This Christmas, prepare to be swept up in a whimsical world of planets and stars in Palace of Stardust, an enchanting new after-hours light trail at Hampton Court Palace created by award-winning outdoor event and festival producers Wild Rumpus.
The Wild Rumpus team, creators of the acclaimed Lanterns at Chester Zoo light trail as well as award-winning festivals Just So Festival and Timber Festival, most often work in green outdoor spaces and now bring their creative magic to the cobbles and courtyards of Hampton Court Palace. They took the world-famous clock as their inspiration for this exciting new trail and have created a whole host of fantastical elements for visitors to enjoy, including glowing lanterns, mesmerising projections, interactive installations and tiny worlds to explore.
As dusk falls across this magnificent former royal home, an atmospheric, fantastical wonderland of clocks, moons, planets and sundials is just waiting to be discovered. Visitors will lose track of time as they explore the historic courtyards and gardens, filled with magical illuminations inspired by the palace’s famous astronomical clock; the ticking Tudor heart of Hampton Court installed by command of King Henry VIII.
As the trail winds through the palace’s formal gardens, visitors will encounter a flickering moonlit ball in the East Front Gardens, hear the ancient royal trees as they whisper their secrets and even peek into mysterious miniature shadow worlds, before being transported to another planet in the deepest depths of the Wilderness, once home to King Charles II’s formal pleasure garden.
Palace of Stardust is open from 16.00-20.00. Last entry: 19.30.
