The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth meets the Most Magical Place on Earth with Immersive Disney Animation

Immersive Disney Animation is coming to the BMO Centre at Stampede Park from June 12, to August 18, 2024! Step inside your favourite Disney songs and scenes and see characters up close with an immersive experience that takes you inside the greatest films of Walt Disney Animation Studios.

Creating iconic animated stories for all ages for nearly a century, Walt Disney Animation Studios has joined forces with North America’s top creator of experiential projection exhibitions (including The Original Immersive Van Gogh) to present the music and artistry within Disney Animation’s canon of films—from hits of today like Encanto, Zootopia and Frozen, to all of the classics including The Lion King, Peter Pan and Pinocchio. Audiences will feel like they’ve entered the incredible worlds of beloved Disney characters and become one with them.

“Like so many of us, I have a life-long love of Disney films,” said President of Lighthouse Immersive Studios Corey Ross. “It has been quite a nostalgic rush seeing those films come to life at Lighthouse ArtSpace venues across North America. I’ve grown up with these characters and worlds since childhood and so has my family. The work lends itself brilliantly to the immersive experience. Our team has created something truly special here, and we can’t wait to give audiences the opportunity to experience it.”

Collaborating with Lighthouse Immersive is the Creative Legacy team of Walt Disney Animation Studios, helping bring their library of films to audiences in a manner never before experienced.

Beyond the unparalleled projection design that Lighthouse Immersive is known for, Immersive Disney Animation is further enhanced by expansive environmental design by Lighthouse Immersive’s Global Creative Director David Korins (Tony Award®-nominee whose credits include more than 20 Broadway shows including Hamilton, and an Emmy Award® for Grease Live).

Additional interactive features within the projection show include responsive floor projection design that moves with the audience and custom bracelets that light up in sync with the projections and based on the audiences’ movements through the galleries. In a particularly show-stopping moment, the Gazillion Bubbles special effects team fills the 500,000 cubic feet of galleries with bubbles.

“We are excited to share all the magic of Disney right here at Stampede Park,” says Theresa Howland, Vice-President, Programming, Marketing & Sponsorship at the Calgary Stampede. “This incredible immersive production is a bucket-list item for Disney fans of any age, and it is one you don’t want to miss!”

This isn’t the first time Disney has come to the Calgary Stampede. In 1965 Walt Disney lead the Stampede Parade as Parade Marshal, officially kicking off the Stampede that year. Beloved characters Mickey and Minnie Mouse also played roles as Parade Marshals on multiple occasions.

Tickets go on sale to the general public on Monday, May 13 at 10 a.m., and can be purchased here.

Calgary Stampede Insiders have an opportunity to pre-purchase tickets beginning at 10 a.m., May 10-12. Become a Stampede Insider and get the inside track on all the experiences planned for Stampede 2024 here.

About Walt Disney Animation Studios

Combining masterful artistry and storytelling with groundbreaking technology, Walt Disney Animation Studios is a filmmaker-driven animation studio responsible for creating some of the most beloved films ever made. WDAS continues to build on its rich legacy of innovation and creativity, from the first fully-animated feature film, 1937's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, to 2019’s Frozen 2, the biggest animated film of all time, to our 60th animated feature, the Academy Award®-winning Encanto. Among the studio's timeless creations are Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty, The Jungle Book, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Frozen, Big Hero 6 and Zootopia.

About Lighthouse Immersive

Lighthouse Immersive creates, produces and distributes innovative digital immersive art experiences through its experiential multiplex digital art galleries, aiming to cultivate community and creativity through large-scale events and exhibitions of all art forms. Lighthouse Immersive has produced the world premieres of Immersive Van Gogh, Immersive Monet & The Impressionists, Immersive Frida Kahlo, Immersive King Tut and Immersive Klimt: Revolution in 23 North American cities, including Toronto, New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Boston and Denver, and is currently expanding into additional markets. To date, they have sold over 6 million tickets to Immersive Van Gogh across North America, with Artnet calling it “one of the largest coordinated art phenomena of all time.”

About the Calgary Stampede

The Calgary Stampede celebrates the people, the animals, the land, the traditions and the values that make up the unique spirit of the west. The Calgary Stampede contributes to the quality of life in Calgary and southern Alberta through our world-renowned Stampede, year-round facilities, western events and several youth and agriculture programs. Exemplifying the theme We’re Greatest Together, we are a volunteer-supported, not-for-profit community organization that preserves and celebrates our western heritage, cultures and community spirit. All revenue is reinvested into Calgary Stampede programs and facilities.

For more information, please contact:
Tyla Nixon
Communications Advisor
T 403.837.3457
E tnixon@calgarystampede.com