On 4 June, Hellabrunn Zoo will open its gates for the first time at night for the launch of Biodiversity Night. The event which starts at 7pm will include the premiere of the first open-air cinema at the zoo. Instead of Hollywood movies, the al fresco big screen will show fascinating nature documentaries.

A cinema at the zoo? Animals have always been the box office attraction at the zoo. On Biodiversity Night they will also play a starring role. But on this night, the zoo offers visitors much more: In addition to a variety of musicians and artists performing at the event, the Show Arena will be converted into an open-air cinema from 10pm.

The films shown will include nature and wildlife documentaries from the surrounding region. "In general, they will be about large and exotic animals at our zoo. However we would also like to use Biodiversity Night to shine a spotlight on the local wildlife by showing films about lesser-known domestic animals," says zoo director Rasem Baban. "The stunning footage shows how spectacular the wildlife just outside our door is." For example, the audience can learn about the big world of little mice, venture on a journey about life in the local forests, discover how a small stream has become the lifeline of a fairy tale meadow or gain insight into the fantastic wildlife in the foothills of the Alps.

On Saturday, 4 June, the Munich zoo will open to visitors at night for the first time in its 105-year history. The theme of the evening is biodiversity, i.e. the variety of life. The event gives visitors a unique opportunity to experience the zoo's animals and plants at night, that are otherwise only on view during the daytime. The paths in the zoo will be atmospherically illuminated to allow visitors to explore after dark. Visitors can also enjoy performances from a variety of musicians and artists, information stands from nature conservation organisations, an open-air cinema and talks on various environmental projects. The aim of the event is to create awareness of the importance of biodiversity - the variety of life in all its forms.

Naturally, Hellabrunn took the needs of the animals into consideration during the planning phase. Many artists will therefore only perform with natural acoustics and the stages are positioned in areas where they do not disturb the animals, but at best evoke interest among them, as shown by tests conducted beforehand with the corresponding acoustic sounds.

Tickets for Biodiversity Night cost € 19 in advance at ticket office at the zoo and € 25 at the gate on the evening. Tickets can also be purchased in advance via Muenchenticket.de. You can find all info about the Hellabrunn Zoo here.