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 2025, and book yourself a day (well, evening) trip in south-east England, pronto.
Windsor Great Park Illuminated (Berkshire)
Both woodlands and water in Windsor Great Park are lit up for the 2.2km Illuminated trail, which offers lights, projections, and flood-lit fountains. Begin at the Festive Village and wander around the lake viewing lasers, enchanted lanterns and a glowing prism, among other installations. Don't worry, there are two spots along the way where you can make a pitstop for warming food and drink, with plenty of options back at the Festive Village too.
Windsor Great Park Illuminated, 14 November 2025-3 January 2026.
Christmas at Blenheim Palace (Oxfordshire)
Always one of the most famous festive events in the country, Christmas at Blenheim Palace back for 2025, with an outdoor trail, and new Palace interior decorations themed on The Wizard Of Oz. Outside, wander through glittering arches, and glowing tunnels on that after-dark trail. Santa may well make an appearance too. After a successful debut last year, the ice rink returns to the grounds, and the giant observation wheel gives you a bird's-eye view of the festivities.
Christmas at Blenheim Palace, 14 November 2025-3 January 2026.
Christmas at Bedgebury (Kent)
Once again, this huge forest on the Kent/East Sussex border hosts an enchanting 1.9km trail through the trees. Previous years have included 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 installations including 'Floating Candles’, and a ‘Choir of Trees’ for 2025.
Street food vendors pop-up for all your hot choccie and toasted marshmallow needs (with firepits along the route for you to toast the latter). If you keep an eye out, you might get a glimpse of Father Christmas along the way.
Christmas at Bedgebury, 21 November-31 December 2025. There's are special Relaxed Sessions on 22 November, and 3 and 16 December, for both children and adults with additional needs who would benefit from visiting the trail when it's less crowded.
New: Winter Lights Spectacular at Brands Hatch (Kent)
For the first time, motor racing circuit Brands Hatch hosts a Winter Lights Spectacular, featuring a 1.6km illuminated trail through the circuit grounds (foot off the accelerator — it's a walking route, and you won't venture onto the track itself). Expect illuminated displays — some with a motorsport twist — through the woods, including the Enchanted Elderwood tree where you can leave your wishes, and a light show projected onto the Brabham Stewart building, with catering spots, funfair rides and other attractions along the way.
Winter Lights Spectacular at Brands Hatch, 21 November-31 December 2025.
Glow at RHS Gardens (Surrey and Essex)
RHS Gardens all over the country, including RHS Wisley right next to the M25 in Surrey — bring back their enchanting Glow trails for Christmas 2025.
At RHS Wisley, that translates into a magical winter light trail through the gardens at night, featuring a star arch, mirrorballs and a forest of fairyball trees. The Glasshouse Lake is illuminated in beautiful colours, with the Glasshouse itself full of lanterns, rainbow lights and twinkling stars. Don't miss the spectacular fire and fountains grand finale at the Jellicoe Canal.
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 2025 at RHS Wisley, 21 November 2025-4 January 2026
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.
Ashridge House Illuminated (Hertfordshire)
Ashridge House near Tring takes 'family-friendly' to a new level, offering an illuminated event which is dog friendly too. For two nights a week (Wednesday and Thursdays), four-legged friends are welcome to join their humans on Hertforshire's biggest light trail, featuring 20 sparkling displays set in 190 acres of Grade II* listed gardens. Impressively, the trail is run entirely by renewable energy.
A festive food village serves up dishes including sourdough pizza, cheese toasties, German sausages, waffles, burgers and Lebanese and Vietnamese cuisine, along with hot drinks and craft beer. New for 2025 is a 115ft observation wheel to give you a view of proceedings from above.
Ashridge House Illuminated, 27 November 2025-1 January 2026.
Glow Wild at Wakehurst (West Sussex)
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. 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! For 2025 it has a new theme, Seed Safari – A Walk on the Wild Side, celebrating 25 years of the site's Millennium Seed Bank, with illuminations featuring nature’s seed-bearers, including wolves, moths, fungi, rivers and even sleeping giants, all accompanied by audio vignettes recorded by Cate Blanchett, Kew Ambassador for Wakehurst.
Other highlights this year include Moon River (13,000 individually programmed lights tracing the river’s journey through the landscape), the Flutterby Garden consisting of delicate glass wings and wind chimes, and Time Sleeps in the Seeds, a projection onto the front of the historic Elizabethan Mansion.
The food village is bigger this year too, serving up street food, sweet treats and warming winter drinks. On selected night, you can upgrade your experience with additional tickets for a special dining experience inside the beautifully decorated mansion.
Glow Wild at Wakehurst, 27 November 2025-3 January 2026.
New: Port Lympne Illuminated (Kent)
Another new entry for 2025, Port Lympne Illuminated wends its way through the 600-acre Kent animal park with light and water shows, holograms, and other interactive experiences. Look out for holofan fairies and 3D projections in the tree canopy above your head, dance at a high-energy disco in the Orangery with synchronised light and sound, and keep an eye out for hyper-realistic holographic tigers in the shadows.
Children can visit the big man himself and take home a gift from the on-site Santa's grotto, as well as taking a ride or two at the vintage fairground.
Port Lympne Illuminated includes access to Port Lympne Reserve's walking route from 2pm on the day of your booking, so arrive early for a chance to see the animals before their bedtime.
Port Lympne Illuminated, 28 November 2025-3 January 2026.
