Light up Sir Harold Hillier Gardens 2025 is “best yet”

Over 70,000 people are expected to attend Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, which has been transformed into a Light Up Trail for Christmas. 

The popular Romsey attraction, which won Gold in the Tourism Event or Festival of the Year category at the Beautiful South Tourism Awards, has been produced by Light Up Trails for the past six years. 

The immersive display cost more than £1m to put together, as the gardens are turned into a glowing winter wonderland with eight different zones. 

Kevin Burn, one of the managers of Light Up Trails, said: “Every year it’s around giving someone that start to the festive season, and it always brings families together for a great evening. 

“It takes a whole year to put together, and three days before we open, we have a team of over 30 people who flood in to put it together and test all the lights and projections.” 

Last year, more than £40,000 of cables were stolen days before opening, and it was delayed whiet replacements were installed. 

According to Burn, this is the best year yet at Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, with more lasers, strobe lighting, and soundscapes than before. 

This year’s edition has brand new projections for people to walk through, including highlights of The Christmas Wish and The Enchanted Hollow. 

Light Artist Jon Oliver is the designer behind the Rhythm of the Light section, where lasers and moving lights complement a dance music soundtrack, and visitors can feel in the middle of a rave. 

Midway through the trail, families can pause at the Christmas Village, which offers a variety of festive food and drinks. 

Organisers hope to expand to other venues across the country in the future. 

The Light Up Trail runs until 3 January, 2026.