Everything you need to know for Glow Wild 2024

Saturday 7, Friday 13, Saturday 14, Sunday 15, Wednesday 18, Thursday 19, Friday 20, Saturday 21, Sunday 22, Monday 23 December 
Gardens close at 10:30pm, last entry at 9pm.

Christmas Eve: 

24 December 
Gardens close at 9pm, last entry at 7:30pm.

In addition to Quiet Sessions, we are holding Relaxed Performances on selected nights (Thursday 28 November, Friday 6 December, Wednesday 11 December, Sunday 22 December and Monday 30 December at 4.15pm). 

There are three Adult Only timeslots available on Friday 13, Saturday 14, Friday 20, Sunday 21 December at 8pm, 8.15pm and 8:30pm. 

Please arrive at the Visitor Centre promptly for your booked start time. 

Ticket information

How to book

Tickets are now on sale.

Book general tickets

Book members tickets

Advance booking is essential.

Not yet a member? Join now to get exclusive updates and discounts on our events.

All visitors must have their own valid ticket which must be produced to gain entry to the event. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Please be aware that we do not authorise or have any control over the sale of tickets via third-party websites.

Prices

Infants (under 4's) and Essential Companions: Free 

We offer a free essential companion ticket for disabled customers; valid with Adult, Child (4-15), or Family ticket. For a child's carer, child (age 4-15) must have a disability or long-term illness. Documentation may be required upon arrival. 

Swap/upgrade your tickets up to 7 days before 

10% discount for adult groups of 7 – 20.

Off-peak 

Wakehurst or Kew member – Adult: £16.50 

Wakehurst or Kew member – Family (2 adults & 2 children): £50.00 

Adult: £19.50 

Children (4-16): £13.00 

Family (2 adults & 2 children): £62.00  

Standard

Wakehurst or Kew member – Adult: £18.00 

Wakehurst or Kew member – Family (2 adults & 2 children): £55.00 

Adult: £21.00 

Child: £13.50 

Family (2 adults & 2 children) £66.00  

Peak  

Wakehurst or Kew member – Adult: £21.50 

Wakehurst or Kew member – Family (2 adults & 2 children): £65.50 

Adult: £25.00 

Child: £16.00 

Family (2 adults/2 children): £78.50 

Group rates available. For group bookings (20+) please contact groups@seetickets.com.

On site car parking: Free

Pre-bookable shuttle bus: Free

Pre-bookable lantern making kit*: £4.95

^{*collect from the Visitor Centre after your visit}

Your tickets

After purchasing your tickets online, you will receive a confirmation email from See Tickets with your entry ticket(s) attached.

Please arrive promptly at your booked arrival time.

Contactless ticket scanning will take place on arrival. There is no need to print this attachment but please have it open on your mobile phone or tablet when you arrive. Please pre-download your tickets or take a photo as signal onsite is limited.

All tickets for your party will be in the same attachment, so all members of your party must enter at the same time. Do not attempt to duplicate any of these tickets as second and subsequent scans will fail.

Please note your event ticket does not include day visitor entry to the gardens.

Can’t find your tickets?

You can get them resent. Remember to check your Junk/Spam inbox.

If you have a query relating to your ticket, please contact See Tickets Customer Service, quoting your booking reference number.

Please note ticket enquiries cannot be dealt with by Wakehurst.

Cancellation, exchanges, and refunds

Please log in to your order here. You can swap your tickets (or upgrade) to a different date up to 7 days before the event, depending on availability.

Please note that the exchange tool can only be used if you are booking the same number of tickets at the same or greater price.

If you are unable to make the desired changes to your order using the exchange tool, please rebook and send your original and new booking reference by clicking (here).

To receive a refund, you must submit the correct information no later than 7 days before the original event date.

Please note Glow Wild is an outdoor event with no cover. Inevitably bad weather can affect any open-air event. If we need to cancel the event as it is unsafe to proceed, visitors will be offered an alternative date, if available, or a full refund (minus the transaction fee).

No refunds will be offered simply if the weather is inclement. Any decision to cancel the event will be communicated by 2pm on the day of an event. See also Glow Wild Terms and Conditions.

Ticket Refund Protection Insurance is available at the point of purchase though a third party hosted by our ticketing partner See Tickets. Ticket Refund Protection Insurance full terms and conditions.

Visiting Wakehurst during the day

Your event ticket does not include day visitor entry to the gardens.

Daytime visitors will need to return to the Visitor Centre when the gardens close at 3pm (last entry 2pm).

If you have a ticket for Glow Wild the same evening, you must exit the gardens at 3pm and re-enter at your pre-booked time.

At the event

What to bring and wear

The event is outdoors and there are no covered areas on the trail, so ensure you have sufficient warm and waterproof clothing. Appropriate outdoor footwear is also essential.

In some areas the lighting will be low level. This is part of the experience, please do not bring bright torches.

