed residents that are sure to delight visitors of all ages. You can snap a selfie with a baby raptor, pterodactyl or even the beloved Bumpy (an Ankylosaurus) from Camp Cretaceous. Plus, you may even get to peek at the tiny Parasaurolophus babies in their incubator.

Jurassic World: The Exhibition is a must for fans of the epic film franchise. Not only can you put yourself in the mud-splattered boots of Owen Grady (or if you fancy a challenge, the slightly more precarious white heels of Claire Deering) as you immerse yourself in interactive scenes inspired by the hit films, but you can also see where it all started: Hammond Creation Lab. Inside, you’ll find out how geneticists discovered the secret to bringing these prehistoric creatures back to life – hint: it all comes down to a certain mosquito that was entombed in amber all those years ago. Be sure to sign up to the waitlist now to be first in line to discover this world of dinosaurs right on your doorstep.

Meet the dinosaurs of Isla Nublar. Tickets to Jurassic World: The Exhibition go on sale on Thursday, June 23, at 12pm, but you can get exclusive access to presale tickets by signing up to the waitlist here.

Ancient Egypt is migrating its way to the Golden (Gate) City — minus the pyramids, Saharan desert sands, River Nile and blazing summer heat.

San Francisco’s de Young Museum announced this week that it will host the touring “Ramses the Great and the Gold of Pharaohs” exhibition from Aug. 20 to Feb. 12, transporting museum goers back 3,200 years. This is the first new exhibition dedicated to Egyptian king Ramses II in 30 years, and the first to be presented in San Francisco.

More than 180 newly discovered gold and silver treasures including royal statues, sarcophagi, masks, jewelry and ornate golden tomb objects will be on display — most of which have never left Egypt before.

Ramses the Great was the third king of the 19th dynasty of ancient Egypt and reigned from 1279 to 1190 BCE, the second longest reign in Egyptian history. He erected more monuments and statues than any other pharaoh and is considered the “height” of Egypt’s power and glory.

The troves of work and art come from royal tombs of the 12th dynasty, about 600 to 700 years before Ramses II and of the 21st and 22nd dynasties, about 200 to 300 years after him.

Thomas P. Campbell, director and CEO of the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco said these “rarely seen” treasures are on an international tour and will soon return to Egyptian museums and they will likely not travel again for decades. The exhibition is currently on display at the Houston Museum of Natural Science until June 19.

“Ramses II is considered to be the greatest king ever to rule Egypt,” says Egypt’s secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Dr Mostafa Waziri. “This exhibition will illuminate the pivotal moments that earned the great pharaoh his place in history, while bringing visitors face-to-face with absolutely stunning Egyptian artifacts.”

Although treasures from Ramses the Great’s tomb in the Valley of Kings will not be present, as it was plundered in ancient times, the exhibition makes use of artifacts from other royal tombs like archaeological sites Dahshur and Tanis.

On view for the first time, the grand installation also includes newly discovered animal mummies like small cats, lion cubs and a mongoose from the Saqqara necropolis.

Drone photography, immersive video, multimedia production and photomurals re-create the life and accomplishments of Ramses the Great, including his monumental building projects and triumph at the Battle of Kadesh against the Hittite Empire.

The exhibition offers a virtual reality component called “Ramses and Nefertari: Journey to Osiris,” which will be installed in the museum’s Piazzoni Murals Room and available for an extra charge.

“Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs” is one of the most remarkable exhibitions to ever tour the globe, and it is a true honor for it to visit the great city of San Francisco and the de Young museum. We encourage patrons from across the region, and the country, to make it a point to come and see this splendid display,” Waziri said.

The new de Young exhibition follows the popular “Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs” display back in 2009, which featured over 130 objects from the tomb of King Tut. Tut reigned in the 18th Egyptian dynasty and Ramses the Great followed directly after.

Tickets go on sale July 6, but museum members can purchase as early as June 22. For more information, visit https://deyoung.famsf.org/.

The de Young Museum will be the exclusive West Coast venue for the international touring exhibition “Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs,” the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco announced Monday, June 6.

