Tivoli Hikari, the largest themed development in the Copenhagen amusement park’s history, is expected to open in August after a two-year transformation of its former Asia-inspired district. The new area will combine Japanese-inspired architecture, gardens, street food, original art and three attractions across more than 2,000 square metres.
Named after the Japanese word for “light”, Hikari is designed as a contemporary urban environment rather than a reconstruction of a historical Japanese district. Tivoli describes it as an interpretation of Japanese architectural, landscape and city-design principles, adapted through the park’s own theatrical tradition.
The project represents an investment of at least DKK 100 million, or approximately €13.4 million, according to details reported by Blooloop. Tivoli has not disclosed the precise amount, referring instead to a three-digit-million investment in Danish kroner.
Tivoli Hikari replaces the former Asia-themed area
The redevelopment replaces an area that had existed for just over two decades. Tivoli’s design team chose to rebuild it rather than make smaller changes, with the intention of creating a more coherent environment connected to the Japanese pagoda already located nearby.
Hikari will resemble a busy Japanese street, with narrow passages, buildings of different heights and architectural styles, illuminated signs and spaces arranged across several levels. The layout avoids long, uninterrupted sightlines, helping the relatively compact area appear larger and encouraging visitors to explore it gradually.
“We decided not to copy Japan, but develop an interpretation inspired by Japanese culture and street life,” Tivoli’s design and development director Rasmus Altenborg told Blooloop.
Danish and Japanese architects and designers participated in the development. Tivoli also created a reference group of five experts from Denmark and Japan, who advised the park on architecture, literature, food, signage, colours and other cultural details.
The area includes materials imported from Japan, including reclaimed doors, vintage objects and 60 tonnes of traditional roof tiles produced by Japanese manufacturers Tsuruya and Eishirou Kawara. Its landscaping features bamboo, Japanese azaleas, ginkgo trees and a sculpted pine.
An original artwork by Japanese artist Takashi Murakami will also be displayed in the district.
Two new rides and a redesigned roller coaster
The new area will contain three attractions, including two built specifically for Hikari.
Hotel Hikari is a family-oriented walkthrough attraction beginning inside what appears to be a hotel lift. Visitors then move through environments featuring mechanical illusions, a vortex tunnel, a tilted room and an infinity mirror maze.
The Typhoon’s Eye is a rotating drum ride in which centrifugal force holds passengers against the wall as the floor moves away. Tivoli describes it as the only attraction of its type in Scandinavia.
The existing Demon roller coaster has also received a complete visual redesign. Its track runs above the district and has been integrated into the streetscape like an elevated urban railway. The ride itself remains unchanged, but its new visual identity is inspired partly by the maneki-neko, the Japanese beckoning cat associated with luck and protection.
According to Tivoli’s official Hikari presentation, the district will therefore include three rides, five food venues and two shops.
Japanese food and programmable lighting
Food and public spaces form a central part of the project. Five covered street-food venues will serve Japanese-inspired dishes, snacks and drinks, with concepts developed in cooperation with Danish restaurant operators.
The redesigned district also includes additional seating and new toilets. These changes are intended to encourage visitors to remain in the area rather than treat it only as a passage between attractions.
Lighting will change throughout the day and during Tivoli’s different seasonal programmes. Many signs have been included primarily as visual elements rather than as advertising for actual businesses, reinforcing the impression of a dense urban street.
“The new themed area Hikari is not intended as a nostalgic reconstruction of Japan,” Tivoli said in a statement reported by Blooloop. “Instead, it is a contemporary interpretation inspired by Japanese architectural, landscape and urban design principles.”
A major investment in Tivoli’s future
Founded in 1843, Tivoli Gardens is one of the world’s oldest operating amusement parks and remains one of Copenhagen’s main cultural and tourist landmarks.
Its limited central-city site covers around 80,000 square metres, preventing the park from expanding outwards. New developments therefore depend on redesigning existing spaces and increasing their capacity through architecture, multiple levels and more efficient visitor circulation.
Hikari reflects that strategy. Tivoli’s official website currently describes the opening as scheduled for late summer 2026, while material provided to the specialist press indicates that visitors are expected to enter the area during August.
The development also illustrates how Tivoli is trying to balance its historical identity with contemporary themed entertainment. Rather than reproducing a conventional temple district, Hikari combines traditional materials, modern Japanese pop culture and Tivoli’s established approach to scenery, lighting and live performance.
For Copenhagen, the investment strengthens an attraction that plays an important role in the city’s international tourism offer. Its reception will also show whether one of Europe’s oldest amusement parks can introduce a large immersive development without losing the distinctive character built over almost two centuries.
