Night of the Cats

The first two Saturdays of September, 7.9. and 14.9.2024, will be dedicated to cats in need of conservation. There is also an adults-only night on Wednesday 11.9.2024, where the programme is different from the one stated on this page. The annual charity event of Korkeasaari Zoo raises funds for the conservation of cats in the wild.

Separate tickets are sold to the events. A ticket for the event allows entry to the Zoo from 4 pm, the Zoo closes at 10 pm. Last admission is one hour before closing time.

Tickets

Tickets are valid for the specific evening only and cannot be exchanged or returned. Tickets for the Night of the Cats are only available online and cannot be bought on the spot. For every ticket sold for the Night of the Cats and for every visit made with an annual pass, 1 € will be donated to pallas’s cat’s conservation.

During the event, access to Korkeasaari Zoo is only possible with an event ticket purchased for that day or a valid Korkeasaari Zoo annual pass**. The adults only event is only open to persons over 18 years of age. Please note, however, that during the event no new annual passes will be sold and no online annual passes will be activated.

Ticket sales for the event have begun in our online shop. Shop language is Finnish.

* Student and senior tickets
Student tickets are sold to full-time students who can present a valid student card with a photo. Of international cards, only an ISIC student card is accepted.

Senior citizen tickets are sold to people over 65 years old, who can present an ID document as well as to persons with full pension pursuant to Kela.

** To ensure the comfort and safety of the event, we reserve the right to restrict admission of non-event tickets (e.g. annual passes, gift tickets).

Conservation of the Pallas’s cat

The bushy tailed inhabitant of Central Asia is at risk of habitat loss and poaching. Though the natural population is hard to estimate due to the species solitary nature, it is known to be declining. Donate to conservation!

In previous years the funds collected in the event have been donated towards the conservation of Amur tigers and leopards. The political climate and sanctions againts Russia prevent funds being directed to conservation measures in Russia. Conservation work in the Amur area continues with funds from previous years.

Programme

Event ticket admission to the Zoo from 4 pm, last admission at 9 pm. The Zoo closes at 10 pm.

Theatre performance ”Where is the Pallas’s Cat?” (in Finnish)
The Korkeasaari Theatre presents a family-friendly play about the fascinating life of the Pallas’s cat.
Performances next to Restaurant Pukki at 5:30 pm and 7 pm, duration approx. 30 min.

Face painting
Face painters create cat-like face paintings at the Ferry Harbour, 4:30 pm – 8:00 pm.

The Pallas Cat Route (in Finnish)
On the Pallas’s Cat Trail, suitable for the smaller cats in the family, you can experience the life of a pallas’s cat. On the route you can discover the world of the pallas’s cat in an old polar bear castle, hear a pallas’s cat greeting in the waiting pavilion, look, bounce and dance like a cat in Pukinpuisto, hear a pallas’s cat story in the European bison barn and take part in a pallas’s cat quiz at the old zebra enclosure! The route can be completed at your own pace.

Tiger Route (in Finnish)
Become a zoologist! On a trail suitable for older cats, you’ll discover why zoos play an important role in preserving animal diversity. Explore the habitat of the Amur tiger in an old polar bear enclosure, where you’ll also learn how zoos have evolved over the years. Take a photo of yourself at the tiger photo booth in an old bear enclosure and draw a conservation poster for the Amur tiger. You can also enter a competition with your poster! Be like an ethologist and study the behaviour of the Amur tiger for a while in the Cat Valley. You can also take part in an hourly tiger quiz at the old zebra enclosure. The route can be completed at your own pace.

Fire shows
The fire group Roihu will conjure up a magical fire show as the evening fades.
At the the Ferry Harbour at 8:30 pm and 9:30 pm, duration of the show approx. 15 min.

Wheel of Fortune
Spin the wheel of fortune and support the protection of pallas’s cat. All proceeds will be donated in full to pallas’s cat’s conservation. The prizes for the wheel of fortune are donated by Fazer, every spin wins a prize. At Bear Castle, from 6 pm to 9 pm. One spin 3 €, four spins 10 €.

Cats’ enrichments and enrichment craft station
Discover the different enrichments for the cats of Korkeasaari Zoo with guides at the Cat Valley. Leave your own pawprint on the big cats’ jute bag enrichment! At the Cat Valley from 4:30 pm to 9:30 pm.

Dinosaurs in the twilight
Experience the dinosaurs of Korkeasaari on an autumn evening, magnificently illuminated. The exhibition is open throughout the event.

Animal feedings
4:30 pm Red panda
5:00 pm Lynx / Amur leopard cat / Raven and Steller’s sea eagle
5:30 pm Snow leopard / Bearded vulture/ Barbary macaque
6:00 pm Camel / Przewalski’s wild horse
6:30 pm Asiatic lion / European wildcat / Bear
7:30 pm Amur leopard / Pallas’s cat
8:30 pm Amur tiger/ Amur leopard

Food & drink

Not only animals, but also humans eat well. In addition to the familiar restaurants, there will be street food stalls and kiosks in the area.

Souveniers

The Korkeasaari Zoo shop at the Ferry harbour and the container shop next to the Borealia House sell cat-themed top deals and products to support pallas’s cat’s conservation.

Etiquette for the evenings

The safety of our customers is our top priority, but we will also need your help to make the visit pleasant for everyone. Please, take note of the following instructions.

Tickets
You can purchase a ticket for the event only in our online shop. Print out your ticket or download the PDF for offline use at home, as mobile connections can be limited. A screenshot will not work as your ticket. Ticket permits entry only once. We recommend our visitors to arrive well before the light starts to fade.

Safety in Cat Valley
Access to Cat Valley may be restricted and foot traffic may be diverted to be one way if needed due to safety concerns.

Evening hours
As daylight fades, only the lit routes marked on the map are available. Some of the species will retire earlier than others and due to this some areas will be closed off from the public. The animals have excellent vision even in dark conditions so don’t use bright lights or flash photography. Please don’t knock on the enclosures, feed or otherwise disturb the animals in any way.

Any issues during the event
First aid can be found at the ticket sales points. The ticket sales phone number +358 50 352 5989 works as Korkeasaari Zoo’s own emergency number. Lost and found items are listed at eOmistaja Löytö, you can check for your items there.