The Dark Knight’s 80th birthday means built-in entertainment for groups.
To mark the 80th anniversary of Batman, DC Comics recently kicked off a global commemoration of the “World’s Greatest Detective.” Celebrations started at Austin’s SXSW in March when more than 1.5 million bats took flight over the city’s famous Congress Bridge. Under the campaign’s tagline #LongLiveTheBat, Batman will continue to be honored through Batman Day in September when the Bat-Signal lights up in major cities worldwide.
Taking full advantage of Batman’s birthday, Malaysia’s Resorts World Genting, which caters to MICE groups, is planning a variety of themed entertainment at its SkyAvenue venue, including the world’s first Batman SkySymphony show. As part of the extravaganza, 1,001 winch balls will transform into various versions of the Batman emblem. Simultaneously, large 360-degree LED screens that surround the area will feature graphics from different eras throughout the 80 years of Batman’s history. The show will be played at various times daily from May 10 to July 10.
In addition, attendees can take photos with a life-size statue of Batman, replica statues of the Batmobile from the 1989 Tim Burton-directed “Batman” film, and with the Batmobile from 2016’s “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” all at Level 1 of SkyAvenue. Level 3 of SkyAvenue will feature ‘chibi’ replica statues including the Joker and Poison Ivy among others. Chibi is a Japanese word describing characters depicted in a cute and exaggerated way.
Attendees can also watch a Batman live show and attend a Batman meet & greet, on selected dates at the Times Square Stage or take part in a cosplay event June 28– 30 or July 5 – 7. There will also be traditional wayang kulit art at SkyAvenue, which is a shadow puppet performance.
Other Batman events around the world include:
- During Batman Day on Sept. 21, the Bat-Signal will light up in major cities worldwide, alongside a wide array of celebrations, including interactive photo opportunities, live music, food, games and more. Attendees can also join races in costume during a series of 5K and 10K runs in select cities.
- Warner Bros. theme parks across the globe, including Warner Bros. Movie World Australia, Parque Warner Madrid and Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, will host Batman 80th anniversary events.
- Madame Tussauds locations in Orlando and Sydney will unveil interactive experiences, photo opportunities and special merchandise in September.
- In May, collectible art boutique MONDO will host a curated anniversary exhibit at its Austin gallery celebrating iconic Batman cover art throughout the years.
The global touring exhibition “The Art Of The Brick: Dc Super Heroes” will celebrate the Dark Knight with a special Batman edition, beginning this September in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
