PHILADELPHIA, PA — Giant tortoises, big cats and colorful birds will become an unusually wild concert audience when viral musician PLUMES brings his signature pink guitar to Philadelphia Zoo for a series of intimate performances this August.
Loris Assadian, known to millions of social media followers as PLUMES, will make his first appearance at a U.S. zoo during a four-day visit beginning Tuesday, Aug. 18. Known for performing music for animals, the artist uses those encounters to draw attention to wildlife and the importance of protecting the natural world.
Philadelphia Zoo is incorporating the performances into its animal enrichment program, which gives animals opportunities to encounter new experiences intended to exercise their bodies and minds.
“We are excited to welcome PLUMES to America’s first Zoo as his first visit to any American zoo,” said Rachel Metz, vice president of animal wellbeing and conservation. “Part of the Zoo’s comprehensive animal care program includes daily enrichment to exercise our animals’ bodies and minds.”
Metz said the program also incorporates novel experiences, adding that the Zoo is looking forward to seeing how animals respond when PLUMES performs for them.
The musician will begin rehearsing and playing at various habitats Tuesday, Aug. 18. Regular Zoo visitors and members on Aug. 18 and 19 may catch glimpses of those performances as they explore the grounds.
The experience becomes more intimate Aug. 20 and 21 with limited-ticket “When Animals Listen: A Rare Encounter with PLUMES” sessions featuring performances for giant tortoises, birds inside Wings of the World and big cats.
Each ticketed encounter includes an intimate musical performance, an up-close animal experience following the performance, an opportunity to meet PLUMES and a souvenir T-shirt.
Sessions are scheduled for 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 20, with giant tortoises, Wings of the World and big cats featured respectively. Additional encounters with giant tortoises and Wings of the World are scheduled for 10 a.m. and noon Friday, Aug. 21.
Tickets begin at $125. Guests can save $25 when purchasing two sessions or $50 when purchasing all three.
The visit also launches Philadelphia Zoo’s four-week End-of-Summer Spectacular, running from Aug. 18 through Sept. 13. The seasonal lineup includes Summer Ale Fest, a new Teddy Bear Picnic featuring the Berenstain Bears, a new Philadelphia Zoo Car Show presented by Pep Boys, a new Philadelphia Zoo Art Festival and a new Philadelphia Zoo After Hours event presented by Surfside.
Event Details
- What: When Animals Listen: A Rare Encounter with PLUMES
- When: Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m.; Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, at 10 a.m. and noon
- Where: Philadelphia Zoo, 3400 W. Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19104
- Cost/Tickets: Tickets begin at $125. Save $25 when purchasing two sessions or $50 when purchasing all three. Availability is limited.
- More Info: philadelphiazoo.org
The Zoo is also planning “When Animals Listen: An Evening with PLUMES,” an after-hours experience featuring cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, desserts and intimate musical performances for the animals. Premium tickets will be limited to preserve the smaller-scale atmosphere.
Proceeds from the ticketed PLUMES experiences support Philadelphia Zoo and its work involving animal care, wildlife conservation and connecting visitors with the natural world.
For an artist whose audience is often measured in millions online, the Philadelphia performances will offer something decidedly different: a chance to see whether a tortoise, big cat or bird stops to listen.
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