Glow Wild at Kew Wakehurst returns for Christmas 2026 with its biggest light trail yet. Running on selected evenings from 26 November 2026 to 2 January 2027, this year’s Sussex winter attraction takes visitors from polar landscapes to glowing forests, giant creatures and an illuminated Wakehurst Mansion.
1. A giant iceberg will tower over the trail
One of the headline installations is an illuminated iceberg standing almost five metres high, making it the tallest lantern ever created for Glow Wild. Artist Kerith Ogden’s polar landscape will also contain 68 penguins and 1,000 fish, accompanied by an Aurora Australis-inspired light display.
2. More than 2,000 handmade lanterns will light up Wakehurst
The botanic garden will be transformed by over 2,000 handcrafted lanterns, depicting plants, animals and landscapes. Around 140kg of willow has been used in the creations, with more than 200 volunteers contributing to the event.
3. Look out for giant horses, penguins and a moon-collecting creature
This year’s trail has some wonderfully unusual installations. Visitors can see giant shire horses woven from hazel, interactive Antarctic penguin puppets and a huge Arctic owl.
There is also The Moonbeam Gatherer, a half-hare, half-human character imagined collecting reflections from the moon with a wooden rake.
4. Wakehurst Mansion becomes part of the show
The finale sees the historic Wakehurst Mansion transformed by artist Amanda Duncan’s new projection, Murmurations. Birds, fish, insects, stars and seeds move across the façade, alongside LED displays, laser projections and other immersive effects.
5. Tickets start from £12.70
Dates: Selected evenings, 26 November 2026 – 2 January 2027
Where: Kew Wakehurst, Sussex
Entry: From 4pm
Tickets: From £12.70 including booking fee
Under 4s: Free
There are also relaxed sessions each evening, selected reduced-sensory sessions and new flexible anytime-any-day tickets. Pre-booking is essential.
Book Glow Wild at Kew Wakehurst:
https://www.kew.org/glowwild
With a record-breaking iceberg, thousands of glowing lanterns and some genuinely unusual new artworks, Glow Wild at Kew Wakehurst 2026 looks set to be one of Sussex’s standout Christmas light trails this winter.
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