Kew Gardens’ 2025 Christmas lights festival will see an iconic London landmark lit up for the first time

It may only be August, but we are already planning our Christmas calendars. You know how it gets. 

Kew Gardens’ legendary Christmas lights will be back again for 2025, this year with some exciting new additions. For the first time this winter, Kew’s iconic Great Pagoda will be adorned and sparkling with festive lights. 

Every year the botanical gardens are illuminated with a light trail at winter. As well as bringing back many of the old bangers, Kew will introduce eight new displays in 2025, some of which are created by international artists and on display in the UK for the first time. 

Originally built by architect William Chambers in 1762, Kew’s 163-foot-tall Chinese-style pagoda was restored in 2018. Now visitors will be able to see it in a new light (pardon the pun) as part of the winter installation. 

Alongside the new Great Pagoda illuminations, the 2025 edition will also see the introduction of the Christmas Orchestra, a new piece by Culture Creative, featuring a show of festive music and lights. Multidisciplinary artist Wilhelmusvlug from the Netherlands will present ‘In Bloom’, which evokes delicate flower petals dancing through the air. And for the first time visitors will be able to walk across the Palm House Pond, which will be decorated with a light display of 100 lilies.

Christmas at Kew will take place on selected dates from November 14 2025 to January 4 2026. It will open from 4.20pm to 10pm, apart from on Christmas eve when it closes at 9pm. Tickets cost £27.50 for adults and £18 for children. 

Kew Gardens has opened a major new attraction with more than 6,500 plants. 

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