Windsor Great Park Illuminated 2026 runs 13 November to 3 January. Adults £19.80 to £31.35 depending on the night; book parking with your ticket.

Windsor Great Park Illuminated runs from Friday 13 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027, and tickets are on sale now. The one thing to get right before you book: parking is limited and should be bought at the same time as the entry ticket. If you leave it, a space on the night is not guaranteed.

Updated 1 October: the event’s own website now gives the full price ladder for Windsor Illuminated 2026, the sat nav postcode and driving route, an £8.50 on-the-gate parking fallback, and the funfair prices.

The Crown Estate, which runs the park, puts it directly: “Parking is limited and must be purchased in advance along with your entry ticket” (Windsor Great Park). Parking vouchers come from See Tickets with your entry tickets and are scanned at the car park entrance.

The detail

2026 to 2027 season
Dates 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027
Entry Timed slots, last entry 8.30pm every night
Times, 13 to 26 Nov 4.30pm to 10.30pm
Times, 27 Nov to 3 Jan 4.15pm to 10.30pm
Adult from £19.80
Child, 3 to 15 from £12.10
Family, 2 adults and 2 children from £56.10
Under 3 Free, but needs a valid £0 ticket
Trail 1.36 miles (2.2km), about 1½ to 2 hours
Access From The Savill Garden and Adventure Play car park

Those prices include the ticket booking fee. Car park charges are on top and are not listed on the event page, so the cost only appears in the See Tickets basket. Tickets are non-exchangeable and non-refundable.

Members of Windsor Great Park and Friends of The Savill Garden get one complimentary parking pass per membership, redeemed by entering the membership number at booking. It can only be used once in the season. Coach parking is bookable through the See Tickets groups team and costs £23.10 including fees.

Windsor Illuminated 2026 ticket prices by night

The “from” prices above are the cheapest nights. The event’s ticket page sets four price bands, and the night you pick decides which one you pay (windsorilluminated.com):

Ticket Super off peak Off peak Standard Peak
Adult £19.80 £23.65 £26.95 £31.35
Child, 3 to 15 £12.10 £15.68 £18.15 £20.35
Family £56.10 £70.68 £79.20 £92.40

The page does not say which dates fall in which band; the booking calendar shows it as you choose a night. A family ticket covers two adults and two children, or one adult and three children. At peak, a family ticket saves £11 on buying the four tickets separately; on a super off peak night it saves £7.70. Under-3s are free.

What is new this year, and the funfair

The organiser describes a “brand new trail design” for 2026, with reimagined installations, projections and flood-lit fountains on the lake. The traditional funfair is back in the Festive Village, with four rides: a big wheel, a carousel, a mini carousel and chair-o-planes. Each ride is one token per person:

  • £3.50 a ride bought on site
  • £14 for five rides booked online in advance, so the fifth is free

Pre-booked ride vouchers have to be swapped for tokens at the Token Booth in the Festive Village. Height restrictions apply.

For dogs, the trail has water stations, free dog treats and a photo spot with a set of angel wings.

What the trail is actually like

The route runs through woodland near The Savill Garden and around Obelisk Pond. The Crown Estate promises “spectacular light installations, enchanting displays and magical surprises”, with Santa and his reindeer somewhere along the way, and rest stops selling hot chocolate, mulled wine and toasted marshmallows. The borough’s own listing adds projections and fountain displays to that description.

Practical points from the organiser’s own FAQ, all of which matter on a cold November night:

  • It is entirely outdoors and not covered. The event runs in all weather, and there is no refund if you decide not to come because of rain.
  • There is no cloakroom. Bring a handbag or a small rucksack, nothing larger.
  • Dogs are welcome on the trail, on a lead throughout.
  • No strobe lighting, but some installations pulse and flash.
  • Wheelchairs, mobility scooters and buggies will struggle in places. The Crown Estate says some woodland terrain is unsuitable for them and will be “particularly challenging in wet weather”.

