August at Kew Gardens and Wakehurst

Kew Gardens

Food Forever

Food; we love it and we can’t live without it. But the world is changing, and so is what we eat. Kew’s exciting new summer programme, Food Forever, continues this August. Exploring the future of food and how the choices we make can help to transform the planet for good, visitors can discover large scale art installations around the gardens, including a fantastical cornfield labyrinth and a giant mythical troll picnic.

Food Forever Evening Talks

11^th August | Food waste(d) – How do we feed our cities? | Tom Hunt, Carolyn Steel, Kaajal Modi, Professor Ben Bennett

One of the biggest challenges in relation to food today is food waste, not just at a local level but also at an industrial one. Join the panel, chaired by chef, writer and presenter Tom Hunt, and hear thoughts on how this issue relates to the way we live in the 21st century, and what can be done to combat it.

25^th August | A healthy body for a healthy planet | Panellists to be confirmed

Exploring the relationship between human and planetary health, this panel explores how dependent our own personal health is on that of the planet. Learn about the medicinal properties of plants and fungi, nutrition, and also how our dietary decisions impact the planet we all depend on.

Food Forever Weekends

6^th, 7^th, 13^th & 14^th August | Food Memories for Thought by Kin-spiration Collective

Join zero-waste chef Fatima ‘Fatti’ Tarkleman and the Kin-spiration Collective for a taster of their food memories and the opportunity to have yours preserved too.

20^th, 21^st, 27^th & 28^th August | Very, Very Slow Food by Beccy McCray

Fast food is actually really slow. Drop in and learn about the importance of wild relatives while exploring the future of food.

When Flowers Dream

Now open in the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art is the debut London exhibition for acclaimed Australian artist Tanya Schultz, known as Pip & Pop. When Flowers Dream showcases an eclectic, playful and immersive mix of vibrant artworks and a brand-new bespoke installation created especially for Kew Gardens - an imaginary landscape brimming with foods of the future.

Online Courses from David & Charles

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and David and Charles have partnered to deliver a selection of new online learning courses, available to enjoy from the comfort of your own home. Courses are delivered through a mix of video tuition and downloadable instructions and include a materials kit to provide established and amateur artists alike with the tools they need to develop their skills. Courses now live include Capturing The Inner Beauty of Flowers in Pen & Ink with Hazel Wilks, Painting Roses in Watercolour with Trevor Waugh, and Botanical Watercolour Vegetables with Rachel Pedder-Smith.

Wellbeing at Kew

Kew’s popular wellbeing events support both physical and mental wellbeing within the inspiring surroundings of Kew Gardens’ 320-acre UNESCO World Heritage site.

Forest bathing 6^th & 14^th August | 10.30am- 1.30pm | Arboretum | £60 (includes entry to the Kew Gardens and 20% discount in our restaurants)

Inspired by the Japanese art of Shinrin-yoku, forest bathing is a sensory woodland walk alongside an expert guide, who will lead participants as they disconnect from the stresses of everyday life. Organised in partnership with the Forest Bathing Institute.

Tai chi | 5^th, 12^th & 19^th August | 9am – 10am | Mediterranean Garden | £35 (includes entry to Kew Gardens and 20% discount in our restaurants)

Boost your physical and mental wellbeing with the centuries-old Chinese martial art, tai chi, amidst the tranquil surroundings of Kew’s Mediterranean Garden.

Temperate House Yoga | 2^nd, 25^th & 30^th August | 7.30am – 8.45am | Temperate House | £45 (includes entry to Kew Gardens and 20% discount in our restaurants)

These one-hour vinyasa flow sessions are held in the spectacular Temperate House. Enjoy pre-opening classes in the midst of 10,000 rare and endangered plants, led by Anil Jangi, Kew’s own yoga instructor.

Summer Cycle | 4^th August | 5.30pm – 8.30pm | £20 adult, £10 child

Join us to celebrate summer with a magical evening bike ride at Kew Gardens. As bicycles are not usually allowed in the Gardens, this is a unique opportunity for you to take in the enchanted woodlands and beautiful blooms; stop for a picnic or summer drink and listen to live music; and smell the aroma of the Rose Garden as the sun begins to set. Make an evening of it with your own picnic or dine at one of our pop-up food spots on route.

Kew the Movies

Towards the end of August, soak up the last of the summer holidays with five days of alfresco cinema magic, as Kew the Movies returns. Produced in partnership with The Luna Cinema, the UK’s number 1 outdoor cinema providers), Kew the Movies offers families and film fans to enjoy an incredible array of screenings within the magical surroundings of Kew Gardens’ 320-acre UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Triple Bill: The Snail and The Whale, Zog & Zog and the Flying Doctors | 31^st August, 11.15am (garden entry included) | from £17.75

Based on the much-loved booked by Julia Donaldson, this triple stack of films will fill your children with joy and leave all the family smiling.

Encanto Sing-Along | 31^st August | 2.45pm | from £14.75

Disney’s magical story about the Family Madrigal features a selection of cracking tunes that you can’t help but sing along to. A heart-warming adventure for little and big kids alike, just don’t talk about Bruno…

Moana | 1^st September | 11am | from £17.75 (garden entry included)

This smash-hit animated musical follows the story of an adventurous teenager who sets sail on a daring mission to save her people and her home.

