The Hive

The Hive is an immersive sound and visual experience. The lights you see and the sounds you hear inside The Hive are triggered by bee activity in a real beehive at Kew.

The intensity of the sounds and light change constantly, echoing that of the real beehive. The multi award-winning Hive was inspired by scientific research into the health of honeybees. It is a visual symbol of the pollinators’ role in feeding the planet and the challenges facing bees today. 

It is the design of UK based artist Wolfgang Buttress. Originally created for the UK Pavilion at the 2015 Milan Expo.

It’s 17 metres tall, constructed from 170,000 aluminium parts, 1,000 LED lights and took four months to reconstruct here at Kew.

• Entry to The Hive is included in a day ticket to Kew
• Since The Hive is an open-air attraction, we may need to close it for maintenance or visitor safety: check for visitor notices and closures
• We are unable to accommodate mobility scooters due to the restricted width of the paths and interior space within The Hive
• The path to The Hive is designed to be fully accessible but the gradient may feel steep to self-propelled wheelchair users