Last Updated on 1 November 2024 by Colette
Guest Review
After ten years of going to Christmas at Kew on the bounce I’d got…well…bored of it, I guess. I didn’t enjoy last year at all (too many people, thought the displays were average compared to previous years, it rained (not their fault but it did little to improve my mood)) so I made an executive decision to do a Glasto and have a fallow year in 2024. When I got the information for Halloween at Kew I was in two minds, but thought we’d give it a go as nothing ventured, nothing gained. Here’s what I thought.
What do I need to know about Halloween at Kew?
We had a slot at 6:30pm – which meant we got to see all the lighting at its best. But some of the other areas had less lighting meaning some bits we could hardly see at all. Places like the cemetery I thought would have been better at dusk. I did think it was good that they’d given it some thought and that no matter what time you went, there would be something designed for that time.
The loop is approximately 1.6km and took us about hour to do. It’s about half the size of Christmas at Kew which is now a whopping 3km. We put that down to it being the first year for Halloween at Kew, assuming they wouldn’t go the full shebang before knowing how popular it’d be. They needn’t have worried – it was mobbed when we went last night.
Like Colette, we were really impressed with the quality of the installations – and also the variety. None of the installations felt samey and we liked they had different music which really matched the visual theme – some had haunting music, some sci fi music, some just had creepy noises like shrieks and groans.
There’s food and drink available at the start of the Halloween at Kew provided by the wonderful Kerb. Quite a lot of it was Halloween themed which was a nice touch. Expect a meal to set you back between £15-£20 (I know, but it’s London, everything costs a small fortune). I had a Nanny Bill’s burger which I would thoroughly recommend.
Highlights for us on the Halloween at Kew trail were the laser field which I found really disorienting – like I was drunk (I’ve described that terribly but I LOVED it), and going to see Count Dracula in Transylvania (no photo, sorry but the queue to see him was ten deep so just took a photo of the bats instead!)
We did enjoy the trail – after becoming bored of Christmas at Kew it was good to go to something different. Would I go back? Yes probably, but might leave it a few years before returning.
Where is Halloween at Kew Gardens?
Halloween at Kew is at Kew Gardens (obvs) – It’s easily to get to using the bus, tube (Kew Gardens) and train (Richmond).
What do I do about parking?
I think the advice online says to not bring your car if you can help it: car parking spaces are very limited, there’s the ULEZ to consider and it’s in a notoriously busy part of London for traffic (driving in London is a never ending source of joy). That said there is car parking at Kew and this should be pre-booked online when you buy your tickets – if you don’t pre-book your parking it is highly likely there won’t be a space available for you. Parking is charged at £10 per vehicle.
Do I need to pre-book for Halloween at Kew
Entrance is limited and in timed slots to avoid the event becoming over crowded so yes, you do need to pre-book your tickets.
Can I take my dog to Halloween at Kew?
No, no dogs are allowed on this Halloween trail (except of course for assistance dogs!)
Is the trail muddy?
On the whole the trail is paved, but there’s a few bits where you go near grass which could get muddy, particularly where people try and bypass queues that build up by using the grass verges and end up traipsing mud everywhere.
Is Halloween at Kew scary?
Eerie, spooky, chilling…. Yes. Scary, no (except for when a live actor moved – we thought they were a statue. I nearly had a heart attack!!) We thought they got the balance just right.
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