Wakehurst celebrates 10 years of Glow Wild
Sussex’s original winter lantern experience returns with awe-inspiring anniversary trail celebrating the power of community and collaboration.
Release date: 17 July 2023
- Select evenings: Thursday 23 November 2023 – Monday 1 January 2024
- Entry slots available between 4.30pm and 8.20pm
- Tickets from £15.50 adult/£12 child; Children under 4yrs free
- Tickets on sale now: www.kew.org/glowwild
- Wakehurst, Sussex
New installations and highlights include:
- One of UK’s largest outdoor art installations Planet Wakehurst by Catherine Nelson brought to life through series of mesmerising projections created by Colour Project and carpet of fire from And:Now
- Giant illuminated whale with 3m high tail by OGE Group crafted in collaboration with Camelia Botnar Foundation metalwork apprentices
- Stunning sea of stars and epic thunder clouds from lantern experts Same Sky celebrate the vastness of the skies
- Towering woven tree from Brockman & Page forms ancient mother tree to 17 ‘offspring’, all handmade by local schools
- Kerith Ogden’s ‘It’s a small world’ series of enchanting tiny villages and Michelle Dufaur’s delicately crafted seahorse lanterns highlight the beauty of the miniscule
- UK’s tallest living Christmas tree heralds the festive season standing at 37m tall adorned with 1800 energy-saving light bulbs
- Opening week special ticket promotion plus new flexible ticket offer allows date swaps and upgrades up to 72 hours before visit
- Series of new sessions for adult-only nights, quiet experiences, and relaxed slots adapted for children with special educational needs and disabilities
Marking a milestone 10 years, Glow Wild lights up Kew’s wild botanic garden, bringing festive magic and wonder to the South East with 10 new installations and myriad hand-crafted lanterns. Celebrated as a must-do Christmas experience, the 2023 edition of the winter lantern trail marks a decade of mesmerising memories and community spirit.
This year’s theme invites visitors to reflect on the awe-inspiring moments in the natural world – from epic examples of wildlife to delicate details of plants and fungi. In true Glow Wild tradition, over 1000 lanterns are handmade by local volunteers and community groups, with the tenth anniversary mile-long trail also boasting eight brand new bespoke installations from leading artists.
This year offers a new interactive experience with Wakehurst’s ‘Starkeeper’ from Long Nose Puppets. Visitors young and young at heart are invited to make a wish on a star to hang in the ‘sky forest’ before they continue their journey. Other friendly faces can be found in giant parading peacock, Percy who give a glowing welcome to all entering the gardens.
Beyond the dazzling creations, new to Glow Wild this year is a refreshed catering offer, with pop-up stalls throughout the trail offering comfortable dwelling points to admire installations whilst enjoying hot drinks and snacks. Crackling fire pits located close to the Starkeeper form the perfect spot for toasting marshmallows, whilst festive grab and go options can be found under the UK’s tallest living Christmas tree, the towering 37m stalwart of Wakehurst’s festive offer adorned in 1800 energy-saving bulbs.
Quiet Sessions are available every night at 4.15pm, whilst a series of Relaxed Sessions offer gentle performances adapted especially for children with special educational needs and disabilities. For those looking for the perfect date-night, adult-only slots will run each Friday at 8pm offering a quieter, more intimate experience.
In recognition of the strains faced by many during the ongoing cost of living crisis, Wakehurst has released accessible priced tickets from £11.50 for the opening week of Glow Wild and hopes this, combined with its free tickets for under 4-year-olds, helps families as they prepare for the festive season. The new flexible ticket offer allows bookers to swap or upgrade tickets up to 72 hours before their visit – available for new and existing bookings.
Glow Wild 2023 installations
A magical realm
As winter wanderers descend towards Wakehurst’s wild gardens, towering yellow and white wildflowers and giant blades of grass form a prairie-inspired portal into the world of Glow Wild. Crafted by artists Kerith Ogden, Michelle Dufaur and Katherine Morton in collaboration with local volunteers, the glowing meadow gives visitors the sensation of shrinking as plump pollinator lanterns buzz above. The dazzling sunshine colours turn a fiery hue as visitors approach Mansion Pond where AndNow’s signature flaming torches encircle the calm waters. Dynamic circular rings of light floating on the surface ripple as dancing fish lanterns appear to leap and dive above.
Around the corner, visitors are greeted by Wakehurst’s Starkeeper, the guardian of wishes made upon beautifully hand-crafted stars. After whispering their wishes, people are invited to hang their star in the ‘sky forest’ to help light their onward journey. In contrast to the dynamic displays of flowers and fires, Kerith Ogden’s ‘It’s a small world’ draws attention to the tiny, in a series of mini-villages. Forming a dreamscape forest, visitors young and old will delight in spotting miniature doors and windows nestled within trunks and branches.
Wonders of water
Emerging from fire and earth, intrepid travellers encounter the wonders of air and water as Brighton-based arts charity Same Sky in collaboration with artist Katherine Morton turn their focus to the skies with lanterns taking the form of shimmering rain droplets, billowing clouds, and thundery bolts of lightning.
