Nashville Christmas event canceled after Chinese workers denied visa

Light installations are illuminated during the 31st Zigong International Dinosaur Lantern Festival on April 30, 2025, in Zigong, Sichuan province, China.

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Nashville Zoo has announced the cancellation of its annual Zoolumination festival after visa applications for Chinese artisans who build the attraction were denied.

The zoo said on Wednesday that the festival, which it described as the nation’s largest lantern festival, would not go ahead for the November 2026-27 season because members of its longtime production partner, InLight Festival Group, were unable to obtain visas to travel to Tennessee.

The cancellation follows a similar lantern festival cancellation in Des Moines, Iowa, earlier this year after Chinese workers were denied visas, highlighting broader challenges some cultural and seasonal events have faced in bringing international artists to the United States.

Neither the zoo nor InLight has publicly disclosed how many artisans were affected or what visa category was involved, but the denials come amid a Trump administration crackdown on some visa programs.

Newsweek has contacted the U.S. State Department and InLight for comment via email.

In a statement, the zoo said visa applications submitted for artists working with InLight Festival Group had been denied, leaving organizers unable to proceed with the event.

“Nashville Zoo is disappointed to announce the cancellation of Zoolumination for 2026 due to visa issues affecting our event partner, InLight Festival Group,” the zoo said.

According to the zoo, efforts to find an alternative solution were unsuccessful. The artists typically travel from Zigong, China, to construct the hundreds of large-scale illuminated displays featured throughout the attraction.

Since debuting in Nashville in 2019, Zoolumination has become a major holiday attraction, featuring more than 1,000 handmade silk lanterns and drawing visitors throughout the winter season.

When approached by Newsweek, Nashville Zoo declined to comment beyond its initial announcement.

The displays are produced through a partnership with InLight Festival Group, an international lantern festival company that works with zoos, parks and attractions around the world. The company says it has staged dozens of festivals across multiple countries.

The lanterns are constructed by specialist artisans from Zigong, a city in China’s Sichuan province known internationally for its centuries-old lantern-making traditions. Nashville Zoo said the event’s scale depended on the expertise of these craftspeople, who travel to the United States to assemble the displays.

While Zoolumination has been canceled, Nashville Zoo said it would launch an alternative holiday event called Glow Wild.

The replacement attraction is set to feature illuminated wildlife displays, festive installations and an 85-foot synchronized Christmas tree. The event is scheduled to run from November 13 to January 3, 2027.

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Original Article: Nashville Christmas event canceled after Chinese workers denied visa