The show, which opens Aug. 20 and runs through Feb. 12, is the first new exhibition dedicated to Egyptian ruler Ramses II in 30 years and is the first to be presented in San Francisco. Tickets go on sale for museum members June 22, with tickets made available to the general public starting July 6.

“ ‘Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs’ reveals the power and splendor of ancient Egypt, and expands on the history conveyed within our own ancient art collections,” FAMSF Director and CEO Thomas P. Campbell said in a statement. “Once the exhibition completes its international tour, these objects will return to Egyptian museums and will likely not travel again for decades.”

Although Ramses’ tomb in the Valley of the Kings was plundered during ancient times, the exhibition is able to make use of artifacts from other royal tombs including ones in Dahshur and Tanis to suggest the kind of pieces that would have been included in Ramses’ burial. The exhibition is slated to showcase more than 180 objects including jewelry, royal statuary, artworks, precious gold and silver items, sarcophagi and masks, many of which are newly discovered and have never left Egypt.

Recently discovered animal mummies from the Saqqara necropolis will also be on view for the first time, among them small cats, lion cubs and a mongoose.

Renée Dreyfus, the newly endowed George and Judy Marcus Distinguished Curator, and curator in charge of ancient art at FAMSF, called the pieces part of an unrivaled trove and “jumped at the chance to have the museum acquire the exhibition.”

“Ramses the Great is regarded as as the most celebrated and most powerful pharaoh of the new kingdom,” said Dreyfus, who has worked for the museums for 45 years. “That was Egypt’s golden age, and that meant that he was overseeing a very wealthy and powerful empire. The exquisite sculpture and the great architecture, the monumental temples that he built to himself and to the gods, were meant for the ages.”

“Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs” comes to San Francisco in partnership with the Supreme Council of Antiquities of the Arab Republic of Egypt and is produced by World Heritage Exhibitions, a subsidiary of Cityneon Holdings.

Ramses II, the third pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt, was considered a distinguished military leader with his many campaigns across the African continent. He’s renowned for his large-scale building projects, which included the Ramesseum temple complex at Qurna, the Abu Simbel temple complex near the Egypt-Sudan border, and a series of monuments to himself built across Sudan’s Nubian region. He also has the distinction of being one of the longest-ruling kings of Egypt, with a 67-year reign.

In popular culture, he is thought to be the ruler depicted in the Old Testament story of Moses and the Israelites’ exodus from slavery in Egypt.

In addition to the artifacts, Dreyfus notes the exhibition’s use of technology. Drone photography, immersive video and photo murals will be utilized to show Ramses’ epic building projects and illustrate the story of his triumph at the chariot Battle of Kadesh. A virtual reality component, “Ramses and Nefertari: Journey to Osiris,” will also be installed in the museum’s Piazzoni Murals Room (viewable for an additional charge) and includes cinematic motion chairs that take visitors through the Abu Simbel and Nefertari’s Tomb monuments.

“How are you going to show the scale of the monuments and the bigger-than-life image that Ramses presented?” Dreyfus asked. “You do that with photo blowups, videos and multimedia presentations.”

“Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs” 9:30 a.m.-5:15 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. Opens Aug. 20. On view through Feb. 12. $20-$40. Additional charge for “Ramses and Nefertari: Journey to Osiris” to be announced. De Young Museum, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, S.F. 415-750-3600. deyoung.famsf.org

