May 2012 opening for Madame Tussauds Sydney

The Merlin Entertainment Group has announced that Madame Tussauds Sydney will open at the Aquarium Wharf in the city's Darling Harbour precinct in May next year.

The first ever attraction of its kind to launch in Australia, Madame Tussauds Sydney will be sited alongside Merlin's other family attractions the Sydney Aquarium and, the soon-to-be-rebranded, WILD LIFE Sydney.

The hugely successful Madame Tussauds brand will offer a "celebrity experience" with Australian celebrity figures set to be displayed next to international figures. Australian stars including Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman will be featured alongside other international celbrities such as Johnny Depp and Lady Gaga; as well as politicians, literary and sports stars and many others.

The latest attraction will reflect Maddame Tussaud's 200 years of expertise and research, with each figure crafted with both a high level of artistry and accuracy. Most contemporary figures are also produced following sittings with the celebrities themselves - and talks are already well advanced with a number of Australian icons. Extensive research into producing wax figures includes hundreds of separate measurements, hours matching skin tone, eye and hair colour - with every individual hair inserted separately.

Celebrities and film studio wardrobe departments often supply clothing for their figures to Madame Tussauds, or designers will reproduce significant or iconic outfits as exact replicas.

Costing $14 million and featuring 1,800 metres2 of space, the new Madame Tussauds Sydney in Darling Harbour is the latest addition to Merlin's four newly acquired attractions - Sydney Aquarium and Oceanworld Manly, and the soon to be relaunched WILD LIFE Sydney and Sydney Tower Eye, which is set to offer endless entertaining and interactive fun for both locals and visitors alike.

Madame Tussauds Sydney will be the 13th Madame Tussauds in the world and fifth in Asia Pacific - joining its highly successful sister attractions in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Bangkok.

A short term travelling exhibition is also due to open soon in Tokyo.

1st July 2011 - MERLIN ENTERTAINMENTS LOOKS TO PROTECT GLOBAL BRANDS

2nd April 2011 - MERLIN TO OPEN NEW ATTRACTIONS IN BANGKOK AND SYDNEY

10th March 2011 - MERLIN COMPLETES SYDNEY ATTRACTIONS GROUP PURCHASE

21st December 2009 - MADAME TUSSAUDS TO OPEN IN BANGKOK 

28th October 2008 - NEW RIDE FOR SYDNEY TOWER