Glow Wild 2021
Hailed as one of Sussex’s favourite winter experiences, Wakehurst’s Glow Wild returns for its eighth year
Release date: 27 May 2021
- Select evenings: Thursday 25 November 2021 – Sunday 2 January 2022
- Entry slots available between 16.30 and 20.10
- Tickets from £14 adult/£10 child
- Tickets on sale for Wakehurst/Kew members Tuesday 20 July/public Tuesday 27 July: www.kew.org/glowwild
- Wakehurst, Sussex
Filled with hand-crafted lanterns, mesmerising installations, and captivating projections, Glow Wild promises breathtaking encounters around every corner for audiences of all ages. This year’s edition invites visitors to reflect on how nature responds when human activity slows down – a phenomenon known as the ‘anthropause’
From nocturnal stirrings of wildlife deep in the woods, to the slow encroachment of fungi on paths left untrodden, the trail reveals how the behaviour of plants and creatures has changed, and even thrived, during a time of diminished human activity, and how the smallest encounter with people can have far-reaching effects. The full programme will be revealed in July featuring specially commissioned installations from artists Ithaca, Same Sky and Colour Project, alongside new and popular works from returning contributors Sarah Hall-Baqai, And Now, and OGE Group, and over 300 paper lanterns handmade by local volunteers.
Completing the Glow Wild trail, Wakehurst’s 36 metre giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) will welcome visitors as they return from their winter adventure. Lit with over 1,800 energy-saving bulbs, the giant redwood is the UK’s tallest living Christmas tree, the perfect festive spot for hungry explorers to be rewarded with delicious treats and warming drinks over crackling firepits.
New to Glow Wild 2021, the Elizabethan Mansion centred at the heart of the garden will be transformed into Wakehurst’s very own Winter Lodge. Visitors who add the Winter Lodge experience to their booking will be transported to luxurious warmth and comfort as they enter the Mansion’s spectacularly decorated hall, a unique setting for family celebrations, special occasions, and romantic date nights. Offering an exclusive four-course festive feast, the Lodge is open to visitors to enjoy both at the beginning and end of their visit. Wakehurst recommends setting off on the lantern trail following the first two courses of sumptuous savoury fare, with the promise of dessert and a night cap to return to following their winter adventure.
Tickets will go on sale to Wakehurst and Kew members on Tuesday 20 July, and to the public on Tuesday 27 July. More details on dates and pricing below.
Find out how to become a Wakehurst member
Further information on Glow Wild installations, artists and food & drink offers will be announced in July.
What we are doing to keep visitors safe
We will adhere to government advice on coronavirus to ensure visitors and staff remain safe while enjoying their time at Wakehurst. Ensuring all visitors pre-book timed entry slots to the Gardens will enable us to stagger the entry flow, avoid queues and reduce contact.
Toilet facilities will undergo stringent cleaning throughout the day, and there are hand washing stations at each gate and key locations. Lanterns along the trail will act as distance markers at potential crunch points throughout the gardens, and we will continue to operate cashless systems at our shop and catering pop-ups across the site.
The Glow Wild trail will operate as a one-way system with extra staff on hand to monitor attendance and flow.
ENDS
For more information or images, please contact Frances Teehan, Strategic Communications Manager at Wakehurst, on f.teehan@kew.org
Ticket information
Tickets will be available to the public on Tuesday 27 July here: kew.org/glowwild
Entry time slots every 20 minutes between 4.30pm and 8.10pm on the following dates:
Thursday 25 – Sunday 28 November
Thursday 2 – Sunday 5 December
Thursday 9 – Sunday 12 December
Thursday 16 – Sunday 19 December
Monday 20 – Thursday 23 December
Monday 27 December – Sunday 2 January
On select evenings we will be offering quiet sessions starting at 4.15pm.
Gardens close 10pm
Ticket prices
Wakehurst or Kew member – Adult: £14
Wakehurst or Kew member – Family (2 adults & 2 children): £46
Adult: £16
Children (4 – 16): £10
Infants (under 4) and carers: Free
Family (2 adults & 2 children): £50
Car parking is included in the ticket price Pre-bookable lantern making kit £4.75
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, 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.