All of these Christmas light shows require booking in advance.<\/i><\/p>
Jump to<\/strong><\/p> Gardens Illustrated<\/em> digital writer Alice Tuffery is something of a Christmas light show aficionado – she visits at least one show a year with her family. She selects some of her favourites.<\/p> Blenheim Palace<\/strong> – 5\/5 A must for anyone who loves Christmas! You can go round the house and gardens, and both are truly impressive. Plus, the markets are neatly laid out in the courtyard area in front of the main palace doors, with the gardens just behind, so everything is close and relatively accessible.<\/p> Longleat<\/strong> – 5\/5 A truly impressive spectacle. There\u2019s plenty to do here, which makes it great for all the family. Start the day with a Winter Safari to see the animals, then enjoy a tour of Longleat House, before taking in the themed light trail. This one is a little different as the makers create different life-size storybook figures every year, lit from inside in vivid colour.\u00a0<\/p> Stourhead<\/strong> – 4.5\/5 The main focus at Stourhead is the gardens. The decorations are creatively laid out and beautiful too \u2013 the lake is a particular highlight of the trail, and as magical for adults as it is for children.<\/p> Westonbirt Arboretum<\/strong> – 4\/5 Westonbirt is lovely to visit all year round, and particularly in autumn, but here the towering trees are lit in glorious, festive colours. Although there\u2019s no house to explore, Father Christmas is there to greet visitors, and you can stop in at the food markets and traditional fairground rides.\u00a0<\/p> Waddesdon Manor<\/strong> – 4\/5 Highlights include the magical children\u2019s book themes inside house, the big selection of Christmas markets selling homeware, clothing and tasty treats, and the mini food village with a great choice of different meals. While the garden light trail wasn\u2019t quite as impressive as Blenheim Palace and Stourhead, it was still an enjoyable way to end the day.<\/p><\/div><\/div> The RHS Garden Wisley, near Woking in Surrey, brings back it’s Christmas light show Glow for 2024, with a walking trail for visitors alongside captivating light shows and musical accompaniment which highlights some of the garden\u2019s most-loved sights. The Christmas light show has been designed by the garden\u2019s in-house team, ensuring visitors will see the very best of what RHS Wisley has to offer. Lights will draw visitors past the Jellicoe Canal and old Laboratory, through Wisteria Walk and the Glasshouse. <\/p> Selected dates from 22 November 2024 to 5 January 2025 (closed 24-26 December). RHS Garden Wisley, Wisley Lane, Wisley, Woking, GU23 6QB.<\/em> <\/em><\/p> Book now at rhs.org.uk\/wisley<\/a><\/strong><\/p> Become an RHS member<\/strong><\/a> to get reduced-price tickets and free entry to over 200 other gardens.<\/p> See RHS Garden Hyde Hall in a whole new light thanks to the illuminated Christmas trail. The garden, near Chelmsford in Essex, has had a magical technicolour makeover, and the festive fun begins as soon as you arrive. Visitors are greeted with a magnificent lone oak tree, lit up on a distant hillside, before embarking on a winding, twinkling route around the rest of the garden. <\/p> New for this year, follow the trail up onto the Hilltop, past the iconic Thatched Barn and through the Dry Garden, where dazzling lights and sound effects add to the drama. The trail then takes you through the Winter Garden, where you’ll be dazzled by living willow sculptures immersed in festive colour.<\/p> Selected dates from 22 November to 28 December 2024 (closed 24-26 December)<\/em>. RHS Garden Hyde Hall, Creephedge Lane, Chelmsford, CM3 8ET. Book a train<\/a> <\/strong>to South Woodham Ferrers station.<\/em><\/p> Book now at rhs.org.uk\/hydehall<\/a><\/strong><\/p> Become an RHS member<\/strong><\/a> to get reduced-price tickets and free entry to over 200 other gardens.<\/p> Admire the historic mansion buildings and Grade I listed gardens at Leonardslee in West Sussex with its artistic Christmas light trail this year, with illuminations and large-scale projections, as well as a Victorian fun fair and Christmas market. One of the most popular features of Leonardslee Illuminated is the Christmas Moon that floats above the lake.<\/p> Selected dates from 22 November to 30 December 2024. Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens, Brighton Road, Lower Beeding, Horsham, RH13 6PP. Stay overnight at the stylish Gravetye Manor<\/strong><\/a>, just half an hour away by car.<\/em><\/p> Book now at leonardsleeilluminated.co.uk<\/a><\/strong><\/p> The hugely popular Kew gardens Christmas light show returns for another year. The iconic Kew gardens will be lit up by over one-million lights, making it one of the brightest and most sparkling of Christmas light shows. Visitors can enjoy festive bursts of colour throughout the gardens and marvel at the beautifully illuminated Palm House. In 2024, there will be two world premieres, with Ombre by TILT which is a series of giant plants in bloom, and Threshold by Studio Vertigo is an illuminated helix-like shape bathed in golden light. <\/p> Selected dates from 13 November 2024 to 5 January 2025. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, TW9 3AE. Book a train<\/a> <\/strong>to Richmond Station. <\/em><\/p> Book now at kew.org<\/a><\/strong><\/p> At Wakehurst, the wilder sister to the Royal Botanical Gardens Kew, Glow Wild is returning for its eleventh anniversary edition. Hand-crafted winter lanterns and captivating light installations, including a giant owl, will be in place around the gardens, and under 4’s go free! This year expect a brand new route, which will be open to visitors on Christmas eve for the first time.<\/p> 28 November 2024 to 1 January 2025. Wakehurst, Ardingly, Haywards Heath, Sussex, RH17 6TN. For nearby accommodation, try The Bell in Ticehurst<\/strong><\/a>, just 10 minutes away by car, which has beautiful, whimsical rooms.<\/em><\/p> Book now at kew.org<\/a><\/strong><\/p>Expert picks<\/h4>
The best Christmas light shows in 2024<\/h2>
The best Christmas light shows in the south east <\/h3>
Glow at Wisley, RHS Garden Wisley, Surrey<\/h4>
RHS Garden Hyde Hall, Essex<\/h4>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2021\/12\/Web-Use-NHHH21-308-aef8e06.jpg\")
<\/figure>Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens, West Sussex<\/h4>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2020\/10\/Leonardslee-Lakes-and-Gardens-815777f.jpg\")
<\/figure>Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, London<\/h4>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2022\/09\/Christmas-at-Kew.-RBG-Kew.-a4c7fda.jpg\")
<\/figure>Wakehurst, Sussex<\/h4>
Bedgebury National Pinetum and Forest, Kent<\/h4>