A crescendo of crashing waves draws attention from lofty heights to deep water, as designers OGE Group take inspiration from the ocean in Glow Wild’s largest bespoke installation in its decade-long run. A giant whale complete with 3m high tail dominates the underwater scene whilst jelly fish serenely float above. Created locally by metalwork apprentices from the Camelia Botnar Foundation, led by OGE artist Gason Zahr, the whale celebrates the giants of the sea. Alongside the path leading through the watery oasis, Michelle Dufaur invites visitors to consider the spectacle of smaller submarine inhabitants with her delicately crafted seahorse and ammonite shell lanterns.
Enchanting nature
In Wakehurst’s Iris Dell, an abundance of willow tree structures form Brockman Page’s ‘Woven Grove’. At its heart is an ancient mother tree, its branches and leaves cascading over 17 offspring, all nestled in the quiet glade, beautifully lit by Ben Page and enriched with a sweeping soundscape from Ithaca. Each small tree has been handwoven by local school children under Brockman Page’s expert guidance, an enchanting display of community creativity. At the end of Glow Wild, each tree will be returned to its origin school, where it will serve as a testament to the power of collaboration and inspire future creatives and horticulturalists.
Approaching Black Pond, visitors are immersed in a magnificent constellation of over 300 stars, one of the original Glow Wild lantern concepts reimagined for the tenth anniversary.
Approaching the historic Elizabethan Mansion, currently wrapped in one of the UK’s largest outdoor artworks as the heritage building undergoes a major roof restoration, AndNow’s burning flames light the lawns in a fiery finale. Catherine Nelson’s Planet Wakehurst, a 1500m2 photo montage celebrating Wakehurst’s biodiversity is brought to life by digital artists Colour Project.
The animated installation invites spectators to reflect on the last ten years of Glow Wild, the memories formed by visitors of all ages, and the collective efforts to create magical moments of wonder and connection. It also offers hope for the future of the natural world, a chance to consider the human role in protecting the planet, and anticipation for the next chapter.
At the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, we’re dedicated to harnessing the power of plants and fungi to end the extinction crisis and secure a future for all life on Earth. With Kew’s world-leading research, global partnerships and beloved gardens – home to the world’s most diverse collections of plants and fungi – we’re using our trusted voice to shape policy and practice worldwide. As a charity we rely on the critical support of our visitors, not only to sustain the gardens, but to protect global plant and fungal biodiversity for the benefit of our planet and humanity.
ENDS
For more information or images, please contact Frances Teehan f.teehan@kew.org / wakehurstpr@kew.org, Nicola Jeffs nj@nicolajeffs.com / 07794 694 754, or Siobhan Scott ss@nicolajeffs.com
Ticket information
Tickets onsale here: kew.org/glowwild
Entry time slots every 20 minutes between 4.30pm and 8.20pm on the following dates:
- Thursday 23 November – Sunday 26 November
- Thursday 30 December – Sunday 3 December
- Wednesday 6 December - Sunday 10 December
- Tuesday 12 December – Sunday 23 December
- Wednesday 27 December – Monday 1 January 2024
Quiet Session slots will be every night at 4.15pm, then 12 time slots every 20 mins, between 4.30pm – 8pm
8pm slots on Fridays during Glow Wild are reserved for 18+ only: 24 November and 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29 December .
Relaxed Sessions on 7, 15, 19 and 22 December. These will include gentle performances, adapted especially for children with special educational needs and disabilities, like Autism Spectrum Disorder and/or sensory processing needs.
On Glow Wild event days gardens close at 3pm (last entry 2pm), event ends at 10pm.
Ticket prices
- Adult: £19
- Children (4 - 16): £12
- Family (2 adults & 2 children): £60
- Wakehurst or Kew member - Adult: £15.50
- Wakehurst or Kew member - Family (2 adults & 2 children): £50
- Infants (under 4s) and Essential Companion: Free
- Accessible pricing (23 to 26 November): From £11.50
Swap/upgrade tickets up to 72 hours before visit.
Lantern making kit: £4.95
Car parking is free.
Shuttle bus from Haywards Heath station: £6.50 Adult Return and £3.25 Child Return.
Only disability assistance dogs are allowed in the gardens on a short lead.
Notes to Editors
Please note that Wakehurst is referred to just as ‘Wakehurst’, not ‘Wakehurst Place’. It is not a National Trust property.
- Address: Wakehurst, Ardingly, Haywards Heath, Sussex, RH17 6TN
- Website: www.kew.org/wakehurst
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/wakehurst.kew
- Twitter: @wakehurst_kew
- Instagram: @wakehurst_kew
- Hashtag: #GlowWild
Wakehurst is Kew’s wild botanic garden in the Sussex High Weald. Its ancient and beautiful landscapes span 535 acres and are a place for escape, exploration, tranquillity and wonder. Its diverse collection of plants from Britain and around the globe thrive within a tapestry of innovative gardens, temperate woodlands, meadows and wetlands. Wakehurst is a centre for UK biodiversity and global conservation, seed research and ecosystem science. At its heart is Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank, the world’s largest store of seeds from wild plant species.
RBG Kew receives approximately one third of its funding from Government through the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and research councils. Further funding needed to support RBG Kew’s vital work comes from donors, membership and commercial activity including ticket sales. In the first six months of 2022, Kew welcomed over 10,000 visitors with a £1 ticket for those in receipt of Universal Credit, Pension Credit and Legacy Benefits.