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Bristol, BS41 9JN

Ashton Court

Bristol’s woodland, re-imagined in light.

Dates
27 Nov – 28 Dec
Entry
4:30 pm to 8 pm in timed slots
The trail
1.6km · 60–90 minutes
Tickets
Timed entry
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Christmas, Right in the Heart of Bristol.

Luminate is back at Ashton Court for year two.

Almost 1.5 million Christmas memories made across our UK Luminates. Now come and make yours. Step into Ashton Court after dark and discover a Christmas adventure made for exploring. Get hands-on with Light Play, discover spectacular installations and see what happens when you play with the magic.

Then warm up around the firepits, soak up the atmosphere and make a night of it together. Because Christmas is more fun when you're part of the magic. Your Christmas starts here.

Book your night.

Entry is in timed slots, 4:30 pm to 8 pm in timed slots. Prices change by night, and quieter nights cost less.

  • Book ahead. Tickets are only sold online, and the most popular slots sell out first.
  • Under-3s go free and don’t need a ticket.
  • Plans change? Manage your booking online.

Opens the booking calendar, with every night’s price and availability.

Plan your visit.

Everything you need for your night at Ashton Court.

Opening times

In order to ensure that Luminate can be enjoyed by everyone to the upmost, it has been designed as a continuous experience, with strictly fixed entry time slots, starting from 4.30pm onwards, which must be pre-booked in advance.

To ensure the enjoyment and safety of all our visitors, we allocate a set number of tickets per timeslot and would ask that all visitors adhere to their booked timeslot. Our entry time slots are every fifteen minutes from 4.30-4.45pm through to 8.00pm – 8.15pm. At certain sites, we offer later slots on popular nights (Please check the site ticketing page for more info).

Directions

By Car from Central Bristol

  1. Head towards Anchor Road and continue onto Hotwell Road.

    Follow signs for the A370 towards Weston-super-Mare.

    At the Ashton Gate junction, take the exit towards Long Ashton.

    Follow the road uphill and you'll see signs for Ashton Court Estate.

    Main car parks: Church Lodge (closest to the mansion) or Clifton Lodge (closest to the deer park).

    By Bus

    • Take Bus X1 or X2 from Bristol city centre towards Long Ashton.

      Get off near Ashton Gate and walk up the signposted path towards the estate (about 15-20 minutes).

      Alternatively, depending on the day, other local buses may stop closer to the Long Ashton side.

      Walking or Cycling

      From Clifton Suspension Bridge

      1. Cross the bridge towards Leigh Woods.

        Turn left and follow signs for Ashton Court Estate.

        The estate entrance is about 10 minutes from the bridge.

        From Harbourside

        1. Follow the shared path towards Ashton Gate Stadium.

          Join the cycle path running alongside the A370.

          Take the signed turning for Ashton Court.

          Train

          • The nearest main station is Bristol Temple Meads.

            From there, take a bus or taxi to the estate. A taxi usually takes around 10-15 minutes in normal traffic.

Tickets and pricing

Tickets must be pre-booked online in advance.

Limited tickets are available for each timeslot, with many slots selling out.

Parking

Parking is available on site and needs to be booked along with your entry tickets. Parking is £5 per vehicle.

Blue Badge Holders will be parked in the disabled car park area, as close to the pedestrian entrance to the trail as possible. NB - We can not guarantee a blue badge space but will endeavour to park you as close as possible if the separate blue badge car park is full.

Food and drink

Hot food & drink will be available at the start of the trail from the on-site cafe, on a grab and go basis. Treat yourself to some delicious warm brownies, mini dutch pancakes and festive waffles, from our artisan dessert stall – located just after the start of our trail (and you’ll pass them again on the way out, incase you need more!!). And we’ll have mulled wine, luxury hot chocolate and some festive tipples available at our fire pit area, approximately half way around the trail.

We will also have a marshmallow toasting fire pit area that you can toast your marshmallows on. Please feel free to bring your own marshmallows (don't forget your skewers!) or, if you prefer, marshmallows will be available on site to purchase. We will have standard and vegan marshmallows for sale on site.

It is STRICTLY PROHIBITED TO BRING YOUR OWN ALCOHOL. Anyone found doing so will be asked to leave and no refund will be issued.

Accessibility

Can I bring my mobility scooter or can mobility aids be provided?

For those with mobility issues/elderly guests, the trail may be quite challenging. We strongly recommend bringing along your own mobility aids if you have any concerns as to whether a member of your party will be able to complete the trail.

Regrettably, we do not have any wheelchairs/mobility scooters available on site to hire.

Please note that the car park (including disabled parking) is located approximately 300m away from the start and end point of the trail and that the trail itself is circa 1.6km long. The trail has been created to be as accessible as possible within the context of a natural woodland setting. All of the route is outside and not under cover and it is all on woodland paths, which will be muddy and uneven in places.

A member of my party has some sensory needs, do you run a 'sensory friendly' session?

We have dedicated time slots on certain dates for our guests with additional sensory needs.

