The key facts

  • More than a million lights, 24 light installations and six world premieres along a three-kilometre trail
  • The centrepiece is The Electric Light Symphony by the Victorian Palm House: fountains, lasers and projections
  • The trail runs from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, with sensory-friendly sessions and evenings for visitors aged 18+ planned

Light trail opens at Kew Gardens

On 12 November, Kew Gardens in London held a preview of the annual winter event Christmas at Kew: more than a million lights illuminated the grounds, where visitors are greeted by a three-kilometre trail featuring 24 light installations, six of which are being shown for the first time in the world. The trail is open to visitors from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027.

What visitors will see

The organisers call The Electric Light Symphony the centrepiece of the season — the finale staged by the Victorian Palm House, where jets of water dance to coloured lasers and projections; by their description, it is the largest fountain show in the UK. Among the other installations are the returning Fire Garden with real fire and glowing sculptures, the Star and Snowflake Gobo Walk with artificial snow above an illuminated path, and the audiovisual work New Life, New Love, New Dawn set against the historic Temperate House, featuring glowing flora, fungi and kaleidoscopic tunnels.

Installations and programme

Notable works include Light Rain by the studio ITHACA, which turns the garden's Turkish oak into a shimmering waterfall of lights suspended from its branches. Also announced are the illuminated Christmas Cathedral, the colourful Bubble Walk, the installation Where Flowers Wait, and a traditional fairground area with a vintage carousel. The curators note that this season, large-scale light works are combined with the garden's valuable trees and historic buildings.

Practical details

The event, considered one of London's flagship festive attractions and drawing thousands of visitors after sunset every evening, runs until 3 January 2027. Sensory-friendly sessions and evenings for visitors aged 18 and over are scheduled for selected dates.