Cityneon, a Singapore-based experience entertainment company, is looking to shore up its balance sheet for organic and inorganic growth opportunities via multiple funding options, Group CEO Ron Tan said. Among the opportunities it could opt for is the acquisition of additional intellectual properties (IPs) in both the global blockbuster and original artefact categories, Tan said. Bolt-on targets could also include companies that can help strengthen its ability to create an immersive experience. The acquisitions of additional IPs, as well as more events backed by a growing number of exhibition sets, will require an estimated capital expenditure of USD 100m in 2023. This means the company will need to explore debt and equity funding options, in both the private and public markets, to shore up its balance sheet to support its growth plans, Tan said. According to two sources familiar with the matter, Cityneon is exploring a re-listing on Singapore Exchange (SGX).It has discussed with investment banks, including Morgan Stanley, about the potential re-listing, which may take place in 2H23, the first source said. Morgan Stanley did not respond to requests for comment. An IPO is part of the company’s growth journey, but not a destination, Tan said. What Cityneon needs to do is to stay IPO-ready so that it can seize the window of opportunity, the executive said. Advisors have approached Cityneon with proposals, and Hong Kong, Singapore and the US are on Cityneon’s radar, but the company has no fixed timeline yet for a re-listing exercise, he added. There are also alternative sources of funding in the private market despite the volatility in public markets, the CEO noted. Cityneon launched a private placement round in 4Q20 that may pave the way for a re-listing in Hong Kong as Johnson Ko – its major shareholder – is an experienced financier there, Mergermarket reported in December2020. It subsequently announced the closing of the SGD 235m (USD 169m) funding round in April 2021 from existing and new investors, including EDBI, Pavilion Capital, Doha Venture Capital and Seatown Holdings. EDBI is the investment arm of Singapore’s Economic Development Board, while Pavilion Capital and Seatown Holdings are backed by Singapore’s state investor Temasek. That funding round valued Cityneon at over SGD 1bn, Tan said. It has since acquired additional studio IPs, diversified into original artefact IP vertical and expanded into new locations such as Qatar and China’s Wuxi. Cityneon was taken private in 1Q19 through an SGD 318m offer by a consortium led by Ko and Tan. Later in the same year, it received investments from China-based private equity firm CITIC Capital, EDBI and Pavilion Capital.

IP Management

Cityneon used to focus on interior architecture and conventional exhibition operations, but it has transformed itself as an IP management business via a number of acquisitions. Through its subsidiary, Victory Hill Exhibitions, which the company acquired in 2015, Cityneon has secured multi-year licensing rights for immersive walk-through events based on films such as Marvel’s Avengers, Lionsgate’s The Hunger Games, Hasbro’s Transformers, and Warner Bros’ DC Comics and Wizarding World. During the pandemic, it made its foray into historical artefacts IP exhibitions via its subsidiary, World Heritage Exhibitions, which it acquired in 2021. One example of its diversification into this category is the debut of the Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru in Florida in October 2021 to include around 200 rare artefacts, with support from the Peruvian government, Tan said. The company also announced the acquisition of Tennessee-based animatronic and interactive character creator Animax Designs in January 2020. Animax makes the dinosaurs in Cityneon’s Jurassic World: The Exhibition touring sets, Tan said. The company currently has a total of 12 movie studio and historical artefact IP partnerships and it will likely announce two additional artefact IPs later this year, he added. While the company can only take the original set of historical artefacts on a global tour, it can create multiple exhibition sets of each studio IP for exhibitions across different locations concurrently, the executive said. This year, the company is expected to have a total of 17 such exhibition sets, and by 2023, the number is expected to increase to 25 or more, with each set being able to support two to three events in a year, he said.