Your can expect:

1) Reduced capacity on the trail

2) Reduced volume of the audio

3) Your experience will feel less crowded and more relaxed.

We had an overwhelmingly positive response from our visitors who attended last year, including those with sensory needs, but hopefully by introducing a quieter and less crowded session, we can help your experience be even better.

All of our stewards are there to help make your night with us perfect. If you need any additional help on the night, please just ask one of our team. All of our team are trained to recognise the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower symbol if anybody in your party wishes to wear this whilst at Luminate.

Please look at our Access section above for further detailed information about the nature of the paths and access generally. We try not to publish too much detail about our trail in advance, as for most of our visitors, the element of surprise enhances their experience. We do, however, fully understand that for some people with sensory needs, more information about what to expect from Luminate, rather than surprises on the night, will help them to feel prepared for their experience and allow them to enjoy it all the more. We want to make your visit perfect, so if you would like some more detailed information as to the trail layout, what to expect, or if we can help in another way, please email sensory@luminate.live

Ticket prices on these nights remain the same as for the rest of Luminate. Carer tickets are available where required, pursuant to our standard carer policy.

Health and safety

To keep everyone safe and make sure you have an incredible time, please stick to the clearly marked trail. We kindly ask that children and vulnerable adults are always closely watched. Since Luminate happens during winter nights at a country estate, areas off the trail might have some hidden hazards. So, please follow the path and listen to our friendly staff for any guidance.

Our team will keep an eye on the trail conditions, but remember, it's a winter evening event in a natural setting. A little extra caution goes a long way. Don't forget to keep an eye on kiddos and vulnerable folks.

Please be aware that there are areas of unfenced water along the trail. We ask all visitors, especially those with children, to take extra care and remain mindful of their surroundings at all times.

Get ready to have fun with our interactive light installations! They're marked and have stewards nearby to help you out. For your safety, please avoid touching other lights or installations, and ensure children and vulnerable adults do the same. Enjoy the magic!

Good to know.

The questions people ask most about Ashton Court.

Are dogs allowed on the trail?

For the safety and enjoyment of all our visitors, dogs are NOT permitted at Luminate*

*with the exception of Guide dogs and assistance dogs

We have specific dog days, when you can bring your dog along. Look for the dog symbol on the calendar

On the 4th, 8th, 11th, 15th, 18th, 22nd and 26th December only, due to popular demand we are excited to allow dog owners to bring their dogs along to Luminate. This is only permitted on the dates listed above on all other dates dogs are not allowed at Luminate.

Our furry friends are welcome on these nights, provided at all times their owners follow the rules below:

All dogs must be accompanied by a responsible adult and remain under the supervision and control of the responsible adult at all times.

2 dogs per adult max

As with all two legged guests, dogs must remain on the clearly marked footpath at all times.

Dogs must be kept on a short lead at all times - no extendable leads please.

Dogs must not be left unattended at any time.

Any dogs behaving aggressively (including towards other dogs) will not be allowed to enter the trail or will be asked to leave. Luminate reserves the right to refuse entry or to remove any dogs we feel are dangerous/a safety risk to other dogs and visitors or any which are causing a disturbance and disrupting the event for other visitors.

Please be a responsible dog owner - clean up after your pet and use the bins provided.

Thank you in advance for co-operating with these rules to ensure everyone’s safety and enjoyment. Failure to comply with any of the above rules will result in your dog being denied entry/removed from the trail.

*** XL BULLY DOGS** We do not allow XL Bully Dogs and/or banned/dangerous breed dogs at Luminate. Entry will be denied to any person attempting to bring those breeds on site.

You know your dog best, Luminate is a fun filled magical element, with flashing lights, smoke effects, loud music and lots of people. If your dog is likely to be unsettled/distressed /aggressive because of any of this, please do not bring them.

How do I know where to go?

There is a path all the way around, marked by festoon lighting throughout the duration. So just follow the festoon!

Are there any Health and Safety Rules I should know about?

To keep everyone safe and having fun, please stick to the marked trail throughout your visit. Children and vulnerable adults should always have a watchful eye on them. Luminate happens in the winter evenings at a country estate, and areas off the trail might have hidden trip hazards. So, let's keep to the path and follow any advice from our friendly stewards.

Be aware that there are unfenced water areas off the trail at Luminate Ashton Court, so extra supervision for children and vulnerable adults is important.

Our team will keep an eye on trail conditions, but remember, it's a winter evening event in the great outdoors. A little extra caution will go a long way, especially when supervising kids and vulnerable adults.

Enjoy our interactive light installations—they're there for you to play with! These will be clearly marked, and our helpful stewards will be nearby to guide you. For safety and an enjoyable experience, please avoid touching other light or electrical setups, and keep an eye on the little ones.

A group of friends in hats and scarves among glowing lights

Bring the whole crew.

Office parties, school trips, clubs and big family nights out. The more of you there are, the more you save.

  • 15%20–49 guests
  • 25%50–149 guests
  • 35%150–499 guests
  • 50%500+ guests

Ready for Ashton Court?

Timed entry slots sell out on the most popular evenings, so book early.

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