FIRST LOOK: Christmas At The Botanics switch on lifts lockdown gloom
and live on Freeview channel 276
Millions of dazzling lights got the big switch on last night (Wed, Dec 2) to launch a brand new mile-long after dark trail transforming the grounds into a spectacular winter wonderland at The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.
The jaw-dropping showstopper this year is a hypnotic 20 meters high and 128 meters long LED light show which scans the modernist Front Range Glasshouse with a fully programmed routine set to Carol of the Bells by heavy metal band Metallica.
The sheer scale it has to be seen to be believed.
It completely dwarfs the still awesome and returning former Instagram favourite, Cathedral Of Light, a towering walk-through archway.
Starfield, another new large-scale installation, programmed by audio-visual designers Art AV, is a copse full of huge colour-changing stars, elevated on poles to dance amongst the trees in the night sky.
Illuminated Christmas Balls, Sledge Trees, a Chinese Garden, a stars-themed installation called Constellations and oversized Cyclamens are all new.
Tree tops glisten and shimmer, drenched in seasonal colours with millions of individual pea lights, 700 lighting units and 10 kilometers of cable to deliver the wow factor.
The hottest ticket in town also gets a makeover of its popular Fire Garden, this year a mix of real flames and fire-effect lanterns. The Laser Garden is also given a reboot.
Santa Clause and his helpers make a traditional appearance and an all-new grand finale projection lights up Inverleith House, which includes a nod to celebrate RBGE's 350th anniversary.
Christmas At The Botanics was delayed a week for additional Covid19 health and safety measures to be introduced.
Now it has been the green light and every colour of the NHS rainbow and will run on 28 selected evenings until January 3, 2021.
It is one of seven illuminated trails brought by leading promoter Raymond Gubbay Limited and is held in partnership with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and Culture Creative.
Zoe Bottrell, head producer of trail creators Culture Creative, said: "I'd have to say it's our best show yet in Edinburgh.
“There are some really nice, quiet and reflective areas to really take in this landscape. But we've created some big, bold, bright moments as well like Glasshouse transformed with the fully programmed LED installation.
"We have a brand new trail, with new pathways, new buildings we use and a whole load of great new installations that have never been anywhere else.
"It's just a really magical garden.
“We haven't got long, straight paths, you're never quite sure what you're going to see around the next corner.
“This is one of a series of seven light shows we do across the UK. We use the landscapes, the buildings, the horticulture that's around us, and we celebrate that, we don't just make one show, so the trails are unique to the locations they're in.
"Because of the conditions in which we're presenting the trails, it's all about us ensuring that not only people have a great time, but they have a really safe time.”
LINKS:
Christmas At The Botanics tickets: www.rbge.org.uk/christmas.
Facebook: @mychristmastrails
Facebook: @culturecreativeltd
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