Aerialists, jugglers and more: Find whimsy at Georgia Aquarium's Glow Nights

Starting this week, when visitors enter the Georgia Aquarium after 4 p.m., they’ll be dazzled by a whimsical, illuminated display of lights, which will serve as the backdrop for a nightly cirque-style show of aerialists, sway-pole performers, jugglers and unicyclists.

In its inaugural year, Glow Nights, which will run through Aug. 17, is set to complement the Aquarium’s newest permanent exhibit, Ocean Lights, which opens May 30 inside the Ocean Voyager gallery.

Credit: Addison-Hill

Credit: Addison-Hill

Light-themed photo ops, specialty food and drinks, glowing retail items, glow-in-the-dark temporary tattoos, a giant glowing whale shark balloon and character appearances are also on the nightly agenda for Glow Nights.

The Ocean Lights installation features aquatic life with natural bioluminescence, like flashlight fish and dinoflagellates.

Aquarist teams helped cultivate the dinoflagellates in-house to create the first-of-its-kind exhibit at the aquarium with reactive bioluminescent animals on display.

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Credit: Addison-Hill

“We thought it was a natural connection to create a glowing style event to promote the new exhibit and show the fun colors found in nature,” said Stephanie Polhemus, senior manager of production and entertainment for Georgia Aquarium. “We also wanted to create an event in the evenings to bring guests into the aquarium during the hot summer months.”

Through a partnership with a Las Vegas-based performance group, the show will feature professionally trained cirque artists. Everything will glow.

“There will be glowing walls, displays, costumes, and all the performers will glow,” Polhemus said. “The temporary tattoos glow. And our newest exhibit featuring bioluminescent animals will naturally glow.”

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Credit: Addison-Hill

If you go

4 p.m. to close May 30 to Aug. 17. Glow Nights is included in general daytime admission. A $10 discount will be offered for general admission tickets sold after 4 p.m. Georgia Aquarium. 225 Baker St. NW, Atlanta. 404-581-4000, georgiaaquarium.org.

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