
London's absolutely buzzing with light festivals in winter — and so are its surrounds. Take a look at some of the best light, lantern and illumination festivals near London around Christmas 2024, and book yourself a day (well, evening) trip in south-east England, pronto.
Christmas at Bedgebury 2024, Kent

Once again, this huge forest on the Kent/East Sussex border hosts an enchanting mile-long trail through the trees. It usually includes a vortex tunnel, colour-changing tree lights, illuminated boats floating on the lake, jumping jets of light and a fire garden — and we're promised new lights for 2024.
An on-site cafe is open, with additional street food vendors for the event, for all your hot choccie and toasted marshmallow needs. There are also a couple of fairground rides for children (extra charge), and if you keep an eye out, you might get a glimpse of Father Christmas along the way.
Christmas at Bedgebury, 15 November 2024-1 January 2025. There's are special Relaxed Sessions on 23 November, and 4 and 10 December, for both children and adults with additional needs who would benefit from visiting the trail when it's less crowded.
Windsor Great Park Illuminated 2024, Berkshire

Both woodlands and water in Windsor Great Park are lit up for the Illuminated trail, which offers lights, projections, and flood-lit fountains. The lasers and the Field of Lights from previous years are back for 2024 with new installations to be wowed by too. Burgers, pizzas, waffles and churros are among the food options at stalls along the trail.
Windsor Great Park Illuminated, 15 November 2024-4 January 2025.
Christmas at Blenheim Palace 2024, Oxfordshire

Always one of the most famous festive events in the country, Christmas at Blenheim Palace back for 2024, with an outdoor trail, and new Palace interior decorations themed on Peter Pan and Neverland. Outside, wander through glittering arches, and glowing tunnels, and for the first time, an ice rink pops up in the palace grounds too. Santa may well make an appearance too.
Christmas at Blenheim Palace, 15 November 2024-1 January 2025.
Glow Wild 2024 at Wakehurst

Christmas at Kew is one of our favourite annual events in London — so it's no surprise that we're also huge fans of the light trail at Wakehurst, Kew Gardens' sister site in the Sussex countryside, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. On a still night, the reflections on the lake are magnificent, and the UK's tallest Christmas tree towers over it all.
We've always found Glow Wild to be better suited to younger visitors than the Kew spectacular, with a shorter route, and focus more on lanterns than lasers — and under-4s go free! Once again, we're promised beautifully hand-crafted lanterns and captivating light installations, including a giant flying owl, a huge whale, a sea of stars, seahorse lanterns, and a series of enchanting tiny villages.
There are pop-up food and drink stalls dotted around the event, as well as fire pits where you can toast marshmallows.
Glow Wild at Wakehurst, 28 November 2024-1 January 2025. Adult-only nights, quiet experiences, and relaxed slots adapted for children with special educational needs and disabilities are available on certain dates.
Glow 2024 at RHS Wisley, Surrey
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The enchanting Glow trail around RHS Wisley has a new route for 2024, showing off some of the garden's best sights in a brand new light. For the first time, there's a pontoon across the Glass House Lake, and twinkles in the tropical section of the Glasshouse. Magical Fairy Bell Trees and snowflakes light the way, and a variety of Christmas stalls inside the garden are a chance to make a dent in your Christmas shopping.
The Terrace Restaurant and Wisley Café are both open for refreshments, with further festive food chalets dotted along the route, and the RHS Wisley Garden Centre is open for Christmas shopping.
Glow 2024 at RHS Wisley, 22 November 2024-5 January 2025.
Glow events also take place at the other RHS gardens: Hyde Hall in Essex, Harlow Carr in North Yorkshire, Bridgewater in Salford, and Rosemoor in Devon.
Illuminated Battle Abbey
The usual lights trail at Eltham Palace has been replaced by a new festive family event this year, but English Heritage still offers an illuminated event at Battle Abbey in East Sussex. Across six evenings in December, Illuminated Battle Abbey is a series of lights, installations and sound effects themed around 1066 and the Battle of Hastings which took place on the site. Hot chocolate and mulled wine and cider are available to enjoy as you watch, with the on-site cafe open at the end.
Illuminated Battle Abbey, 3-8 December 2024. Find other things to do in the town of Battle with our guide.
Further afield: the best winter light and lantern festivals in the UK
If you're willing to travel even further to get your winter light fix — perhaps make a weekend of it — check out the best illuminations in the UK:
- Longleat Festival of Light, Wiltshire: When wildlife park Longleat closes for the day, its animals go to bed and its lanterns come to life. A seriously impressive set of huge Chinese lanterns on an historical theme light a path around the house at the centre of the estate — look out for kings, queens, knights and the like. 9 November 2024-5 January 2025.
- Luxmuralis: Worth keeping an eye on this company's upcoming schedule. They're running Poppy Fields at the Tower of London in November 2024, but tend to have a regular selection of different light shows in interesting venues all over the country.