Diverse Geographic Presence

Since its privatization, Cityneon has been operating mostly in a pandemic environment, but its global reach has helped it withstand the COVID-19 disruptions, Tan said. In 2020, the Chinese market bounced back quickly from the health crisis and Cityneon managed to remotely reopen its Jurassic World: The Exhibition in Chengdu in July 2020, and thereafter in other parts of China. This helped cushion the impact from disruptions elsewhere, Tan said. This year as China battles a new wave of COVID-19 infections, the company has sent most of the exhibition sets in China to Tokyo, London and other locations, while the Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. exhibition, which opened in southern China’s Sanya late last year, is still ongoing. Cityneon is able to weather the storm also because of its lower cost base, Tan said. While the company needs to invest in exhibition sets, the unit cost has declined thanks to the economies of scale. Besides, it does not take the execution risks in most of the events and instead work with local partners such as media and real estate companies. These partners take care of the venue, logistics, marketing and other matters while paying an upfront fee to and sharing the ticket sales with Cityneon, Tan explained. In April this year, the company recorded its best-performing month, driven by the pent-up demand and the easing of COVID restrictions in various markets. In Paris, where the Machu Picchu exhibition was launched a month ago, it has already recorded close to 100,000 visitors, he added. Today, the company generates 70% of its revenue from ticket sales and the rest from ancillary areas including virtual reality (VR) experience, merchandises, photographs and sponsorships, Tan said. As an example of VR experience, visitors to the Machu Picchu exhibition can pay extra fees for a virtual walk-through of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is enabled by the VR motion chairs that are equipped with multi-sensory stimulation features, and the visual data of the site was gathered by the company using drones, the executive said. *This article was first published by Mergermarket.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe continues with
MARVEL AVENGERS STATION: EVOLUTION

Cityneon Holdings, a global experience entertainment company, has announced an update to one of its most popular travelling IP experiences.

The firm has revealed that MARVEL AVENGERS STATION: EVOLUTION will premiere at Grandscape in The Colony, at Dallas this summer.

The original experience, MARVEL AVENGERS S.T.A.T.I.O.N., debuted in New York in July 2014 and has since been transported to 25 cities including Las Vegas, London and Paris, featuring in 13 countries around the world. It will soon be showcased to the Japanese audience in Tokyo.

A wider universe

Millions of fans have already experienced the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) with Cityneon’s immersive exhibition, which, for the first time, will be updated to reflect highlights from all four phases of the MCU. New series and films including Marvel Studios’ WandaVision, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Black Widow and more will be explored in the new MARVEL AVENGERS STATION: EVOLUTION experience.

Group CEO and chairman Ron Tan says: “This immersive Super Hero experience is going to be bigger and better. After impressing global audiences with our award-winning experience, MARVEL AVENGERS S.T.A.T.I.O.N., we are confident that we will delight even more visitors with this brand-new, upgraded Super Hero experience, MARVEL AVENGERS STATION: EVOLUTION, coming to our friends in Dallas this summer.”

Paquin Entertainment Group producer Justin Paquin adds: “We are thrilled to launch the World Premiere in Dallas where families will be amazed and entertained as they are immersed in an experience that is unlike anything they have done before.”

An original experience

The refreshed exhibition will consist of seven sections for guests to experience through an MCU-inspired high-energy facility.

Visitors will be able to examine and interact with popular characters, weapons, vehicles and technologies from the Avengers series. Other experiences developed by Cityneon include real-world science exhibits, and experience interactive challenges and simulations. In addition, guests will be able to get up-close with original costumes and props, located in the fictional environments where the epic stories take place.

More information on MARVEL AVENGERS STATION: EVOLUTION, which debuts in Texas, can be found on the official website.

Earlier this month Cityneon announced Avatar: The Experience, set to open at Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay to coincide with the upcoming film sequel.

Cityneon and Paquin Entertainment Group have announced the launch city for the world premiere of MARVEL AVENGERS STATION: EVOLUTION set to open this Summer at Grandscape in The Colony, just north of Downtown Dallas.

MARVEL AVENGERS S.T.A.T.I.O.N., which made its debut in New York in July 2014, and has showcased the Avengers worldwide in 25 cities (13 countries) including Paris, London, Las Vegas and soon Tokyo, has attracted millions of fans by allowing them to experience the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) through an immersive exhibition. Now, this experience has been updated to reflect key moments from all four phases of the MCU, including Marvel Studios’ WandaVision, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Black Widow and more.

“This immersive superhero experience is going to be bigger and better,” says Ron Tan, Executive Chairman and Group CEO of Cityneon Holdings. “After impressing global audiences with our award-winning experience, MARVEL AVENGERS S.T.A.T.I.O.N., we are confident that we will delight even more visitors with this brand-new, upgraded superhero experience, MARVEL AVENGERS STATION: EVOLUTION, coming to our friends in Dallas this summer.”

