Longleat Safari Park closed tomorrow due to Storm Darragh

The decision has been taken to ensure the safety of visitors.

Author: Harry LongPublished 6th Dec 2024

Longleat in Wiltshire will be closed tomorrow due to Storm Darragh and the forecasted strong winds.

As with a similar decision due to Storm Bert just two weeks ago, the  move has been taken to ensure the safety of visitors.

Head of Operations Scott Ashman says there was no question that safety must come first.

“We know this will be disappointing for guests, some of whom booked many months ago and sadly some who rebooked for this weekend after we had to cancel two weeks ago. However,  we also know they will understand that safety must come first, and we are really grateful for the messages of support we received after Storm Bert and over the last 24 hours or so.

“Closing the site during one of our showcase events – The Festival of Light - is not a decision taken lightly but safety is paramount and with wind gusts predicted to top 60mph, it was, a simple one to make,” he said.

“The Festival of Light is a spectacular lantern display with some reaching 12 metres tall and we also have a 15 metre high Christmas Tree. This is in addition to the thousands of trees across the 9000-acre estate, all of which are vulnerable to high winds.

“We have been monitoring the forecasts closely, as we know they can change, and we didn’t want to disrupt people’s plans if that was to happen. However, the forecast has got worse so we took the decision to close today to ensure we gave visitors as much notice as possible.

“We have put in place automatic refunds for everyone who has booked. We are also conscious that many days have already sold out so we have been working hard this morning to increase the number of twilight tickets so people can rebook if they wish to do so. Naturally rebooking is subject to availability, but we hope the majority can be accommodated in some way.

All refunds from the closure due to Storm Bert have now been completed.

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