Christmas lights turned into art: the festive charm that illuminates the United Kingdom

At Kew Gardens, ‘Christmas at Kew’ has become an annual tradition, where the Royal Botanic Gardens are illuminated with millions of LED lights and a series of art installations celebrating both Christmas and the beauty of nature. Since its inauguration in 2013, “Christmas at Kew” has been a benchmark for this type of event throughout the British territory, where it stands out for its ability to integrate art into a natural environment, making it a unique experience. This year, for example, the illuminated trail includes novelties such as “Ombre by TILT”, a series of enormous flowering plants that emerge from the landscape in vibrant hues, and “Threshold“ by Studio Vertigo, an illuminated spiral that evokes the warmth of the Christmas season. Visitors thus enjoy not only the lights, but a deep connection with the natural environment, as the tour allows them to see this World Heritage Site from a completely new perspective.

Other trail highlights include the spectacular light show at the Temperate House, the evocative “Fire Garden,” the magical installation “Fish are Jumping», from the Dutch artist collective TOER, formed by Joris de Groot, Jeroen de Vries and Gijs van Vaerenbergh, whose work is characterized by combining design and technology to create impactful visual experiences. His works often explore themes such as perception, space and movement, and have been featured in several international art festivals and exhibitions.

Sandra Botterell, Marketing Director of the botanic garden, highlighted that “Christmas at Kew is always a long-awaited event of the year, and this year’s trail is a truly magical spectacle.” Botterel explained that it combines “a selection of new installations alongside the firm favorites that have become iconic parts of the Kew Christmas experience”.

In Wakehurst, the most “wild” botanical garden in Kew in Sussex, where the Millennium Seed Bank is located, one of the largest in the world and whose mission is to store and preserve seeds of plants from around the world, especially those that are endangered or could face threats due to factors such as climate change, habitat destruction and overexploitation, the Glow Wild festival celebrates its 11th edition with charming installations and the tree largest living Christmas tree in the world, a fir tree more than 20 meters high.

Behind many of the creations throughout the country is Culture Creative, a British creative agency specialized in the creation of immersive experiences and artistic events in which both emerging and internationally renowned artists participate. Their focus is on the integration of art, technology and design to create visually striking and emotionally evocative installations, and they are currently responsible for around thirty art trails in the UK and elsewhere around the world.

One of them is “The Enchanted Garden”, a spectacular Christmas event held at Blenheim Palace, a historic site of great beauty in Oxfordshire, known for being the ancestral residence of the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough and the birthplace of Winston Churchill. During the Christmas season, the gardens and surroundings of the palace are transformed into a magical landscape with lights, music and art that create an enchanted atmosphere, and in which the impressive Blenheim Palace architecture blends with interactive art installations and light sculptures.

But the magic doesn’t end with Christmas. In fact, in cities like Bristol, the lighting season extends well beyond the festivities. Known for its vibrant arts scene, Bristol continues to offer spectacular events celebrating light, art and creativity in the post-holiday months. The best example is the Bristol Light Festivalwhich will take place on January 31 to February 9, 2025and it is one of the most anticipated events. For ten days, the city is filled with stunning light art installations, which this year will include work by artists such as Bruce Munro, known for his ability to combine light, color and nature in innovative ways. Munro, a graduate of Bristol Polytechnic, has taken his art to such iconic locations as Uluru in Australia and California. His work, which combines large-scale installations with natural elements, will once again transform the city with a series of visual experiences that will attract thousands of visitors.

One of the most exciting proposals of this festival will be “C-Scales” in 2025, an audiovisual installation that was originally created for the Cutaway in Barangaroo Reserve, in Sydney Harbour. In its version for Bristol, C-Scales will have more than 1,800 suspended CDs and DVDs on which animations will be projected, creating a game of reflections that will paint the architecture and visitors with threads of twinkling light. The result will be a subtly immersive installation that invites viewers to interact with light and sound in a unique way.

Additionally, the festival will feature “Somnius”, a work by Illumaphonium, a duo of artists from the south-west of England specializing in large-scale interactive installations. Somnius is an experience that combines light and sound, responding to the audience’s every movement. Thus, as the crowds gather, the work grows in intensity, creating an atmosphere in which spectators become an active part of the installation.

Already earning a prominent place on the city’s events calendar, the Bristol Light Festival has a significant impact on the local economy. Founded by Bristol City Center BID in collaboration with Redcliffe & Temple BID, this event has grown over the years, and is now recognized nationally as a project that puts creativity, art and culture at its heart of the city, supporting local businesses and contributing to the long-term success of commerce.

This approach of combining interactive and public art offers, in addition to a fun way to enjoy art for people of all ages, a sense of community and participation, something that is reflected in the festival’s growing popularity. Thus, the magic of Christmas extends beyond December, becoming a spectacle that continues to enchant residents and visitors long after the festivities have ended.

The art of light has thus become an essential part of winter celebrations throughout the United Kingdom, and both Kew Gardens and the Bristol Light Festival, among many others, offer a way to enjoy the season while promoting a message of sustainability and environmental awareness.