Step into the historic charm of Birmingham Botanical Gardens after dark and discover a captivating illuminated trail. With dazzling displays, interactive light installations, and synchronised soundscapes, this celebrated experience - which has already welcomed over one million visitors nationwide - promises a magical, festive adventure for all ages.
A captivating trail through the gardens, nearly one mile (approx. 1.4 km), with music-synchronised installations, projection mapping, and dynamic laser effects.
Interactive light displays including tunnels of light, mirror balls, waterfall effects, and more.
Friendly stewards throughout to guide you—trail completion usually takes 60–90 minutes, with the option to walk again if you’d like.
Some features include flashing and rotating lights, projection shows with up to 10 light flashes per second, and occasional haze or smoke for atmosphere.
The trail will take approximately 60 - 90 minutes.
Tickets must be pre-booked online in advance.
Limited tickets are available for each timeslot, with many slots selling out.
In order to ensure that Luminate can be enjoyed by everyone to the upmost, it has been designed as a continuous experience, with strictly fixed entry time slots, starting from 4.30pm onwards, which must be pre-booked in advance.
To ensure the enjoyment and safety of all our visitors, we allocate a set number of tickets per timeslot and would ask that all visitors adhere to their booked timeslot. Our entry time slots are every fifteen minutes from 4.30-4.45pm through to 8.00pm – 8.15pm. At certain sites, we offer later slots on popular nights (Please check the site ticketing page for more info).
Please note that on the Christmas and New Year Holiday dates, Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve & New Year’s Day last entry to our trail will be at 8.00pm. On those dates, the trail itself will close promptly at 9pm. Please note on those dates that the food and drink concessions will close by 8.30pm.
Car parking at the venue is very limited and restricted to blue badge holders only (Please note spaces can not be booked or guaranteed). There is however free parking available at the University Car Park (Birmingham University City South Campus) across the road (approx. 100m from the Botanical Gardens) and at Edgbaston High School next door (not on Sundays).
The Gardens can be reached as follows:
Buses: 23, 24, 1, X8, 9, X10, 12, 12A, 13, 13A, 13B, X21 and 126 all stop outside, or very close to, the Gardens. Click here to Plan Your Journey
Tickets must be pre-booked online in advance.
Limited tickets are available for each timeslot, with many slots selling out.
Car parking at the venue is very limited. Parking is available locally at Edgbaston School, Monday to Saturday only, and also at The University, City South Campus just across the road. Where possible, we recommend you travel to the venue via public transport.
Get ready to indulge in some tasty festive treats and drinks during your visit! We'll share more details soon, but you can count on hot chocolate, tea, coffee, mulled wine, and marshmallows by the fire pit. Feel free to bring your own marshmallows, just remember the skewers!
🚫 No outside alcohol allowed—anyone caught with it will be asked to leave, no refunds.