Food and drink

A range of seasonal food and drink, toasting marshmallows, sweet and savoury treats and grab-and-go family meals will be available from our Glow Wild chalets and onsite restaurants.

Please note all payments are by card only. 

Please inform the catering staff of any allergies. There will be a variety of food available to meet a range of dietary requirements. 

Shopping

Experience the joy of Christmas shopping at the Visitor Centre Gift Shop and Plant Centre, where you'll find a range of botanical-inspired gifts and treasures, perfect for spreading holiday cheer. Wakehurst/Kew Members can save 10%! Not a member yet? Join now!

You will exit through the Visitor Centre which is open until 9.45pm.

Payments can be made by card only.

Safety

For safety reasons, no naked flames (e.g. candles, night lights, flares, and lanterns) are allowed.

Photography

As per our ticket terms and conditions, we would like to remind you that as a ticket holder you are consenting to photography and filming by Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew that may be used for promotional purposes.

If you would prefer to not be on camera, please speak to a member of staff during your visit.

Thinking of proposing at Glow Wild?

If you’re planning a magical Glow Wild moment to pop the question, please do get in touch with the team to see how we can help make it a night to remember. Whether you need a quiet corner on the trail, champagne on ice or someone to help capture the occasion, email the team at glowwild@kew.org.

After the event

Please leave quietly at the end of the event out of consideration for our neighbours.

Place all litter in the bins provided.

Access

The route

The trail is just over one mile long and takes approximately an hour to walk round. It is fully accessible and can be viewed from hard standing and/or flat gravel paths, which are suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs.

Please be aware that the landscape is undulating so there are some slopes and not all paths are concrete or even.

Please ask a member of staff on the trail if you need any assistance.

Wheelchairs, mobility scooters and buggies

Wheelchairs are available to borrow on a first come, first served basis. Four mobility scooters are available per evening and must be booked in advance by calling 01444 894067.

Children's scooters are not permitted on the trail.

Dogs

Disability assistance dogs are welcome on a short lead, other dogs are not allowed.

Quiet sessions

There will be a limited number of quiet session tickets which are suitable for visitors with hidden disabilities, such as autism, to make for a more comfortable visit whilst still benefiting from the sensory elements of Glow Wild.

Nightly at 4:15pm. These are designed for visitors with hidden disabilities and their essential companions. 

We ask that other visitors respect the quiet sessions and do not book during these limited time slots.

Relaxed sessions

On selected nights (Nov 28, Dec 6, Dec 11, Dec 22, Dec 30), gentle sessions are tailored for children with special educational needs and disabilities, such as those across the autism spectrum and/or with sensory processing needs. Maximum capacity of 50 visitors.

We ask that other visitors kindly respect the Relaxed sessions and do not book at this time.

Toilets

There are accessible toilets and baby changing facilities available at the start and throughout the trail. These are at the Schools Entrance, Visitor Centre, and Stables Kitchen.

How to get here

Our address is Selsfield Road, Ardingly, Haywards Heath, Sussex, RH17 6TN.

By car/coach: we are on the B2028, south of Turners Hill and north of Ardingly.

On approaching Wakehurst please follow signage rather than relying on your Sat Nav, as it will bring you to the North Drive entrance which is the wrong one for this event.

By train:

Our closest station is Haywards Heath (6 miles away). For train times.

Other train stations include Crawley (10 miles) and Three Bridges (9 miles)

By bus:

A direct shuttle bus service, the Glow Wild 982, is offered from Crawley Bus Station (directly opposite Crawley Railway Station) stopping at Three Bridges Railway Station, then non-stop to Wakehurst.

Travel for free when you pre-book your bus tickets as part of your Glow Wild ticket purchase. The Glow Wild 982 service has been introduced through a partnership with Metrobus.

The journey time for the 982 is approximately 27 minutes. Timetable information can be found here.

Visitors may also wish to use the Metrobus route 272 service to supplement their journey. This route covers Crawley, Three Bridges, Copthorne and Turners Hill, with timetable details here.

Visitors can travel on both the route 982 and 272 free of charge. Please ensure you present your Glow Wild booking to the driver as you board. It is possible to use the bus on the night without pre-booking, however space on the bus cannot be guaranteed. If we can accommodate you, then a capped fare of £2 each way for all passengers applies.

Use the bus journey planner here.

Bus stop locations:

Crawley Bus Station is Stop D (outside County Mall/Boots)
Three Bridges Station is Stop B (Next to the Snooty Fox)
Drop off at Wakehurst is within a short walking distance of the Visitor Centre.

Connecting bus and train services:

Visitors can easily connect with routes 982 and 272, with regular bus and train services operating to Crawley and Three Bridges stations.

Contact details

For all ticket related enquiries contact See Tickets Customer Service.

For event or access information please contact glowwild@kew.org or call 01444 894067.