Thursday 26 November to Saturday 2 January (selected evenings)
Tickets on sale now: www.kew.org/glowwild
Prices from £12.70 (inc. booking fee): early-bird discounts available until 31 August
Under 4s go free
Highlights:
- Giant iceberg reaching towards five metres high forms Glow Wild’s tallest lantern to date, complete with a colony of penguins perched on top
- Over 2000 handcrafted lanterns illuminate the wild botanic garden, including extraordinary creatures, plants and landscapes created using 140kg of willow
- Award-winning artists and over 200 volunteers create series of new installations exclusively for Glow Wild, bringing to life this year’s theme, In Search of Nature’s Gifts
- Visitors embark on an expedition through some of the world’s most remote environments, inspired by Kew’s global work to explore and protect plant and fungal diversity
Kew Wakehurst’s Glow Wild returns this festive season with its most ambitious trail yet, taking visitors across uncharted waters to polar landscapes and into the wild.
Running on selected evenings from Thursday 26 November to Saturday 2 January 2027, Glow Wild invites explorers of all ages to set out on an after-dark expedition for a night of discovery, spectacle and festive escapism.
Record-breaking feats
Now in its 13th year, Glow Wild is again raising the bar for 2026 with an extraordinary new collection of large-scale installations and artworks created exclusively for Kew Wakehurst.
At almost five metres high, a giant illuminated iceberg will become Glow Wild’s tallest lantern to date, forming part of a dramatic polar landscape from artist Kerith Ogden. Featuring 68 penguins and 1,000 fish, Ogden’s polar region will come alive under a dancing Aurora Australis lights commission from The Colour Project.
Glow Wild Producer, Louise Burton says:
“Glow Wild is a chance to experience nature on an extraordinary scale. This evocative festive trail takes inspiration from the spirit of discovery that drives Kew’s scientists, whose work is helping us understand the natural world, uncover its hidden wonders and find solutions to the challenges facing our planet. We hope visitors leave feeling awe and wonder for the incredible world around them, that nature is a gift – and we all need to protect it.”
The science behind the spectacle
Voyaging from pole to pole, visitors will discover another of the trail’s standout moments in Michelle Dufaur’s astonishing Alpine flower carpet, created using 2,500 handmade petals. Inspired by the remarkable plants that survive in some of the world’s most remote environments, the installation reflects on the critical conservation work of Kew scientists to safeguard Arctic plants.
Following the scientists’ recent seed-collecting expedition to Disko Island, Greenland, the Millennium Seed Bank now houses 24 Arctic species and subspecies. With northern regions warming nearly three times faster than the global average, it’s more important than ever to protect species growing in these extreme environments.
Where nature and technology create a visual spectacle
The trail culminates with one of Wakehurst’s most impressive transformations, as the historic Mansion is illuminated by a bespoke projection from artist Amanda Duncan – her debut commission for Glow Wild. In Murmurations, birds, fish, insects, stars and seeds will dance across the building’s façade, bringing together the many natural wonders encountered along the trail and forming a breathtaking finale against the night sky.
A seamless blend of immersive technologies, including LED displays, hologauze effects and laser projections will all be intricately designed into the installations to enhance the visual spectacle for visitors.
A culture of community
Local community groups make a significant contribution to the Glow Wild experience, with lanterns throughout the trail and a new ‘Village of Voices’ lantern exhibition forming the closing installation. Each lantern is a personal reflection on nature’s gifts; a poignant collection that connects the landscape to its wider community.
Glow Wild Trail Curator, Katherine Morton says:
“Glow Wild also unites an extraordinary community of volunteers who give their time, creativity and care throughout the year. We’ve had the privilege of working with people of all ages and backgrounds, from art students in Brighton and climate ambassadors in Peacehaven to family support networks and the over 65s. Their work is woven throughout Glow Wild and is one of the things that makes the experience uniquely Wakehurst.”
Eagle-eyed visitors will spot both a whale and a pink raven lantern on this year’s trail. These are the two winning entrants from a design competition run in collaboration with the East Sussex College group.
Glow Wild runs from 26 November 2026 to 2 January 2027 at Kew Wakehurst, Sussex. Tickets are on sale now.
Images (clockwise): Simulation image of The Elemental Willow by Ithaca; Illustration by Kerith Ogden; Simulation image by OGE Group; Glow Wild at Wakehurst, Ollie Dixon © RBG Kew; Simulation Image of The Moonbeam Gatherer by Pyro Studio
