Lit arches and jack-o'-lanterns along the trail at KewHalloween at Kew
- Best time
- The later sessions, after 7.30pm, are the darkest; the early ones suit children
- Getting there
- Kew Gardens station (District line and Overground), then a short walk to the gates
Why it’s in the log
Since 2024 the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew have run a Halloween trail after dark through the second half of October. It's about 1.5 km and takes an hour to an hour and a half: ancient trees lit from below, a tunnel of grinning pumpkin heads lighting the path, a cursed tomb, a witch's cauldron, fire performers, and Dracula and a headless horseman roaming the route. The Temperate House, the gardens' great Victorian glasshouse, is the backdrop.
It is staged, not observed — a ticketed show rather than a local custom — and it doesn't pretend otherwise. Sessions are timed and sell out: the earlier ones are family-friendly, and after about 7.30pm it gets properly dark and more unsettling. Expect hot drinks, toasted marshmallows and a disco at the end.
The 2026 run was from 16 October to 1 November, with tickets from about £20 for adults. Check Kew's site for next year's dates, and book early.
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