Nocturnal soundscape NEW at this year’s Glow Wild
New this year will be a nocturnal soundscape that will immerse visitors in the magic of the trail.
Release date: 9 August 2019
While most people are still topping up their tans, Wakehurst is busy preparing for its sixth Glow Wild – the iconic winter lantern trail that sees the Mansion, botanic garden and woodlands come alive with lanterns and fire installations.
NEW this year will be a nocturnal soundscape that will immerse visitors in the magic of the trail.
Tickets go on general sale 13 August from 10am – see below for details.
Wakehurst director Tony Sweeney said: “Glow Wild continues to go from strength to strength and we have a great mix this year of exciting new elements as well as the traditional, which we know our visitors love,”
The Wakehurst Mansion attic is a hive of activity with volunteers and staff crafting new lanterns from paper and willow.
Wakehurst reuses a proportion of lanterns from the year before and is making sure each one looks its best.
Kari said: “Our team of volunteers will be cleaning hundreds of lanterns with warm soapy water and repairing any small tears.
She added: “It does feel a bit weird organising lanterns in this hot weather, but Glow Wild is an intrinsic part of many peoples Christmas and it’s lovely to be part of its creation.”
This year’s trail will be full of surprises
One of the NEW artists this year helping to create the magic that is Glow Wild is Ithica. The Brighton-based company will bring a bespoke soundscape made from recordings of Wakehurst’s nocturnal animals. This will entrance visitors as they step out with their lanterns onto the trail. Evocative sounds of the nocturnal world will leave all ages with an unforgettable memory of their evening at Glow Wild.
What won’t change is the view that everyone loves – the UK’s tallest living Christmas tree, a giant Redwood, decorated with 1,800 lights.
To book see: www.kew.org/glowwild or call See tickets on 0115 8960220.
Glow Wild will run on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 21 November –22 December, and visitors will be able to choose from eight half hourly time slots between 4.30pm – 8pm.
For more information contact Sandra Howard, Communications and Content Manager on 01444 894336
Notes to Editors
Wakehurst, Kew’s Wild Botanic Garden in the Sussex High Weald, is one of the most beautiful and significant botanic gardens in the country. It is home to Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank, which houses and protects seed from the world’s most substantial and diverse collection of threatened and useful wild plants, and leads the MSB Partnership, a crucially important global science-based conservation programme which is the largest of its kind in the world. The estate includes a contemporary botanic garden, where ornamental plantings and exotic tree and shrub collections of international importance sit within native woodland. Wakehurst’s natural assets associated with its countryside location renders it complementary to Kew’s West London site, with different growing conditions, and a real emphasis on wild plant collections. Coupled with the Millennium Seed Bank, Wakehurst offers an inspiring, immersive, and educational day out for the whole family, and serves as a vital contribution to UK and global plant conservation.
Please note that Wakehurst is referred to just as Wakehurst, not Wakehurst Place. It is not a National Trust property.
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is a world famous scientific organisation, internationally respected for its outstanding collections as well as its scientific expertise in plant diversity, conservation and sustainable development in the UK and around the world. Kew Gardens is a major international and a top London visitor attraction. Kew’s 132 hectares of landscaped gardens, and Wakehurst, Kew’s Wild Botanic Garden, attract over 2.1 million visits every year. Kew was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2003 and celebrated its 250th anniversary in 2009. Wakehurst is home to Kew's Millennium Seed Bank, the largest wild plant seed bank in the world. Kew receives just under half of its funding from Government through the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and research councils. Further funding needed to support Kew’s vital work comes from donors, membership and commercial activity including ticket sales.