Hunter Valley Gardens Christmas Lights Spectacular: The Ultimate Festive Night Out For Families

If your kids could design Christmas, it would probably look a lot like this: giant glowing trees, rides that light up the night, Santa popping up around every corner, and enough twinkling lights to make bedtime negotiations slightly more impossible than usual. Luckily, you don’t have to build that in your backyard. Hunter Valley Gardens’ Christmas Lights Spectacular is back for 2025 – and this year it’s bigger, brighter, and packed with new ways to wear your kids out in the most magical way possible.

Running from Friday 7 November 2025 right through to 26 January 2026 (closed Christmas Day), the Southern Hemisphere’s largest Christmas lights display is transforming eight acres of Hunter Valley Gardens into a full-blown festive playground, with more than 4.5 million lights and themed zones designed to make even the most tired parent feel a tiny bit more sparkly.

A Christmas tradition that actually grows with your kids

Now in its 18th year, Christmas Lights Spectacular is very much in “family tradition” territory. The scale alone is wild: 4.5 million lights across eight acres of gardens, each corner telling a different story. For little ones, it’s pure wonder. For older kids, it’s an Instagram backdrop. For parents, it’s one of those rare outings where everyone is happy to walk just a bit further because there’s always something glowing in the distance.

This year, the team has gone harder than ever on cohesion and storytelling, weaving the installations through the natural beauty of the Gardens. Think less “random lights on lawns” and more “immersive Christmas world you walk through.” With an entire new area opening for the very first time, 2025 is designed to feel fresh even if you’ve been before.

New for 2025: fresh magic around every bend

If you’ve done Christmas Lights Spectacular in past years and think you’ve seen it all, here’s what’s new on the nice list.

HO HO Harvest – where elves meet the earth

For the first time ever, the Italian Grotto Garden area is opening during Christmas Lights Spectacular as HO HO Harvest. This zone leans into the idea that Santa is not just a toy guy – he appreciates a good garden too. Kids can wander through an illuminated space that celebrates nature, growing, and “garden-grown goodness,” while parents secretly enjoy that this part feels a little bit wholesome and grounded amidst the sugar rush.

Cricket with candy cane stumps

Nothing says Australian Christmas like backyard cricket, and this year the Gardens have turned it into a full light installation. The new Test Match scene reimagines Santa, Mrs Claus and the elves in the middle of an Aussie-style game, complete with candy cane stumps. It’s playful, clever, and very “this is why we love Christmas in the Hunter.” Expect small children to declare this their favourite bit and big kids to attempt action shots.

Mistletoe Meadow – for festive photos (and maybe a kiss)

Mistletoe Meadow is the new romantic hero of the Gardens. There’s a three-metre-tall illuminated mistletoe installation that is practically begging to be your next Christmas card backdrop. It’s the perfect spot for a family photo, a sibling shot, or a quick parents-only selfie if you can distract the kids with nearby lights for thirty seconds.

Holiday Hollow – the Christmas tree forest of their dreams

If your children think one Christmas tree is impressive, wait until they step into Holiday Hollow. This new zone is essentially a glowing Christmas tree farm, filled with towering trees, giant presents and a six-metre Christmas tree centrepiece that looks like it belongs in a movie. It’s the kind of place where kids go quiet for a second just to take it in – and then immediately ask to walk through it again.

Santaville – because one Santa is not enough

Santa is busy this year. Santaville is a whole expanded wonderland of Santa scenes – on rooftops, in sleighs, in snow-style settings and throughout the Gardens. Kids get that buzzy thrill of “there he is!” again and again as they wander. Plus, families can still visit Santa for photos in the event marquee near the food stalls each night until Boxing Day.

Evergreen Tavern – a little festive pause for the grown-ups

After you’ve done the big loop, negotiated ride tokens and carried three sets of reindeer ears, Evergreen Tavern is your reward. This purpose-built space is tucked among lit-up trees and twinkling displays and gives adults a place to regroup with a wine or beer. It’s the kind of touch that makes the night feel like an outing for everyone, not just the kids.

The crowd favourites that always deliver

Alongside the new zones, there are a few non-negotiables that are back again for 2025. Candyland returns in all its sugar-dusted glory, as does the much-loved 12 Days of Christmas walk-through, which is one of those experiences you can enjoy with a pram, a toddler on your hip, or a too-cool tween who still secretly loves it.

The rides are also back on rotation and open from 6pm to 10pm each night (last rides at 9:45pm):
Superslide – 35 metres of “just one more ride” energy.
Ferris Wheel – ideal for views of the full light display from above.
Swing Chairs – guaranteed giggles and a nice breeze.
Venetian Carousel – pure nostalgia for both kids and parents.
Spinning Teacups – for children with strong stomachs and parents who may or may not opt out.

Ride tickets are $6 each or 6 for $30, so you can choose your level of thrill without committing to an all-rides situation.

Food, treats and the “we’re definitely not cooking tonight” factor

One of the underrated joys of Christmas Lights Spectacular is not having to deal with dinner at home. The Gardens will once again host a line-up of food stalls serving family favourites: woodfired pizza, burgers, dumplings, plus dessert options like donuts, churros and gelato. There are also drinks on offer to keep everyone going, from soft drinks and hot chocolates to more grown-up options around Evergreen Tavern. It’s easy to turn the whole thing into a full night out rather than just a quick walk-through.

Practical parent details (because we know that’s what you really need)

Timing-wise, the event runs from 5:30pm to 10:30pm, with last entry at 9:30pm. That means you can either:
Come early, eat first, ride early, then walk the lights with younger kids before they completely melt.
Or arrive a bit later and lean into it as a full summer night out for slightly older kids who can handle a later bedtime during school holidays.

Rides operate from 6pm to 10pm, and Santa photos happen in the marquee near the food area up until Boxing Day. There are live performers and roaming entertainment throughout the season, with the full program listed on the Hunter Valley Gardens website so you can plan your visit around fireworks or special nights if you want to go all out.

Ticket-wise, there are options depending on whether you want Christmas Lights only or a Day/Night combo:
Adult night tickets are $41, with Day/Night combos at $60.
Children (4–15 years) are $31 at night or $49 Day/Night.
Family passes start from $96 (1 adult and 2 children) or $102 (2 adults and 1 child), scaling up depending on how many kids you’re bringing.
Children under 3 are free.

There are also multiple family configurations available, which is helpful if your version of “family” doesn’t neatly fit the standard 2+2 mould.

Is it worth the drive? For most families, yes

Hunter Valley Gardens’ Christmas Lights Spectacular is one of those big-ticket festive experiences that actually feels like it earns the hype. For parents, it delivers that “this will be a core memory” feeling: your kids running along glowing paths, spotting Santas, squealing on rides, and dragging you back to their favourite section for the third time. For you, it’s a night out that feels organised but still magical – with good food, a glass of wine if you’d like one, and a backdrop that’s almost impossible to take a bad photo in.

If you’ve been before, 2025 brings enough new zones and details to justify a return trip. If you’ve never been, this is the year that might just turn “we should go one day” into “this is what we do every Christmas.”

For full details, tickets and the entertainment program, head to the Hunter Valley Gardens website [click here] and start planning which night you’re going to be the fun parent who says yes to “one more ride” under four and a half million lights.