Glow Wild Returns to Wakehurst With Dazzling New Installations for 2025

Wakehurst, Kew’s wild botanic garden in Sussex, has launched the 2025 edition of Glow Wild, unveiling an entirely refreshed trail inspired by a major milestone for the site’s scientific heart: 25 years of the Millennium Seed Bank. Eight acclaimed artists have created bespoke large-scale works, each drawing on cutting-edge seed conservation as their muse.

Running until 3 January 2026, and open nightly from 4 pm to 10 pm, this year’s route promises its most ambitious transformation yet, bringing together ecology, art, and atmosphere across Wakehurst’s landscapes.

A key highlight for 2025 is the inclusion of Wakehurst’s historic Elizabethan mansion, which opened to the public earlier this year. For the first time, its interior has been dressed for winter, offering visitors an immersive festive experience before they even step onto the illuminated trail.

The contrast between heritage architecture and contemporary light art adds an entirely new dimension to the event, extending Glow Wild beyond the gardens and into the estate’s storied history.

Adding to the sensory spectacle, three renowned actors, Cate Blanchett, Helena Bonham Carter and Emma Thompson, voice atmospheric audio scenes that play throughout the route. Their narrated vignettes guide visitors through themes of hope, nature, regeneration, and the hidden worlds inside seeds, enhancing the trail’s storytelling power.

Glow Wild 2025 aims to be one of the UK’s most inclusive seasonal experiences.
The entire route has been made fully buggy-friendly, allowing families with young children to navigate easily. Quiet sessions are also available, ensuring visitors who benefit from low-sensory environments can enjoy the trail comfortably.

The event’s producer, Louise Burton, says the team’s ambition was to create a journey that feels uplifting, mesmerising and communal:

“We are Sussex’s renowned seasonal event, and every year we look to create a bold, new and inspiring trail, where people across all generations come together and experience the spectacle. We want our visitors to be transported, immersed, and joyous. Glow Wild radiates across our beautiful landscape, punctuated with intricate hand-crafted installations to full-scale epic showstoppers where seeds spark stories, and the wild glows after dark. We want this year to be a radiant and enchanting experience for all the senses.”

Now in its second decade, Glow Wild has grown into one of the South East’s most beloved winter attractions. This year’s edition stands out not only for its artistic ambition, but also for celebrating Kew’s global role in plant conservation through the Millennium Seed Bank, home to the world’s largest wild seed collection.

By blending scientific storytelling with illuminated installations, Wakehurst continues to push the boundaries of what a winter light trail can be.

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