Essential companion tickets are free but must be added at the point of booking, with supporting documentation attached to the order. Blue badge parking has to be selected during booking, the badge number entered then, and the badge shown on arrival.

If it is closed

The event organiser is IMG, not the Crown Estate. In the event of a closure, the Crown Estate says IMG “reserves the right to offer a refund or reschedule your booking to an alternative date/time (subject to availability)”. Weather alone is not a closure.

What else is on locally this Christmas

The Royal Borough’s own Christmas listings carry nine events for the season, and the ones with firm dates are Carols on the Hill on Friday 11 December, 6.15pm to 7.30pm, now in its 77th year, and the Howden Christmas Racing Weekend at Ascot on 18 and 19 December (Visit Windsor). Christmas Bricktacular at LEGOLAND Windsor Resort runs from 21 November to 2 January.

The Windsor Christmas lights switch-on has no 2026 date yet. Visit Windsor’s event page for it still carries the 2025 running order and is marked “this event has passed”, and the switch-on does not appear anywhere in the borough’s nine listed Christmas events. Nothing about a 2026 date has been published anywhere we could find. We expect an announcement in October and will build a page for it then.

Getting there

Access is from The Savill Garden and Adventure Play car park, on the Surrey side of the park rather than the Windsor town side. It is a different entrance from the Long Walk, so do not aim for the castle.

The event’s travel page gives the driving rules:

  • Sat nav: TW20 0UJ, then follow the yellow Windsor Great Park Illuminated signs once you see them, even if they take you a different way from usual. Diversions are in place, so allow an extra 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Do not come in via Wick Road or through Englefield Green. The organiser calls both unsuitable routes. The approach is along Wick Lane, which it warns has potholes.
  • Arrive in your booked slot. Car park space is limited, and turning up early can mean waiting.
  • Turn left when you leave the car park.

If you did not book parking: the travel page says that if a space happens to be free, you can pay £8.50 at the gate, but there is no guarantee. You can add parking to an existing order through the ticket site under “Already ordered tickets?”. If the car park is full, the alternatives it names are Waspe Farm car park (TW20 9LF) and Egham station (TW20 9LB), then a taxi or bus for the rest of the way. If you are combining it with a day in Windsor, the town car park tariffs are on our parking page, and current closures on the A332 and the approaches are on our roadworks and travel page.

Frequently asked questions

When does Windsor Great Park Illuminated open in 2026?

Friday 13 November 2026, and it runs to Sunday 3 January 2027. Entry is by timed slot, with the last entry at 8.30pm every night.

How much is Windsor Great Park Illuminated?

Adults from £19.80 to £31.35, children aged 3 to 15 from £12.10 to £20.35, and a family ticket from £56.10 to £92.40, depending on whether the night is super off peak, off peak, standard or peak. Those prices include the booking fee. Car parking is charged separately.

Do I have to book parking for Windsor Great Park Illuminated?

You should. The Crown Estate says parking is limited and must be bought in advance with the entry ticket. The event’s travel page adds that if a space is free on the night you can pay £8.50 at the gate, but it cannot promise one. Members and Friends of The Savill Garden get one free pass per membership.

What is the postcode for Windsor Great Park Illuminated?

TW20 0UJ, The Savill Garden. Follow the yellow event signs from there, and do not approach through Englefield Green or along Wick Road.

Is there a funfair at Windsor Illuminated 2026?

Yes, in the Festive Village: a big wheel, carousel, mini carousel and chair-o-planes. Rides are £3.50 each on site, or five for £14 booked online.

How long is the light trail?

1.36 miles, or 2.2km, and the organisers allow one and a half to two hours including stops. It is entirely outdoors, so it goes ahead in any weather and there is no refund if you decide not to come.

Can I take a dog to Windsor Great Park Illuminated?

Yes, on a lead and under control for the whole trail. There is no cloakroom, so bring only a handbag or small rucksack.

Sources