We checked 6 Christmas light events near Crowborough, from Hever Castle to Glow Wild and SteamLights, for 2026 dates and prices. Updated November 2026.
This page sets out six places to see Christmas lights after dark near Crowborough in 2026, with dates and the prices each organiser has published. Hever Castle and Bedgebury open first, on 20 November; SteamLights on the Bluebell Railway starts from Sheffield Park on 21 November; and Glow Wild at Wakehurst starts on 26 November. Most of them ask you to book ahead or to reserve parking.
The quick answer
- Cheapest full trail: Bedgebury, adults £19 off peak, children £13, parking £10 a car
- Most festive: Hever Castle, A Nutcracker’s Christmas, with Father Christmas as an extra
- On a train: SteamLights, from £35, but the railway says it is not a traditional Christmas event this year and Santa is not there
- With choirs: Twilights at Standen, on December weekends from 3.30pm to 6pm
- Is anything in Crowborough itself? Only the Christmas Cracker switch-on on Friday 27 November
| Where | Dates | Adult price | Book |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hever Castle | 20 Nov to 2 Jan | on the booking system | advised; timed entry |
| Bedgebury | 20 Nov to 31 Dec, selected | £19 to £27.50 | essential, with parking |
| SteamLights, Sheffield Park | 21 Nov to 30 Dec, selected | from £35 | online |
| Glow Wild, Wakehurst | 26 Nov to 2 Jan, selected | £21 to £28 | essential |
| Twilights, Standen | 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20 Dec | normal admission | not stated |
| Late Nights, Scotney Castle | 12, 13, 18 to 21 Dec | standard admission | car park slot only |
Hever Castle
Christmas at Hever Castle has the theme A Nutcracker’s Christmas, starting at Drosselmeier’s workshop and moving through the Land of Sweets to the castle itself. From 4pm the castle, gardens and lake are lit. Entry is timed, and Hever says walk-ins cannot be guaranteed. Tickets are sold online only, as daytime or twilight, and cannot be refunded or moved.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| 20 to 22 November | 11.30am to 8.30pm |
| 25 and 26 November | 11.30am to 6.30pm |
| 27 to 29 November | 11.30am to 8.30pm |
| 30 November to 3 December | 11.30am to 6.30pm |
| 4 to 23 December | 11.30am to 8.30pm |
| 24 December | 10.30am to 4.30pm |
| 27 to 30 December | 11.30am to 6.30pm |
| 31 December | 10.30am to 4.30pm |
| 1 and 2 January | 11.30am to 6.30pm |
It is closed on 23 and 24 November and on 25 and 26 December.
Christmas at Bedgebury
Forestry England’s trail at Bedgebury, TN17 2SJ, has a Christmas Cathedral and a new Laser Garden among the conifers. It runs on 20 to 22 and 27 to 29 November, 2 to 6 December, 9 to 24 December and 26 to 31 December. Entry slots run about every 15 minutes, generally from 4pm to 8.15pm.
| Standard | Off peak | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | £27.50 | £19 |
| Child (3 to 16) | £19 | £13 |
| Family (2 adults, 2 children) | £91 | £62 |
Under-3s go free but must be booked with a full-price ticket. Parking costs £10 a car and has to be bought with your tickets. Dogs on short leads are allowed.
SteamLights, Bluebell Railway
SteamLights leaves from Sheffield Park, TN22 3QL, and the visit takes around two hours. The train passes lit scenes based on the four seasons, narrated by the Good Witch, with a stop at Horsted Keynes. Tickets start at £35. Read this before you book: the railway changes the theme each year, and for 2026 it is “Somewhere over the Rainbow”. It says “Santa will NOT be making an appearance” and that this is not a traditionally festive event. For Santa, it points to its Santa Specials.
Trains run on 21, 22 and 25 to 29 November; on 2 to 6, 8 to 13 and 15 to 23 December; and on 27 to 30 December.
Glow Wild, Wakehurst
Kew runs Glow Wild on 31 selected evenings from 26 November to 2 January, with entry from 4pm. Kew blocks our page reader, so these details come from its pages as shown in search results on 5 November: adult tickets at £21 off peak, £25.50 standard and £28 peak, under-4s free, and an anytime ticket at £45. Pre-booking is essential, and tickets do not include daytime garden entry. Its press release and event page give “from” prices of £12.70 and £13 for the cheapest ticket.
Twilights at Standen
The National Trust’s Standen lights the house for the evening on 5, 6, 12, 13, 19 and 20 December from 3.30pm to 6pm, with local choirs singing around the tree from 3.30pm. Last entry to the house is 5pm. Its daytime display, Dreaming of Christmas, runs from 21 November to 5 January at normal admission, closed on 24 and 25 December.
Late Nights and Lights, Scotney Castle
Scotney Castle lights its Mansion House after dark on 12, 13 and 18 to 21 December. You book a car park slot, not admission: slots open four weeks ahead, and standard admission applies on the night. Toasting marshmallows has a small extra charge.
By day: Bateman’s and Sheffield Park
Kipling’s house at Bateman’s has The Jungle Book Christmas from 14 November to 3 January, 11am to 3.30pm, free with normal admission and closed on 24 and 25 December. It also has a Boxing Day Ranger Ramble at £6. The Snowdogs trail at Sheffield Park is on our Sheffield Park at Christmas page.
Before you set off
Our parking in Crowborough page covers the town if you are sharing a lift from it, and the roadworks and travel page has the closures south and east of Crowborough. Christmas trains and buses are on our Christmas travel page.
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