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Sovereign Hill’s multi-million dollar sound and light show, Blood on the Southern Cross, will end its run on Sunday 29th July, as the outdoor museum gets ready to re-launch the show in 2019.

Since the show started in 1993, over 10,000 shows have been performed and in excess of 1.9 million people have ventured into the night to see the story of the Eureka Rebellion, a dramatic battle between gold miners and Government forces at Ballarat on 3 December 1854.

Set under the night skies at Sovereign Hill, Blood on the Southern Cross involves no actors – just voices, dazzling sound-and-light effects and a stunning open-air set. Visitors travel across the site on a comfortable transporter and view much of the action from the re-created Free Trade Hotel on the Eureka Diggings.

Some of the dramatic fire effects in the burning of Bentley’s Eureka Hotel were the first ever attempted in Australia on a regular basis, and more than 110 kilometres of electrical control and fibre optic cable are buried underground in order to stage the show – enough to stretch from Ballarat to Melbourne.

The production also features state-of-the-art lighting and amazing special effects. Peter Lalor is larger than life on an aqua screen, images of trapeze artists and acrobats fly across a huge circus tent, the Eureka Hotel bursts into flame, and rain falls in a blinding storm.

“Blood on the Southern Cross tells the most incredible story of a defining moment in the development of democracy in Australia; that of the Eureka Stockade. We’ve seen almost two million visitors come from all over the world to witness our dynamic show over the past two decades,” says Sovereign Hill’s Interim CEO, Terry Lloyd.  “We’d encourage visitors to book in for their chance to see the show in its final season,”

Blood on the Southern Crosses’ final season will end on July 29th. The show will run each night, and bookings are essential and can be made by calling (03) 5337 1199. Ticket prices are $59.50 for Adults, $47.60 for concession, and $31.80 for children. Packages that include the show and dinner are also available.

Once the final Blood on the Southern Cross season has ended, Sovereign Hill will introduce new lamplight tours each evening, where Main Street and the goldfields will come alive under the night sky with, illuminated streets throughout the grounds.  The new sound and light show will then re-launch in 2019, with the revamp being led by Andrew Walsh, who has delivered Melbourne’s White Night and Olympic Games opening and closing ceremonies. Blood on the Southern Cross has been supported over the years by the Victorian State Government, particularly through Regional Development Victoria, whose generous support enables Sovereign Hill to redevelop the new sound and light experience.