London Zoo’s legendary adults-only nights are back for summer 2026

Four people taking a selfie in front of a sign for London Zoo — (Image credit: London Zoo)

Nothing says “grown-up London summer evening” quite like wandering around London Zoo with a drink in your hand while a capybara stares back at you.

London Zoo has confirmed that its hugely popular adults-only Zoo Nights are returning this summer, taking over Regent’s Park every Friday night from the 5th of June until the 24th of July. Running from 6pm to 10pm, the after-hours events are as much about mooching around and looking at the animals as they are about enjoying some street food style grub and having a good time.

This year’s edition also ties into the zoo’s massive 200th anniversary celebrations, with ZSL marking two centuries since opening the world’s first scientific zoo. Alongside all the animal encounters and food stalls, there’ll be a brand-new heritage exhibition looking back at the zoo’s history, packed with archival footage, vintage images and plenty of nostalgic London memories. For a place that’s been around since 1826, there are naturally some fairly bizarre stories buried in the archives.

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Visitors will move around the zoo hearing strange tales from ZSL’s past while trying to work out which facts are real and which are complete nonsense.

an image of one of the capybaras at London Zoo exploring a new environment

The actual animals, of course, remain the stars of the show. One of the best things about Zoo Nights is getting to see species during the hours they’re naturally most active, including the zoo’s massively popular capybaras Gizmo and Kiwi, alongside pygmy hippos, Galapagos tortoises, sloths and Sumatran tigers. There’ll also be special adult-focused keeper talks throughout the evening, giving visitors the chance to learn a bit more about the animals without a five-year-old trying to climb the barrier next to them.

Elsewhere across the site, street food traders and pop-up bars will take over the zoo, with live acoustic music adding to the atmosphere as the sun goes down over Regent’s Park. Disney’s The Lion King is also returning with an immersive exhibition showcasing puppets, costumes and props from the West End production, including characters like Simba, Mufasa and Rafiki.

If a normal zoo trip somehow isn’t enough, there are upgrades too. Guests can book a Champagne experience beside Penguin Beach, explore the zoo’s new indoor play space ZooTown, or even stay overnight with a VIP sleepover package in the zoo lodges.

Zoo Nights runs every Friday from the 5th of June to the 24th of July, from 6pm until 10pm. Tickets start from £23.50.

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Morgan got his start in writing by talking about his passion for gaming. He worked for sites like VideoGamer and GGRecon, knocking out guides, writing news, and conducting interviews before a brief stint as RealSport101's Managing Editor. He then went on to freelance for Radio Times before joining Shortlist as a staff writer. Morgan is still passionate about gaming and keeping up with the latest trends, but he also loves exploring his other interests, including grimy bars, soppy films, and wavey garms. All of which will undoubtedly come up at some point over a pint.