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May 28, 2025

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If you’re the kind of family who enjoys a fiendishly good fright, or if you want a dastardly date night – batten down the hatches because FEAR ISLAND is coming!

This June, Cockatoo Island awakens as a terrifying nightmare. Starting on Friday the 13th, and running over the weekend, prepare to be plunged into a world of chilling thrills and unexpected horrors. 

Are you brave enough to face the darkness? 

Dare to set foot on historic Cockatoo Island, a place where the veil between worlds feels thinner than usual, especially as Friday the 13th arrives. While Sydney comes alive this weekend, Cockatoo Island brings a different kind of energy entirely with its two terrifying haunted tunnels, The Haunted and The Asylum – places where the boundary between the living and the dead doesn’t just blur, it actively seeks to ensnare you.

Prepare to be swallowed whole by an immersive experience that twists familiar landmarks into a heart-stopping playground of fear. Every step will leave you breathless, every shadow will play tricks on your mind, and every corner could conceal a pulse-pounding encounter. 

Escape the clutches of the haunted tunnels, but the fear doesn’t end there. Discover a whole island teeming with spine-tingling delights, where Cockatoo Island’s sinister secrets feel even more unsettling under the shadow of Friday the 13th. Let its dark history send an extra chill down your spine. 

Warning: FEAR ISLAND’s later hours deliver heart-pounding terror not suitable for those under 18. As the night deepens, so does the dread.

  • Mild sessions are 4 to 5:30 on Saturday and Sunday 
  • Scary Sessions 5 to 6:30 on Friday and 6 to 7:15 on Saturday 
  • Terrifying sessions 7 to 8:30 pm on Friday, 7:45 to 8:30 on Saturday and 6 to 7 on Sunday

Forget those predictable haunted houses! FEAR ISLAND isn’t just a visit; it’s an interactive nightmare in which you become part of the story. Face your deepest fears as special effects, live scare actors, and unexpected horrors assault your senses – you never know what (or who) is lurking around the next corner. 

When you emerge from the darkness, keep the thrills going with expert special effect makeup demos that will leave your friends screaming, catch a chilling flick on the outdoor cinema (Friday only, 7 pm) or learn Michael Jackson’s iconic Thriller dance and own the dance floor with moves that’ll raise the dead.

Don’t miss your chance to win bone-chilling prizes – tokens to commemorate your survival of an unforgettable night of fear and fun on FEAR ISLAND! Get into the spirit by dressing up in your scariest costume; show us what truly haunts your nightmares. We encourage you to join the fun, but it’s not mandatory. Brave guests who face the deepest terrors will also have the opportunity to preserve their genuinely frightened faces with complimentary TERRIFIED Tunnel photos – proof you made it out alive.

With tickets starting at just $25 for under 13 and $40 for adults, plus easy access by chartered event ferries every 20 minutes from Parramatta and Circular Quay, FEAR ISLAND is the ultimate experience for families of all ages. Get your tickets online today.

  • Oh no thanks. Something like this is not for me as I really dont enjoy being scared. I have breathing issues so getting a fright alters my breathing straight away and I end up struggling to breathe which is no fun at all.
    My two younest daughters would love this

    Reply

  • This really doesn’t appeal to me, and I don’t think my kids would like it very much either. However, I can see how some kids would like it. I’d be careful about the under 13s though – it could easily be overwhelming for them. Still, parents know what their kids can handle.

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  • i can’t say this is my cup of tea, i am not into experiences like this but for those who are, it sounds like it would be a worthwhile experience. It does’t look too expensive either which is great as most things these days are costly and over priced. Terrified tunnels are not my thing.

    Reply

  • I wonder how much scarier the terrifying sessions are lol. It’s a great place to host something like this and seems very reasonably priced. There seems to be a lot going on that weekend and all popping up at short notice. I’m sure this will be a big hit and grow annually.

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  • Oh i could actually never do something like this. My heart definitely can’t take any kind of spooky, horror in real life yet alone in movies! I’ll definitely be leaving this activity for the brave and ones that enjoy the thrill. This one is definitely out of my comfort zone lol

    Reply

  • This actually looks super fun. All my kids absolutely love Halloween and look forward to it every year so I can imagine that they would really get a kick out of something like this. Unfortunately we are a bit far from Sydney to attend but if we weren’t id definitely be interested.

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  • I do like thriller books and thriller movies, but never likes horror books and horror movies a lot. Although I understand this is not just a movie but a whole experience with live zombie actors & tunnel walk through, outdoor cinama, food trucks, sound scapes & visual effects, special effect make up, a thriller dance session and prizes too ! so this might be fun to check out. We’re not close to Sydney though

    Reply

  • I used the link in the article to find out more about the immersive nightmare experience. It is still not an experience for me but learning the thriller dance would indeed be a whole lot of fun. It would be a good time to learn this iconic dance in a large group of people.

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  • Eeeek! I’m scared just thinking about it!

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  • I am not sure how I would feel about this experience. I don’t mind a good dose of history and the odd jump scare, but this sounds positively terrifying and I am not really into anything involving the undead or ghosts, etc. It certainly looks like it wouldn’t be the best thing for kids.

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  • I do like to read books and watch movies from across a variety of genres; including horror. This experience; however; is not appealing to me. It will no doubt appeal to fans of this type of immersive experience. I am glad there is an age restriction on attending the event; very wise.

    Reply

  • This sounds like it would be so much fun! I went to Fright Night at movie world when I was in my early 20s and absolutely loved getting scared out of my pants! The after hours experience would be intense. I’d be near tears the whole time, but that’s the fun of it

    Reply

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