What is new at Garden Lights this year
The garden calls this the 16th year of Garden Lights, Holiday Nights, presented by Invesco, and the show arrives with three headline changes. Displays along the Flower Walk have been expanded, the Imaginary Worlds mosaiculture dragon returns to the Skyline Garden as a giant illuminated figure, and Nature's Wonders, which the garden bills as the world's largest curtain of light and sound, has new choreography. According to Atlanta News First, that curtain alone uses nearly 266,000 bulbs, and more than 150 trees and shrubs are lit across the grounds.
The Ice Goddess also comes back with more than 15,000 lights. The show has already won ABC's The Great Christmas Light Fight Heavyweights Edition, and it remains the city's best-known holiday light walk. If you are building a full December calendar around Midtown, our coverage of the Trap Music Museum OutKast exhibit is another Atlanta stop that pairs well with an evening at the garden.
Hours, late entry and the new midnight close
The biggest practical change is time. Garden Lights now shines nightly until midnight, with last entry at 11 p.m., and Atlanta News First reports the show opens at 5 p.m. each day. Night Light tickets, which cover entry after 9:30 p.m., are now offered every night of the season instead of on select dates, so late arrivals can skip the early rush and pay less.
The garden says the show runs rain or shine and does not issue rain checks for bad weather. For visitors worried about a cold or wet night, the new Flex Tix add-on lets ticket holders rebook online, and Atlanta News First puts that flexibility at an extra $10. Admission is sold in timed tickets, limited to eight per order, and only through the garden's own ticket site.
Watch: Garden Lights Returns to the Atlanta Botanical Garden
Atlanta News First : 'Garden Lights' return to Atlanta Botanical Gardens
Ticket prices: value, regular and peak nights
Prices follow a three-tier calendar. Adult general admission is $30 on value nights, $45 on regular nights and $60 on peak nights, according to Atlanta News First. Value nights include Nov. 16-18, Nov. 30 through Dec. 2, Dec. 7-8 and Jan. 4-7. Peak pricing applies on Nov. 21-22, Thanksgiving week from Nov. 26-28, Dec. 5 and the long holiday stretch from Dec. 11 through Jan. 2.
Members of the Atlanta Botanical Garden save $5 on every Garden Lights ticket all season. Premium tickets add a drink ticket, hologram glasses and express entry, and a Premium Plus option adds private seating with no time restriction. The garden also warns buyers to avoid resellers, because it cannot verify tickets bought on third-party sites. For more things to do around the city this month, check the latest on our Atlanta news page.
Plan your night out in Atlanta
A weeknight value date in mid-November or early January is the easiest way to see the full show for the lowest price, while the Dec. 11 to Jan. 2 run will be the most crowded. Arriving after 9:30 p.m. on a Night Light ticket is the other budget move now that the garden stays open until midnight every night.
November is busy across the city, from the Rod Wave shows at State Farm Arena on Nov. 18 and 19 to holiday events across Midtown. Whatever is on your list, you can soundtrack the ride with Atlanta hip-hop and R&B: listen live on Di-VerZe HitZ Radio, free on the web, iOS and Android, and request your favorite song on the way to the garden. Independent artists can also submit music for free airplay.
Keep Reading
- Trap Music Museum OutKast Exhibit Now Open in Atlanta
- Star Bar Closing: Little Five Points Venue Ends Dec. 31
- Rod Wave Atlanta: Two Nights at State Farm Arena Nov. 18-19