Christmas at Kew returns with never-before-seen installations
The UK’s original festive light trail returns to Kew Gardens in London.
Wednesday 15 November 2023 – Sunday 7 January 2024.
Release date: 11 October 2023
- Eight installations make their UK debut
- Kew asks visitors to do ‘One Small Thing’ to support biodiversity and help protect plants
- New installation will feature for the first time with Brand Partner John Lewis
- Brand new displays include 3m high illuminated flowers, cascading lights suspended from the tree canopy and one of the longest light tunnels to ever feature at Christmas at Kew
- Highlights include the iconic Palm House light show and a ‘Fire Garden’ lighting up the Temperate House
Brand-new installations will showcase Kew Gardens in a whole new light, as the UK’s original festive light trail returns to the world-famous botanic gardens in London this November.
Since the inaugural Christmas at Kew trail in 2013, this unique event has paved the way for festive displays across the country. This year’s trail is a celebration of nature by night, bringing Kew’s incredible natural architecture to life. Visitors can expect the return of seasonal favourites alongside immersive new installations, eight of which are making their UK debut. Not to be missed, Christmas at Kew is an enchanting seasonal experience for everyone to enjoy.
New installations for 2023
This Christmas, Kew is asking visitors to do One Small Thing. Illuminated illustrations inspired by the natural world will combine with evocative messaging, encouraging visitors to make a small change and help protect the environment. This mirrors Kew’s mission, to understand and protect plants and fungi for the wellbeing of people and the future of all life on Earth. Since the first festive trail in 2013, the Christmas at Kew team have been looking at ways to deliver a more sustainable light trail, and our 2022 trail used 50% less power than in 2021.
For the first time, Kew’s iconic contemporary art installation, The Hive, will feature in the light trail. At a towering 17 metres tall, The Hive is a striking multi-sensory installation that connects to a real bee colony living at Kew, expressing its life in light and sound created by U.K based artist Wolfgang Buttress. This Christmas, over 1000 LED lights will glow and respond to a new rhythm triggered by a bespoke soundscape.
Elsewhere, Lili by TILT, a series of abstract, illuminated flowers that stand at almost 3 metres tall, towering over visitors, makes its UK debut. ArtAV return with Trapezoid, one of the longest light tunnels to ever feature at Christmas at Kew. Along Camellia Walk visitors will wander beneath over 400 colourful cascading lights suspended from the tree canopy, all set against an assortment of neon backdrops.
Creative studio Pitaya return to Kew with Spark Ballet, 24 lanterns filled with subtly sparkling lights that appear to ‘dance’, and Candles. This brand-new commission sees one hundred candles suspended in the air, magically appearing to float above visitors’ heads. The flickering flames will illuminate tree-lined passageways to create an enchanting festive atmosphere.
Festive favourites
With many of Kew’s 12,000 trees and other botanical treasures being accentuated along the route, visitors can wander beneath colourful canopies and bushes draped in seasonal sparkle, experiencing nature from a new perspective whilst treasuring the essential role that plants play in all our lives.
Other returning favourites include Kew’s famous Christmas Cathedral, a twinkling tunnel of light inspired by arched church windows, and a newly designed Fire Garden. Over 300 candles will line the path to the Temperate House, the oldest Victorian glasshouse in the world, as flame bulbs create the illusion that this cathedral of glass is glowing from within.
Elsewhere, visitors will be entranced as a series of breath-taking light displays dance across the surface of Kew’s iconic Palm House, and LED lights ‘float’ on the surface of the adjacent lake. This grand finale is set to a memorable playlist of much-loved Christmas classics, guaranteed to stir sentimental memories or provide a soundtrack for new traditions.
To add an extra touch of magic to the Christmas at Kew experience, visitors can book a delicious traditional Christmas dinner at The Botanical Brasserie. Indulge in celeriac and truffle soup, Caramelized shallot, beetroot and mushroom wellington or turkey ballotine stuffed with sausage meat, washed down by a warming glass of mulled wine. Kids favourites can be found at the Family Kitchen & Shop, and tasty treats from a selection of independent street food vendors are available along the route. Treat yourself to loaded hash browns, spiced cider, waffles or hot chocolate.
Rosie Hanley, Director of Marketing at John Lewis, said: “John Lewis is delighted to be part of this iconic trail which over the years has become a new Christmas tradition for many to enjoy together. As the only brand partner to have ever been integrated into Christmas at Kew, we are excited to unveil our installation for all visitors to enjoy.”
At Wakehurst, Kew’s wild botanic garden in Sussex, Glow Wild celebrates a milestone 10 years. Bringing festive magic and wonder to the Southeast with 10 new installations and myriad hand-crafted lanterns, this winter lantern trail is not to be missed.
Sandra Botterell, Director of Marketing and Commercial Enterprise at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, said: ‘Christmas at Kew is a magical celebration of Kew’s natural landscape, offering sparkle and festivities during the winter months. With an incredible range of brand-new installations and some returning favourites, this year’s trail is guaranteed to be a seasonal spectacle like no other.’
Rosie Hanley, Director of Marketing at John Lewis, said: 'John Lewis is delighted to be part of this iconic trail which over the years has become a new Christmas tradition for many to enjoy together. As the only brand partner to have ever been integrated into Christmas at Kew, we are excited to unveil our installation for all visitors to enjoy.'
At Wakehurst, Kew’s wild botanic garden in Sussex, Glow Wild celebrates a milestone 10 years. Bringing festive magic and wonder to the South East with 10 new installations and myriad hand-crafted lanterns, this winter lantern trail is not to be missed.
