Christmas at Kew makes a joyful return this November to showcase a host of new installations and world premieres, giving visitors a chance to see Kew Gardens’ spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Site in a new light. A festive favourite since 2013, Christmas at Kew has been the inspiration for a plethora of other festive light trails across the country, celebrating the best of nature by night and providing opportunities to create magical memories of the festive season. The trail brings Kew’s extraordinary natural architecture to life, and this year will feature perennial favourites including towering pea lit trees, a festive funfair and the charming Christmas Cathedral.
World Premieres and New Installations
This year’s trail will also boast two world premieres, with bespoke new installations on display to visitors for the first time anywhere in the world as part of Christmas at Kew. Ombre by TILT is a series of giant plants in bloom, sprouting up from the landscape in a spectrum of vivid shades. Threshold by Studio Vertigo is an illuminated helix-like shape, bathed in golden light to reflect the warmth and joy of the festive season.
Camellia Walk will be transformed into a snowy lane, showcasing the sensational tree canopy and educing a wintery wonderland at the beginning of the trail. Other highlights include Fish are Jumping by Dutch artists TOER and Mist Arches by Culture Creative, creating a festive atmospheric ambience across Kew’s Lake Crossing.
Festive favourites
Other highlights on the trail include perennial favourites such as the breathtaking light show on the Temperate House, captivating Fire Garden and seasonal selfie-spot Christmas Cathedral. Many of Kew’s striking plants and trees will be lit up along the route, allowing visitors to soak up the spectacle of nature from a new perspective and bask in bright colour as twilight falls. The much-loved Palm House finale will return for 2024, showcasing Kew’s iconic glasshouse in breathtaking style.
To add an extra sprinkle of magic to the Christmas at Kew experience, visitors can book a delicious traditional Christmas dinner at The Botanical Brasserie. There is also a selection of delicious food and drink from independent street food vendors available to purchase along the route.
Sustainability at Christmas at Kew
As part of Kew’s 2021-2030 Sustainability Strategy, every year Kew works closely with its Christmas at Kew event partners and suppliers to design and deliver a memorable Christmas light trail in a way that is as sustainable as possible - and every year improvements are made to achieve a lower impact Christmas at Kew event. In 2005, Kew Gardens became the first World Heritage Site in the world to receive ISO 14001 accreditation - an internationally agreed standard for environmental management, which helps organisations to improve their environmental performance through more considered use of resources and reduction of waste. This year all Christmas at Kew generators are being run on renewably sourced biofuel, and where possible, all lighting on the trail is LED.
Christmas at Kew is always a much-anticipated annual highlight, and this year promises to be a truly magical seasonal spectacle, with brand-new installations alongside firm favourites that have become iconic parts of the Christmas at Kew experience.
Dates: Christmas at Kew runs on selected dates from Wednesday 13 November 2024 to Sunday 5 January 2025.