Justin Paquin, Producer, Paquin Entertainment Group, also shared, “We are thrilled to launch the World Premiere in Dallas where families will be amazed and entertained as they are immersed in an experience that is unlike anything they have done before.”

The exhibition consists of seven segments where guests will experience the MCU in a journey through this high-energy facility. Here, they can explore characters, discover the weapons, vehicles and technologies of the Avengers, learn real-world science, and experience interactive challenges and simulations. In addition, guests will get an up-close look at original costumes, props and film footage straight from the big screen while surrounded by the landscapes and worlds where these stories take place.

Marvel Studios’ Iron Man was released in 2008 and lead the way for the next 22 films that culminated in Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame in 2019.

Marvel superhero fans will have the chance to experience their favorite crime fighters in person this summer. Cityneon and Paquin Entertainment Group have scheduled the world premiere of Marvel Avengers Station: Evolution this summer at Grandscape in The Colony, just north of downtown Dallas, the group announced on Tuesday, April 19.

“This immersive superhero experience is going to be bigger and better,” says Ron Tan, Executive Chairman and Group CEO of Cityneon Holdings in a news release. “After impressing global audiences with our award-winning experience, Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N., we are confident that we will delight even more visitors with this brand-new, upgraded super hero experience, Marvel Avengers Station: Evolution, coming to our friends in Dallas this summer.”

Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. made its debut in New York in July 2014 and has showcased the Avengers worldwide in 13 countries and 25 cities including Paris, London, and Las Vegas. The exhibit has attracted millions of fans by allowing them to experience the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) through the exhibit, according to a news release. For the first time, the experience will reflect key moments from all four phases of the MCU, including WandaVision, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Black Widow and more.

The exhibit will have seven segments that guests can journey though the “high-energy facility.” Guests can explore their favorite characters, discover weapons, vehicles and technologies of the Avengers, learn inspiring real-world science and interactive challenges and simulations. Fans will get the chance to see original costumes, props, and film footage while being surrounded by the landscapes and worlds where the stories took place.

“We are thrilled to launch the world premiere in Dallas where families will be amazed and entertained as they are immersed in an experience that is unlike anything they have done before,” Justin Paquin, Paquin Entertainment Group producer, said in the release.

Tickets aren’t on sale yet, but fans can register for pre-sale access at their website.

The botanical world of AVATAR will be brought to life in Singapore

Cityneon Holdings, a global experience entertainment company, has announced a new film IP-based experience that will open to guests later this year in Singapore.

Debuting at Gardens by the Bay’s Cloud Forest, Avatar: The Experience is a new immersive walkthrough event based on the hit film. The unique AVATAR attraction will be the result of a collaboration between Cityneon Holdings, Disney Location-Based Experiences, and James Cameron and Jon Landau’s Lightstorm Entertainment.

Top-grossing film

Executive chairman and group CEO for Cityneon, Ron Tan, says: “It is an honour to present Avatar: The Experience with the support of the Singapore Tourism Board and Gardens by the Bay. We are excited to contribute to the inspiring creative culture of Singapore.

“The iconic Cloud Forest at Gardens by the Bay, one of Asia’s most popular horticultural attractions, becomes the perfect scenic location. We look forward to welcoming guests to this carefully-curated event.”

Kathy Franklin, Lightstorm Entertainment’s president of franchise development adds: “The opening of Avatar: The Experience in Singapore is a unique opportunity to continue expanding the global reach and impact of AVATAR, the highest-grossing film of all time. As the first of our four AVATAR sequels comes to theatres this December, this is the perfect time – and the perfect place – to explore and celebrate the wonders of Pandora in an all-new way.”

“A unique opportunity”

The new experience will be found at Cloud Forest, known for its iconic waterfalls, spiralling pathways and a soaring contemporary greenhouse.

Gardens by the Bay CEO Felix Loh says: “Over the years, Gardens by the Bay has emerged as a foremost icon for Singapore. Many visitors associate the aesthetic of Gardens by the Bay with the stunning environments from the film AVATAR. Even more remarkable is the shared appreciation for the natural world that surrounds us. This collaborative opportunity serves as a one-of-a-kind event and adds to the significance of our 10th-anniversary celebrations.”

