Birmingham Botanical Gardens Winter Light Trail 2025

A spectacular, illuminated trail, full of wonder and intrigue, to delight and enthral your senses.

As darkness descends, join us on our enchanting journey, as we weave a captivating light trail through the stunning, historic grounds of Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Immerse yourself in our mesmerising almost mile long trail, with stunning lighting elements and fabulous light play, all set to music.

A timeless experience to be enjoyed by all, young and old alike.

Tickets must be pre-booked online in advance.

There will be catering and hot drinks available at the start, and toasted marshmallows and mulled wine approx. half way around the trail. Car parking is not included with your ticket but we have secured limited free parking at the University and School within walking distance. Please follow signs to these car parks. Limited blue badge parking is available on a first come first served basis at The Gardens.

Dates & Times

28th November - 1st January 2026

Entry times: 4.30pm to 8pm

The trail will take approximately 60 - 90 minutes.

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Tickets

Tickets must be pre-booked online in advance.
Limited tickets are available for each timeslot, with many slots selling out.

FAQs

Enjoy a magical evening stroll through our beautifully lit trail in the Botanical Gardens! Let the enchanting lights and music guide you on this 1.4km journey, which you can complete in about 45-60 minutes. Feel free to take the trail again if you'd like!

Please note, car parking isn't included with your ticket. There's limited blue badge parking available on a first-come, first-served basis, with charges applicable. Remember, this adventure is all outdoors, so bundle up in warm clothes and sturdy shoes for the chilly winter weather!

Just a heads-up, our trail doesn't feature traditional holiday decorations, and Santa won't be making an appearance—he's super busy prepping at the North Pole!
For the safety and enjoyment of all our visitors, dogs are NOT permitted at Luminate Birmingham*

*with the exception of Guide dogs and assistance dogs
Follow the twinkling festoon lights along the path, and you'll never lose your way! Friendly stewards are also there along the trail to guide you, ensuring you have a smooth and enjoyable experience.
To keep everyone safe and having fun, please stick to the marked trail throughout your visit. Children and vulnerable adults should always have a watchful eye on them. Luminate happens in the cosy winter evenings at a lovely country estate, and areas off the trail might have hidden trip hazards. So, let's keep to the path and follow any advice from our friendly stewards.

Our team will keep an eye on trail conditions, but remember, it's a winter evening event in the great outdoors. A little extra caution will go a long way, especially when supervising kids and vulnerable adults.

Enjoy our interactive light installations—they're there for you to play with! These will be clearly marked, and our helpful stewards will be nearby to guide you. For safety and an enjoyable experience, please avoid touching other light or electrical setups, and keep an eye on the little ones.
Smoking or Vaping is not allowed on the trail
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. 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.
Google Map of Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Westbourne Rd, Birmingham. B15 3TR

Your new Christmas tradition in West Midlands
Westbourne Rd, Birmingham. B15 3TR