Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Jermyns Lane, Romsey, SO51 0QA

from 4.30pm
Thursday 27 November – Saturday 3 January

https://www.lightuptrails.com
Tickets from £12.50 child, £20 adult, £61 family (off peak prices frozen since 2022)
Free parking with entrance ticket

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Christmas is calling! The multi award-winning Light Up Sir Harold Hillier Gardens At Christmas – Hampshire’s largest festive light trail – has been completely reimagined this year, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible under the stars with more magic, more sparkle and more seasonal joy than ever before!

The schools are back, autumn is upon us and before we know it Christmas will be here, but for tens of thousands of festive family memory makers it can’t come soon enough as the countdown has commenced for the opening of the all-new Light Up Sir Harold Hillier Gardens at Christmas light trail.

In just 10 weeks’ time, the popular family attraction that won Gold in the Tourism Event/Festival of the Year category at the prestigious Beautiful South Tourism Awards, will open for 2025, bigger, better and more beautiful than ever. Not only has the route been reinvented, the entire trail is now themed in zones and the popular Super Peak Nights are further elevated by the theatrical wonder of Steamship Circus whose extraordinary characters and captivating fire performers transform the gardens into a living fantasy. It’s something truly special.

“With more lights, more creative ambition, and more immersive moments than ever before, 2025 will be our most technically and artistically ambitious year yet,” say co-directors Libby Battaglia and Lucinda Croft.

“We’re so grateful for the love and support we receive from our visitors and we’re excited to face the challenge of living up to Gold award-winning expectations. We’ve worked with world-class artists to create a brand-new trail that unfolds across a series of immersive zones each designed to tell a story through light, sound and atmosphere with glowing gardens, enchanted hollows, playful dreamscapes and much, much more.

“Expect new views, new surprises, and a new rhythm to your adventure.”

What’s more, the Off Peak ticket prices remain frozen at 2022 prices and with more Off-Peak time slots than last year, the experience even more accessible to even more people than before.

Last year, tens of thousands of visitors enjoyed the spectacle of Light Up Sir Harold Hillier Gardens At Christmas and now, for a fourth successive year, the popular Romsey visitor attraction – home to some of the UK’s most important plant and tree collections – will again become a beacon of festive joy, ready to captivate and inspire visitors of all ages.

To many visitors, Light Up Sir Harold Hillier Gardens At Christmas marks the start of their family Christmas and those regulars will notice the changes from the moment their arrive. Guided by lanterns through the first zone, Step Into the Magic, they’ll discover the fully immersive Bloom & Glow engaging the sense of smell with huge eucalyptus trees illuminated and new multi-coloured fibre optic flowers leading down to The Wish Pond where floating lights with stars on represent wishes sent out in to the night sky by the reinvented Written in the Stars. The whole area will be flooded with stars and is the prefect taster for The Rhythm of Light where light artist Jon Oliver has designed lasers and moving lights to augment a dance music soundtrack where visitors can get their rave on.

A welcome sight on a chilly night, The Christmas Village offers tempting treats to scoff and quaff as well as the distinctive gift and bauble installations before leading visitors to The Christmas Wish, a beautifully whimsical animated projection created by the fantastic Double Take Projections for Jermyn’s House. It tells the story of a little boy at home who dreams of the perfect Christmas, which comes to life right before his eyes.

Next up is The Enchanted Hollow, an amazing woodland wander through the trees along a star-drenched path where you’ll find a fairy disco in full swing as holographic fairies dance their way across the branches. Look out for the new white cranes in the forest as well as the latest version of the world famous Rhizome installation by Belgian artist Bobolito&Co, a breathtaking, immersive light and sound sculpture inspired by the tangled beauty of nature and the invisible threads that connect us all.

The final zone before home is Seasons of Light where the highly creative, female-led Brightside Studios have worked with Light Up Trails’ resident light art genius James Smith to choreograph an immersive journey of wonder through the seasons of the year in a genuinely breathtaking shared moment to send visitors on their way.

“We can only give you a flavour of what’s in store this year,” say Libby and Lucinda. “The real magic happens when we open the gates and meet our wonderful visitors – we’re going to knock their socks off!”

For more about Light Up Sir Harold Hillier Gardens At Christmas and to book tickets, visit https://www.lightuptrails.com

‍