Avatar: The Experience will invite visitors to connect with the alien world of Pandora. Guests will discover its bioluminescent environments with a selection of mystical creatures and flora, whilst discovering the culture of its indigenous people, the Na’vi.

Ashlynn Loo of the Singapore Tourist Board says the organisation is thrilled that Singapore will be the debut venue for Avatar: The Experience: “As we prepare to welcome more visitors, such innovative and immersive experiences are a timely addition to our calendar of vibrant leisure events and reinforce our destination attractiveness.

“The experience also demonstrates the industry’s confidence in Singapore’s strong fundamentals as a leisure destination and is testament to our exemplary track record in delivering high-quality experiences.”

Further details about the experience will be released soon. More information will be found in the coming months on the official Avatar: The Experience website.

Cityneon was recently awarded by the Advanced Imaging Society for its work on Machu Picchu and the Spirit of the Condor, which was given the “Best Use of VR” accolade.

An immersive walk-through event based on the global blockbuster film AVATAR, Avatar: The Experience will debut at Cloud Forest at Gardens by the Bay in Singapore later this year. The new attraction is a collaboration between Cityneon Holdings, Disney Location-Based Experiences, and James Cameron and Jon Landau’s Lightstorm Entertainment.

Ron Tan, Cityneon’s Executive Chairman and Group CEO, says: “It’s an honour to present Avatar: The Experience with the support of the Singapore Tourism Board and Gardens by the Bay. We are excited to contribute to the inspiring creative culture of Singapore. The iconic Cloud Forest at Gardens by the Bay, one of Asia’s most popular horticultural attractions, becomes the perfect scenic location. We look forward to welcoming guests to this carefully curated event.”

“The opening of Avatar: The Experience in Singapore is a unique opportunity to continue expanding the global reach and impact of AVATAR, the highest-grossing film of all time,” says Lightstorm Entertainment’s President of Franchise Development, Kathy Franklin. “As the first of our four AVATAR sequels comes to theatres this December, this is the perfect time – and the perfect place – to explore and celebrate the wonders of Pandora in an all-new way.”

Set at Cloud Forest with its iconic waterfalls, spiralling walkways and a unique architectural glass greenhouse, Avatar: The Experience invites guests to connect with the alien world of Pandora, its bioluminescent environments, mystical creatures, flora, and the captivating culture of its indigenous people, the Na’vi.

Additional details will be announced soon. Sign up to be the first to know by visiting www.AvatarTheExperience.com

Immersive Machu Picchu and the Spirit of the Condor VR film wins top accolade

Cityneon Holdings, a global experience entertainment company, is celebrating winning a prestigious award for its VR work exploring the heritage of the iconic South American monument.

The Advanced Imaging Society, the creator of the Lumiere Awards, was founded by professionals from major Hollywood studios and tech companies in 2009. Its aim is to advance the creative art and technology sectors.

With this year’s theme of “Larger Than Life”, the Society honoured twenty-one projects which each displayed an “outstanding international achievement in the creation of immersive storytelling using advanced visual technologies”.

Bringing history to life

Cityneon’s VR experience Machu Picchu and the Spirit of the Condor was awarded the accolade of “Best Use of VR”. The adventure features what Cityneon describes as the first-ever virtual showcase of Machu Picchu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The fully-immersive media is enhanced with patented VR motion chairs, equipped with premium multi-sensory features including high-res six degrees of freedom (6-DOF) VR headsets and backseat haptic feedback. Further enhanced by scent dispensers and unlimited 360-degree rotation, this VR experience forms just one component of Cityneon’s original artefact IP experience, Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru.

Just last October, Cityneon held the world premiere of its first artefact IP experience, debuting Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru at the Boca Raton Museum of Art in Florida. The exhibition will soon be travelling to Palais de Chaillot in Paris on 16 April 2022.

