Denmark’s historicamusement park Tivoli Gardens is to open a record number of new attractionsthis year.
Perhaps the most notable of the new attractions is the addition of VR (virtual reality) capability tothe existing Demon roller coaster.This will make itScandinavia's first VR roller coaster.Refreshing and Developing Tivoli Gardens
Tivoli's CEOisLars Liebst. He says,”It's important to us that we always refresh ourselves and develop Tivoli. This season, we have built the Orangery with a music stage, and added a digital dimension to the Demon, which is now a dramatic virtual-reality experience. From
Tivoli Gardens has a rich history. The world’s second most visited seasonal theme park, itfirstopened in1843and todayattractsthe region of5 million visitors a year. The most popularpark inScandinavia,it is also the fourth most-visited in Europe, after only Germany’sEuropa-Park, Disneyland Parisand Efteling in The Netherlands.
It boasts one of the world’s oldest wooden roller coasters still in operation. This isRutschebanen, built in 1914 and affectionallyknown as Bjergbanen (the Mountain Coaster).
Tivoli Gardens Highlights
Season number 175 at Tivoli (172 operating days) will see a new series of live concerts, Little Friday. These will be staged in the Orangery, a new 375 m2 pavillion with a stage, glasshouse and studio. Wednesday fireworks will be returningto Tivolifrom May.This will double the number of fireworks during the summer.Highlights of the summer include:
Tivoli's New Easter theme. Running until April 17.
New landscaping features have been added around the Chinese Pagoda, the Orangery and Gemyse.
Roller coaster, The Demon will become Scandinavia's first coaster where visitors can explore a virtual reality (VR) experience. Travelling at77 km an hour, guests riding the coasterwill feel the effects of 4Gsas theygothrough 3 loops and experience a physical fall of 20 metres. However,guests have the option to pay an additional chargeto add VR to the experience. As a result, this will an extra layer of immersionto the experience.Riders will encounter fireworks, fire-breathing dragons and demons from Chinese folklore.
Fireworks have always beenpart of the park's DNA. This year Tivoli is doubling the number of fireworks.
Food and Lightin the Gardens
Olafur Eliasson, the internationally acclaimed Danish-Icelandic artist has worked with the parkto create the Little Sun Light Swarm. This consistsof 33 large lamps suspended in the treetops aroundthe Tivoli Lake.Thesechange colours depending on the direction of the light.Each lampis alsounique, owingto the lamps' glass panels and suspension.
An enhanced food and beverage offering will be another highlight this year. Michelin-acclaimed Henrik Yde(right) willopen a brand new restaurant in the Chinese Pagoda.Asian culinary art is therefore in the spotlight but this time it hasa new concept compared with the chef'sother restaurants.
There is alsoGemyse, which nestles beside the Tivoli Lake with organic and green meals in the limelight. Cakenhagenwill be opening too.Here, sandwiches, cakes and champagne will be served. Finally, there is Kaktus, Tivoli's new family-friendly taco venue.
Music and Stars
Each day, the Tivoli's Ballet Company, Tivoli Ballet Theatre, will be performing at the Pantomime Theatre.A highlight of theSummer Classic concerts will bethe London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas.Feature opera stars include Lawrence Brownlee and Sarah Coburn together withoutstanding pianists such as Yuja Wang, Igor Levit and Pierre-Laurent Aimard. Tivoli's own orchestra, the Tivoli Copenhagen Phil, will also be perform a numberof symphonic concerts.
Tivoli's Friday Rock will feature renownedinternationalstars such asLil Wayne, 5 Seconds Of Summer, Brian Wilson and Erykah Badu.
Main image: demon VR Roller CoasterLasse Salling Tivoli
