Hampton Court Palace will be hosting a new after-hours light trail event throughout this winter as a special Christmas experience.
Palace of Stardust will be held from 8 December 8 – 3 January, featuring illuminations inspired by Hampton’s astronomical clock.
The trail is made from a variety of illuminations with themes of out of space, time, and shadows created by social enterprise, Wild Rumpus.
Sarah Bird, co-director of Wild Rumpus, said: “It has the sparkle and magic of Christmas but without a direct Christmas theme.
“We love storytelling and taking people out of their day-to-day lives into somewhere that feels a bit magical and mysterious.
“The installations have all been made using sustainable materials or reusing or repurposing installations.
“A lot of our work is about connecting to nature and taking audiences outdoors so they can look at the world differently and inspire different perspectives on the world”.
This trail will be a first time launch between Hampton Court and Wild Rumpus and there is hope that it could become an annual event.
The route is about 900 metres long and expected to take between 30 minutes to one hour to complete.
The trail is made up from around eight to nine separate areas according to Wild Rumpus, which will all have their own magical feel.
By having freelancers and in-house staff work together on the project, the Palace hopes to provide an exciting experience for people to explore the gardens in a brand new way.
Alice Adams, interpretation manager at Historic Royal Palace, said: “It’s a truly unique chance for visitors to get to explore our courtyards and gardens after dark.
“The bespoke displays will illuminate the palace’s atmospheric and historic surroundings like never before”.
The trail has a loose story that tells the tales of the astronomical clock as this has been the main inspiration for the creators at Wild Rumpus.
Sarah said: “It’s an amazing venue steeped in heritage and history with so many amazing stories about the palace”.
To make a full experience, food and drink will be available to purchase by the ice rink and along the trail in the gardens.
To add to the Christmas atmosphere, there will be warm seasonal food available, such as mince pies, mulled wine and hot chocolates.
While it’s not included in the Palace of Stardust ticket, you can purchase entry to the Hampton Court Palace Ice Rink to make a whole evening there.
The event launches early next month where ticket prices are £12.50 for adults and £8.00 for children (aged 5-15 years), family tickets can also be bought.
For further information and to purchase tickets, click here.
Featured image credit: Chris Payne