Group CEO and executive chairman, Ron Tan, says: “We are ecstatic to receive this prestigious award.

“This award not only recognises the wonderful potential of virtual reality in capturing the world around us, but it is also a testament to Cityneon’s expertise in innovative technologies that empowers the Group to bring immersive entertainment to a whole new level.”

Other accolade winners included the Korean Netflix series Squid Game, Disney’s animated musical hit Encanto, Disney+ series WandaVision, and Sony/Marvel’s box office success Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Upcoming premieres

Cityneon has established successful partnerships with global brands and license owners such as Hasbro, Universal and The Walt Disney Company, with further experiences set to debut in the coming years.

Making its debut in Tokyo, Japan, the new Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. experience will also be debuting this year at the Mori Arts Center Gallery in April, followed by the Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art in June.

Cityneon has also recently announced two all-new global touring themed art experiences inspired by DC Comics and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, scheduled to launch in 2023 through a new partnership with Warner Bros. Themed Entertainment.

Cityneon Holdings recently entered into an agreement for a new research and development facility for its fully-owned subsidiary company Animax, with the Wuxi Jingkai Government.

Get closer to dinosaurs than ever before in JURASSIC WORLD: THE EXHIBITION! The exhibition immerses audiences of all ages in interactive scenes inspired by the beloved film. Now, the park that was only a promise comes to life… right before your eyes.

• Discover the science of Jurassic World
• Meet the most adorable baby dinos
• Getup-close and personal with velociraptors
• Come face to face with life-size dinosaurs

JURASSIC WORLD: THE EXHIBITION is an immersive 20,000-square-foot experience based on one of the biggest blockbusters in cinema history. Visitors will walk through the world-famous “Jurassic World” gates, encounter life-sized dinosaurs, and explore richly themed environments. Guests will have an up-close look at a Velociraptor, stand in awe under a towering Brachiosaurus, and encounter the most fearsome of them all, the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex. Guests will be able to imagine what it would have been like to roam among these breathtaking creatures and even interact with new baby dinosaurs, including “Bumpy” from the popular animated series Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous. (Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous is produced by Universal, DreamWorks Animation and Amblin Entertainment, and is currently streaming on Netflix.)

We had a chance to check out JURASSIC WORLD: THE EXHIBITION, and to say that I was impressed was a bit of an understatement. If your family enjoys the Jurassic Park movies, you will love JURASSIC WORLD: THE EXHIBITION. If you are like my kids when they were little… OBSESSED with dinosaurs… JURASSIC WORLD: THE EXHIBITION is a definite must-see. Honestly, even if dinosaurs don’t float your boat, you will enjoy JURASSIC WORLD: THE EXHIBITION. It’s magical.

FIVE REASONS WE LOVED JURASSIC WORLD: THE EXHIBITION

Everything is so realistic.
From the “sets” to the story line to the characters to the dinosaurs themselves, it was easy to feel as if you were actually inside of JURASSIC WORLD.

JURASSIC WORLD: THE EXHIBITION is like a ride, a guided tour through different parts of the “park”.
Employees are in character, playing park rangers, scientists, dino wranglers, and even security… and quite honestly, it was easy to forget that it was all an act.

Selfie stations are located throughout JURASSIC WORLD: THE EXHIBITION.
Use your QR code card to launch the camera, and JURASSIC WORLD: THE EXHIBITION will grab a photo that will be uploaded onto your own mini photo site. You can download as many as you would like for free.

Whether you go to look or learn, you will have an amazing time.
There were quite a few “knowledge boards”, as I called them, that offered a ton of information about specific dinosaurs, features of the park, and even what a carnivore vs herbivore’s poop looks like. You have the option to go in depth, or just enjoy the feast for your eyes. Either way, you are going to have a blast.

JURASSIC WORLD: THE EXHIBITION is just like the movies!
We prepared our 11 year old for the event by watching Jurassic Park as a family before we went. He loved seeing things from the movie brought to life, and I have to admit, I thought it was pretty cool myself.