Jurassic Park | 1^st September | 2.30pm | from £14.75

Enjoy this Jurassic classic and its ground-breaking effects within the wild surroundings of Kew Gardens.

Dune | 1^st September | 7.30pm | from £19.50

Based on Frank Herbert’s 1960s novel, this award-winning adaptation features outstanding visual effects and explosive action sequences.

Sing 2 | 2^nd September at 11.15am & 4^th September at 2pm | from £17.75/£14.75

Buster Moon and the gang return as they try to make it big on stage. This beautiful family film will have your toes tapping and your heart soaring.

Aladdin | 2^nd September | 3pm | from £14.75

A thrilling live-action adaptation of the animated classic which features pet tigers, a real-life genie and the colour and vibrance of a real-life Agrabah, brought to life like never before.

No Time to Die | 2^nd September | 7.30pm | from £19.50

James Bond has left active service. His peace is short-lived when Felix Leiter, an old friend from the CIA, turns up asking for help, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.

Encanto | 3^rd September | 11am | from £17.75 (includes garden entry)

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone | 3^rd September | 2.30pm | from £14.75

Where it all began… from the cupboard under the stairs at 4 Privet Drive to the magic of Hogwarts.

West Side Story | 3^rd September | 7.30pm | from £19.50

An adaptation of the 1957 musical directed by Steven Spielberg, West Side Story explores forbidden love and the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks.

Triple Bill: The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo’s Child, Highway Rat | 4^th September | 11am | from £17.75

Enjoy the magic of your child’s favourite book characters come to life on the big screen. Including the iconic Gruffalo; in which little mouse goes for a walk in a dangerous forest and encounters the very fantastical creature he described to scare off his enemies – the Gruffalo!

Spider- Man: No Way Home | 4^th September | 5.45pm | from £19.50

When dangerous foes from other worlds start to appear, Peter Parker discovers what it truly means to be Spider-Man.

Workshops

Yoga Morning | 6^th, 20^th & 27^th August | 8am – 9am | Meet at Wakehurst Visitor Centre | £25 / £22.50 for Wakehurst and Kew members (includes entry to the gardens and car parking)
Enjoy exclusive access to our wild botanic garden before opening time and participate in an hour of yoga in the tranquil landscape. Suitable for all levels, the session will be led by yoga instructor Olive, who trained in India and teaches across Sussex.

Moving Meditations | Sunday 14^th August | 10:30am – 2:30pm | Meet at Wakehurst Visitor Centre | £30 / £27 for Wakehurst and Kew members (includes day entry to the gardens and car parking)

Join a relaxing workshop to learn about and practise qigong, an ancient Chinese art. Led by Swedish teacher Helena Skoog, you’ll use a combination of deep breathing and meditation techniques to support your body’s ability to maintain health, in the peaceful surroundings of the gardens. 

Bat Walk | 22^nd, 24^th, 26^th, 29^th and 31^st August | 7pm – 9pm | Meet at Wakehurst Visitor Centre | £18

£16 for Wakehurst and Kew members

Explore Wakehurst after hours with our resident wildlife experts to discover the fascinating world of bats. Choose from a woodland walk down to Westwood Lake or a more accessible route around Mansion Pond, to learn about the different species living in the gardens, using electronic detectors to pick up their ultrasonic calls.

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. In the first six months since implementing a new accessibility scheme for those in receipt of Universal Credit, Pension Credit and Legacy Benefits, Kew has welcomed 10,000 visitors with £1 tickets.

About Wakehurst

Please note that Wakehurst is referred to just as Wakehurst, not Wakehurst Place. It is not a National Trust property.

Wakehurst, Kew’s wild botanic garden in Sussex is home to the Millennium Seed Bank and over 500 acres of the world’s plants including temperate woodlands, ornamental gardens and a nature reserve. It is situated in the High Weald of Sussex, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and focuses on wild plant collections. The Millennium Seed Bank houses and protects seed from the world’s most substantial and diverse collection of threatened and useful wild plants, making it the most biodiverse place on earth.

RBG 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. 

In March 2021, RBG Kew launched its 10-year strategy Our Manifesto for Change 2021. The institution’s ultimate goal is step up to help to end the extinction crisis and contribute to creating a world where nature is protected, valued by all and managed sustainably. In the wake of a global pandemic, and with the future of the planet in peril, the strategy represents a public commitment by RBG Kew to do everything in its power to reverse the environmental devastation of biodiversity loss and climate change.  The five key priorities are 1) Delivering science-based knowledge and solutions to protect biodiversity and use natural resources sustainably 2) Inspiring people to protect the natural world 3) Training the next generation of experts: 4) Extending our reach 5) Influencing national and international opinion and policy.

On May 25^th 2021 RBG Kew launched its new Sustainability Strategy – committing to become Climate Positive by 2030 and marking a step-change in our urgent action to tackle the climate and biodiversity crisis.