The Kew Gardens Christmas light trail has returned with new installations and seasonal street food.
Kew Gardens opened a 2.7km light trail for the tenth year running on November 16.
Visitors can now enjoy projections onto the iconic Palm House and ArtAV’s Starry Night, featuring thousands of twinkling lights.
Standout installations include creative studio NOVAK’s immersive animation projected onto Holy Walk and the ‘Illusion Hole’, which is an opportunity to see a geometrically arranged pattern on the lake.
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The ‘Illusion Hole’, by UxU Studio, provides visitors with the chance to experience a thrilling optical illusion and a botanical world filled with 12,000 trees and seasonal cheer.
Director of marketing and commercial enterprise at Royal Botanic Gardens, Sandra Botterell, said: “Christmas at Kew is always magical, but this year is even more special as we celebrate ten years of this wonderful light trail.
“We can’t wait to welcome visitors back to the Gardens to experience the return of our much-loved light installations, alongside exciting new additions, all of which take inspiration from Kew’s incredible collections.
“As the first festive light trail of its kind, Christmas at Kew really is a seasonal spectacular unlike any other.”
Ahead of the international Biodiversity COP15 meeting this December, Kew is asking visitors to ‘Make a Wish for Nature’.
Two wishing trees will be on the trail where people can tie their chosen messages, which will then be taken by the Kew Scientists to COP15 in Montreal.
The five wishes to choose from include ‘Protect our food’, ‘Protect our clean air’, ‘Protect our medicine’, ‘Protect our well-being’ and ‘Protect nature’.
The Fire Garden, popular in previous years, makes a return and the Christmas Cathedral will again be filled with thousands of fairy lights, creating the perfect Instagram opportunity.
Christmas classics are played throughout the trail and visitors wanting a sit-down meal can book a traditional Christmas dinner at the Botanical Brasserie.
Those looking for a bite to eat along the trail can choose from a selection of independent street food vendors, with the food and drink on offer including spiced cider, waffles, mulled wine and hot chocolate.
Christmas at Kew runs until January 8 and is open between 4.20pm and 10pm, with last entry at 8pm.
Tickets start from £14 for children aged between 4 and 16, and admission for Under 4s is free.
Adult tickets start from £21.50, whereas a special family ticket costs from £65. Tickets for Kew members start from £18.50.
Tickets need to be brought in advance at www.kew.org/christmas.
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