The San Diego Zoo is getting ready to dim the lights on its long-running Nighttime Zoo after this summer, with the seasonal program set to run through Aug. 9. For more than 25 years, the after-hours series has stretched the park’s hours into the evening and layered live music and family shows across Balboa Park. Zoo officials say the 2026 run will be the last season for this format as they prepare fresh programming for the following year.
When Nighttime Zoo Runs and What to Expect
According to the San Diego Zoo, Nighttime Zoo is scheduled May 23 through Aug. 9, with activities and entertainment beginning at 3:30 PM and the park open until 8 PM each evening. The lineup includes Front Street music, acrobats and family shows, plus a 7:45 PM “Jambo Dunia!” finale to close out the night. The zoo’s site bills this as the event’s final season and teases a new seasonal festival set to debut in 2027.
Why It’s Ending and What Comes Next
As reported by Axios, the zoo says it is retiring Nighttime Zoo to make room for that new festival, though details are still under wraps. Meghan Breen, a zoo spokesperson, told Axios there are “no details to share yet,” including whether evening hours will continue as part of whatever comes next. For now, visitors have until Aug. 9 to catch the familiar nighttime programming.
What Visitors Have Been Seeing After Dark
Part of the draw has been the chance to see animals more active in the cooler, quieter evening hours. Axios reporter Claire Trageser noted that visitors have spotted fossa pups at play, a panda on the move, elephants tussling and Andean bears pacing during Nighttime Zoo visits. The extended hours give photographers and families a different look at the collections than they get during daytime trips. That twilight energy is exactly what the zoo is encouraging guests to soak in this summer.
Park Context and What It Might Mean
The timing of the change lines up with broader long-term moves at the park. In March, the San Diego City Council approved a 44-year lease extension that city and zoo leaders say will allow the organization to invest in the property, per KPBS. That kind of multi-decade planning may help explain why the zoo is rethinking its seasonal programming, although officials have not directly linked the festival change to the lease. Whether evening hours continue in some form under the new festival is a question the zoo has not answered yet.
How to See Nighttime Zoo One Last Time
If you want to experience Nighttime Zoo before it signs off, check dates and buy tickets early. Nighttime Zoo runs through Aug. 9, and the zoo posts schedules and ticketing information on its website. The San Diego Zoo recommends checking daily entertainment schedules for showtimes and any dates without Nighttime Zoo programming.
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