Wakehurst celebrates 10 years of Glow Wild lantern trail

Marking a milestone 10 years, Glow Wild lights up Kew’s wild botanic garden, bringing festive magic and wonder to the South East with 10 new installations and myriad hand-crafted lanterns.

Celebrated as a must-do Christmas experience, the 2023 edition of the winter lantern trail marks a decade of mesmerising memories and community spirit.

This year’s theme invites visitors to reflect on the awe-inspiring moments in the natural world – from epic examples of wildlife to delicate details of plants and fungi.

In true Glow Wild tradition, over 1000 lanterns are handmade by local volunteers and community groups, with the tenth anniversary mile- long trail also boasting eight brand new bespoke installations from leading artists.

This year offers a new interactive experience with Wakehurst’s ‘Starkeeper’ from Long Nose Puppets.

Visitors young and young at heart are invited to make a wish on a star to hang in the ‘sky forest’ before they continue their journey. Other friendly faces can be found in giant parading peacock, Percy who give a glowing welcome to all entering the gardens.

Beyond the dazzling creations, new to Glow Wild this year is a refreshed catering offer, with pop-up stalls throughout the trail offering comfortable dwelling points to admire installations whilst enjoying hot drinks and snacks.

Crackling fire pits located close to the Starkeeper form the perfect spot for toasting marshmallows, whilst festive grab and go options can be found under the UK’s tallest living Christmas tree, the towering 37m stalwart of Wakehurst’s festive offer adorned in 1800 energy-saving bulbs.

Quiet Sessions are available every night at 4.15pm, whilst a series of Relaxed Sessions offer gentle performances adapted especially for children with special educational needs and disabilities. For those looking for the perfect date-night, adult-only slots will run each Friday at 8pm offering a quieter, more intimate experience.In recognition of the strains faced by many during the ongoing cost of living crisis, Wakehurst has released accessible priced tickets from £11.50 for the opening week of Glow Wild and hopes this, combined with its free tickets for under 4-year-olds, helps families as they prepare for the festive season.

The new flexible ticket offer allows bookers to swap or upgrade tickets up to 72 hours before their visit – available for new and existing bookings.

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 is Kew’s wild botanic garden in the Sussex High Weald. Its ancient and beautiful landscapes span 535 acres and are a place for escape, exploration, tranquillity and wonder.

Its diverse collection of plants from Britain and around the globe thrive within a tapestry of innovative gardens, temperate woodlands, meadows and wetlands.

Wakehurst is a centre for UK biodiversity and global conservation, seed research and ecosystem science. At its heart is Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank, the world’s largest store of seeds from wild plant species.