Tickets for Christmas at Kew and Glow Wild are available to purchase now at: www.kew.org
ENDS
Hi-res media images are available to download here
Christmas at Kew admission
Tickets on sale now: www.kew.org/christmas
Entrances at Victoria Gate, Brentford Gate and Elizabeth Gate.
Advance booking only.
Advance prices
Adult: from £22.50
Family: from £69
Child (4 – 16 years): from £15
Under 4s free
Kew member: from £19.50
Dates
Christmas at Kew runs from Wednesday 15 November 2023 to Sunday 7 January 2024 and is open on the following dates:
Wednesday 15 November – Sunday 19 November 2023
Wednesday 22 November – Sunday 26 November 2023
Tuesday 28 November – Sunday 3 December 2023
Tuesday 5 December – Sunday 24 December 2023
Tuesday 26 December 2023 – Sunday 7 January 2024
Christmas at Kew is open 4.20pm to 10pm and you choose a time slot for entry.
For more information, images, or to unsubscribe from this list please contact the Press Office at pr@kew.org / 0208 332 5607
Notes to Editors
About Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is a world-famous scientific organisation, internationally respected for its outstanding collections and scientific expertise in plant and fungal diversity, conservation, and sustainable development in the UK and around the globe. Kew’s scientists and partners lead the way in the fight against biodiversity loss and finding nature-based solutions to the climate crisis, aided by five key scientific priorities outlined in Kew’s Science Strategy 2021-2025. Kew Gardens is also a major international and top London visitor attraction. Kew’s 132 hectares of historic, landscaped gardens, and Wakehurst, Kew’s Wild Botanic Garden and ‘living laboratory’, attract over 2.5 million visits every year. Kew Gardens was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2003 and celebrated its 260th anniversary in 2019. Wakehurst is home to the Millennium Seed Bank, the largest wild plant seed bank in the world and a safeguard against the disastrous effects of climate change and biodiversity loss. RBG Kew received approximately one third of its funding from Government through the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and research councils. Further funding needs to support RBG Kew’s vital scientific and educational work comes from donors, memberships and commercial activity including ticket sales. For tickets, please visit www.kew.org/kew-gardens/visit-kew-gardens/tickets. Since implementing a new accessibility scheme for those in receipt of Universal Credit, Pension Credit and Legacy Benefits, Kew has welcomed 30,000 visitors with £1 tickets.
Sustainability
Consideration for the trail’s sustainability is of primary importance to Kew and is at the forefront of the planning process. Our trail designers, Culture Creative, were appointed on the strength of their experience of working in environmentally sensitive ways in heritage and landscape settings.
All Christmas at Kew generators are being run on HVO biofuel (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) - a form of renewable diesel that has been produced from vegetable fats and oils. This results in up to 90% reduction in greenhouse emissions. This year all our atmospheric trail lights have been swapped to LED lights and we have a target of changing to 100% LED over the next 2 years. Continuous lighting of trails and paths will be avoided, and we will only use audience area lighting where it is deemed absolutely necessary, for reasons of public's safety. We carry out a full ecology report and ensure our resident wildlife remains undisturbed throughout the installation and running of Christmas at Kew each year.
About the John Lewis Partnership
The John Lewis Partnership owns and operates two of Britain's best-loved retail brands - John Lewis and Waitrose. Started as a radical experiment over a century ago, the Partnership is now the largest employee-owned business in the UK, with around 74,000 employees who are all Partners in the business. The Partnership is purpose-driven, existing to create a fairer and more sustainable future for our Partners, customers, suppliers and communities. Our Purpose not only inspires our principles, drives our decisions and acts as our guide to be a force for good, it steers us to do things differently and better - all in service of creating a happier world for everyone and everything we touch. We operate JohnLewis.com, Waitrose.com, 34 John Lewis shops and 329 Waitrose shops, including a growing number offering a selection of John Lewis products. Waitrose has partnerships with Dobbies Garden Centres, Shell, Uber Eats and Deliveroo as well as supply agreements with Margiotta stores in Scotland and Alliance shops in Jersey. Outside of retail, John Lewis Financial Services continues to grow providing insurance, the Partnership credit card, foreign currency and investments, and is currently proposing to deliver 1,000 new rental homes across three local communities.
About RGL, a division of Sony Music
As an inaugural partner for the very first Christmas at Kew in 2013, RGL (Raymond Gubbay Limited), a division of Sony Music, has now been leading the industry in the delivery and creation of light trails for over ten years. They now have over 15 illuminated Christmas and Halloween trails across the UK and a further 10 Lightscape trails around the world. Their chosen partners are national and international heritage venues and each trail is carefully designed to showcase the natural and unique environment of that individual setting. RGL also presents over 500 concerts annually throughout the UK and worldwide.
Raymondgubbay.co.uk | FB @RaymondGubbay | Twitter @RaymondGubbay
About Culture Creative
Culture Creative is a creative project and production management company based in Scotland and the North East of England. The Company works across a wide range of cultural fields including art, sport, heritage, tourism, festivals and events, developing projects from concept to delivery. Since 2013, Culture Creative has worked closely with leading entertainment promoter Raymond Gubbay Ltd. a division of Sony Music, to create Lightscape and Christmas themed trails in various venues across the UK and overseas.
www.culturecreative.co.uk | FB @culturecreativeltd | Twitter @CCLCreative | Instagram @culturecreativeltd