AnswerChecked 8 Sep 2026
How much is Christmas at Kew?
Tickets start at £25.50 and it is a separate ticket from general Kew admission, which catches out members who assume they are covered. It runs on selected dates from 13 November to 3 January, 4.20pm to 10pm, and last entry depends on which gate you booked rather than on the event.
The price, and what it is not
From £25.50, with member, family and child rates. It is ticketed separately from general admission to Kew Gardens, so a Kew membership does not get you in. Timed entry, and the good slots go weeks out.
Last entry is set by your gate
Seven o’clock at Brentford Gate, twenty past seven at Elizabeth Gate and eight at Victoria Gate. On Christmas Eve the whole thing closes at nine and last entry moves about an hour earlier. The gardens shut at ten.
New for 2026
Two adults only evenings, on 3 and 9 December. Same mile of trail without the pushchairs, and only two of them all season. Quiet Access sessions for visitors with hidden disabilities run on 21 November and on 1, 16 and 26 December.
Which slot to book
The latest you can. The earliest sessions are still partly daylight and the trail does not work in daylight. It is ninety minutes outdoors on gravel in December, so dress for standing still rather than for walking.
What is on
8 listings-
Seasonal Free
Oxford Street Christmas lights
Until 6 Jan 2027
The oldest and longest of the displays, nearly a mile from Marble Arch to Tottenham Court Road. Early November, date not yet published.
-
Seasonal Free
Carnaby Street Christmas lights
Until 6 Jan 2027
A different theme every year and never a snowflake, which is why it earns a detour. Switch-on Wednesday 4 November. Free.
-
Seasonal Free
Regent Street Christmas lights
Until 6 Jan 2027
The angels, best walked north from Piccadilly Circus with the curve ahead of you. Switch-on Thursday 5 November. Free.
-
Seasonal Free
Covent Garden at Christmas
Until 6 Jan 2027
The tree, the mistletoe and more than 300,000 lights, lit from 12 November. Free, busy from four, best on a weekday morning.
-
Seasonal From £25.50
Christmas at Kew
Until 3 Jan 2027
A mile of lit trail through the gardens after dark, ending at the Palm House. Ticketed separately from general Kew admission, and last entry depends on which gate you booked.
-
Seasonal From £25.50
Christmas at Kew: adults only evening
New for 2026: the light trail with no children on it, on Wednesday 3 December. Same route and same last entry times by gate, and only two of these evenings all season.
-
Seasonal Free
The Trafalgar Square Christmas tree
Until 6 Jan 2027
Given by Norway every year since 1947 in thanks for the war, lit with vertical strings of plain white bulbs in the Norwegian way. Carols are sung under it most evenings in December.
-
Seasonal From £25.50
Christmas at Kew: adults only evening
New for 2026: the light trail with no children on it, on Wednesday 9 December. Same route and same last entry times by gate, and only two of these evenings all season.
Related guides
All guides-
On now
Activity bars in London: darts, shuffleboard, mini golf and bingo
Competitive socialising, which is the industry's word for a bar with a game in it. What each one...
-
On now
Afternoon tea in London: the prices, the sittings, and the one that runs into the evening
The Ritz serves it at half past seven at night. What the grand rooms charge, and which of...
-
Sat 1 May to Thu 30 September
London lidos and outdoor swimming: which pools open when
Most open at weekends from May and daily from June. Which are heated, which are cold, and which...
-
On now
Bars and pubs open near me: how late London actually drinks
Which parts of London are still serving at one, which stop at eleven, and how to get home....
-
On now
Rooftop bars in London: the free ones, the booked ones, and the seasonal ones
Where to drink with a view, what you need to book, and which rooftops cost nothing at all.
-
Sun 15 November to Thu 31 December
Christmas in London 2026: what to book, what is free, and the days themselves
The shows and concerts to book in October, the free things that need only a coat, and what...