Lightfall: Nature After Dark, at Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne - 45 minutes

Lightscape (Friday, 20th June – Sunday, 10th August, 2025) has become an annual, must-see cavalcade of illuminated wonder at Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne.

Now, for the first time, the concept has been extended to Melbourne’s outer southeast, specifically to Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne.

It is titled Lightfall: Nature After Dark and is an April school holidays’ attraction (Sunday, 6th April – Sunday, 20th April).

While not as extensive as Lightscape, the light sculptures and accompanying soundscape are still most appealing and evocative.

The experience starts with the appealing Indigenous welcome sign WOMINJEKA, with accompanying commentary.

Upon entry to the Gardens proper, you are met by a sea of light across the Red Sand Garden.

By UK-based company Culture Creative, it is called Electric Fire Field and presents as an extensive blanket cover, with a warm glow.

Following along a kilometre-long path, next up you pass a couple of pieces of traditional Indigenous artwork by Stacey Edwards.

She is a Taungurung/Boon Wurrung/Bunurong woman with Melbourne connections who painted Waa and Bunjil in 2019 and Twilight Black Cockatoos the following year.

These paintings are on the right-hand side of the path, while immediately ahead I was struck by the massive impact of the half-moon on the water.

Over 10 metres in diameter, there is a distinct aura about Moon and Stars, again by Culture Creative, which illuminates that corner of the Gardens.

As you wander across a little walkway to the left, you are greeted by hundreds of multicoloured batons of light in the trees amidst the winding path.

Another great photo opportunity, the installation is accompanied by melodic, up tempo Indigenous song.

A striking, brightly lit tree avenue guides you toward arguably the highlight of the nighttime exhibition, being the Lily Pond.

Nearby is the Big Bandicoot. Created by Darryl Cordell, Vanessa Ellis, Trina Gaskell and Cliff Dolliver, it is of great heft and centres around the endangered Southern Brown marsupial.

Bursting with creativity and changing colours, a total of 14 giant lilies are the brainchild of UK-based arts collective Jigantics.

In 2007, “Jig” began building and designing a forest of flowers. It now owns the largest collection of illuminated flowers in the world.

All I can say about the lilies is wow – they are so, so beautiful and radiate tranquillity.

It is a fitting finale to a showcase of light and splendour, a beaut new way to experience Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne.

Allow 45 minutes to see it all.

Early on, beside the trail, there is also a neat food court, which contains food trucks offering a variety of dishes and delights.

Further on, you can also avail yourself of Royal Botanic Gardens’ merch, should that interest you.

To find out more about Lightfall and to buy tickets, go to https://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/cranbourne-gardens/whats-on-cranbourne/lightfall/