For more than two centuries, the missing dragons of Kew were one of London’s great royal rumours, and the story behind their disappearance is a surprisingly good one.
When the Great Pagoda was finished in 1762, it was decorated with 80 dragons, but they had vanished by the 1780s. Rumour had it they were sold to pay the Prince Regent’s gambling debts, although Historic Royal Palaces’ curators think the truth is far less scandalous, and that the wooden dragons had simply degraded.
The dragons have since returned, with eight hand-carved in African cedarwood and the other 72 3D printed, and they went back up in 2018.
Now, as the festive season approaches, the 163-foot pagoda is once again part of Christmas at Kew, which runs from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027.
13 November 2026 16:20 + more dates
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Again already shaping to be one of London’s most festive traditions, tickets are already flying and dates have been unveiled.
We have the full scoop on this year’s iteration and what you can expect for the 2026 version!
What’s new at Christmas at Kew
The three-kilometre trail mixes brand-new commissions with returning favourites, and Kew’s Sandra Botterell says it has a “freshly designed route.”
At the Treetop Walkway, Squidsoup’s Infinite Choir is a sound and light installation that plays with space.
Studio Vertigo’s Drift, inspired by seeds carried on the wind, sends illuminated spheres almost two metres into the air.
Elsewhere, French collective TILT has made larger-than-life blooms programmed to music. ITHACA studio’s new animated willow tree lets light cascade from the canopy like water, and it draws on Kew’s historic tree collection, which hasn’t appeared on a trail before.
Winding past the Pagoda
Around the Temperate House, brand-new towering monoliths lead the way to Pagoda Vista, which is set to light up the winter night. Lighting up for the first time ever just last year, the 1762 landmark designed by William Chambers and restored in 2018 will glow festively once again.
The trail then loops around the glasshouse, where the Skirt Trees replicate the Nutcracker and the Sugar Plum Fairy.
Behind the Palm House, a dynamic Neon Tree is one of Kew’s 11,000 trees.
The favourites that return
Regulars won’t miss out. The Christmas Cathedral and its glowing arches are back, along with the Fire Garden’s dancing flames and the Pealight Tree, which Kew’s arborists decorate with thousands of lights.
The Temperate House light show also returns, lighting up the world’s largest surviving Victorian glasshouse after dark.
You’ll start the trail beneath a gateway of oversized gifts and illuminated arches, with a visit from Father Christmas. Further on come Candy Cane Lane, a Gingerbread Walk, life-sized Nutcracker figures and giant glitter balls.
The trail rounds off at the Palm House Pond, with a fountain display across the water and giant chandeliers on the adjacent lawn. Bespoke projections there tell the story of the Palm House renovation project and London’s living rainforest, just ahead of the glasshouse’s closure to the public next February.
Adults-only nights, dinner and Quiet Access
For the first time, Kew is opening dedicated adults-only evenings on Thursday 3 December and Wednesday 9 December for guests aged 18 and over. They look like a good pick for a festive date night or a work Christmas do.
A VIP Exploration Lounge in Davies Exploration House, one of Kew’s historic glasshouses, will also offer a complimentary drink on select nights, adults only.
To turn it into a full evening, the Botanical Brasserie offers a three-course Christmas dinner at £55 for adults.
Quiet Access sessions return on 21 November and on 1, 16 and 26 December for visitors with hidden and visual disabilities, and they must be booked in advance.
Good to know before you go
The trail runs from 4:20 pm to 10 pm and is closed on 16, 23 and 28 November and on Christmas Day.
Under-4s go free, and adult tickets start from £36, though peak dates can cost more.
⚪ For more information and to purchase tickets for this year’s Christmas at Kew, head here!
