If you have seen the Water Lantern Festival London popping up on social media and wondered what it is actually like, I went along to check it out.
The concept is really lovely. You decorate your own lantern, place it onto the water and then watch as the area fills with glowing lanterns once it gets dark. I definitely liked the idea behind it, and visually it is so much nicer later in the evening when you can properly see all of the lanterns lit up across the water.
That said, I am not completely convinced by the execution. I would not say it was terrible, but I also would not say it was absolutely fantastic either.
What is the Water Lantern Festival London?
The Water Lantern Festival is an outdoor evening event where visitors can personalise their own lantern before releasing it onto the water.
There is music throughout the evening, food vendors, activities and plenty of space to sit around while you wait for the lantern launch.
For the 2026 London event, it took place at Clapham Common after originally being planned for Danson Park.
General Admission tickets were £31.90, with other packages available including a four ticket package and a couples package.
What do you get with your Water Lantern Festival ticket?
When you arrive, you scan the QR code from your booking before collecting your lantern kit, bag and wristband.
The lantern kit actually comes with quite a few bits to use while you are there. Inside you get your lantern, a pen so you can decorate and personalise it, a box of cards and some Get To Know You cards.
You can spend some time decorating your lantern before the release, writing messages, drawing pictures or adding whatever you want to it.
I liked this part of the experience because it gives you something to do while you are waiting for it to get dark, and it makes your lantern feel a little more personal before you put it onto the water.
Do you actually need a ticket?
This was probably one of the strangest things about the Water Lantern Festival London.
From what I saw during my visit, there was no gated entrance or controlled area stopping people from walking into the event space.
Obviously, you needed to scan your booking QR code if you wanted to collect the official lantern kit, bag and wristband, but other than that, people could seemingly walk through the area and watch the lanterns without having a ticket.
I did think that was quite odd considering the ticket price.
That could obviously change if the Water Lantern Festival returns to London in the future, so I would always check the latest information before visiting rather than assuming the setup will be exactly the same.
What is the Water Lantern Festival like when it gets dark?
This is definitely when the Water Lantern Festival looks its best.
During daylight it feels much more like a normal outdoor event, but once it starts getting dark and the lanterns begin glowing across the water, it looks so much nicer.
Seeing all of the lanterns lit up together is easily the highlight of the experience.
If you are going mainly because you have seen photos and videos of the glowing lanterns online, just remember that you really need to wait until it gets dark to get that effect.
Food and drink at the Water Lantern Festival
There were various food vendors at the event if you wanted to grab something to eat while you were there.
Do not ask me about the prices because I did not even bother looking properly. With this kind of event, you already know the food is probably not going to be cheap.
If you want to keep costs down, I would probably eat beforehand rather than relying on buying dinner at the festival.
Is the Water Lantern Festival London worth visiting?
I really like the idea behind the Water Lantern Festival.
Decorating your own lantern and then watching all of the lanterns light up the water once it gets dark is a lovely concept, and the lantern release is definitely the best part.
For me, though, I am not sure the execution completely matches how good the idea sounds.
I would not say it was terrible because it definitely was not. At the same time, I would not describe it as absolutely fantastic either.
I think the best way to approach it is to see it as a relaxed outdoor evening event rather than expecting a huge attraction or a full immersive experience.
If the Water Lantern Festival comes back to London again, it is still one to keep an eye out for, especially if you like unusual London events and want to try something a little different.
Water Lantern Festival London information
Location: Clapham Common, London
2026 dates: 19 and 20 September 2026
General Admission: £31.90
Four ticket package: from £30.90 per ticket
Couples Package: £35.90 and included a picnic blanket
Prices, locations and what is included could change if the Water Lantern Festival returns to London in future years, so always check the latest information before booking.
Fever discount code for the Water Lantern Festival and other experiences
If you are booking the Water Lantern Festival through Fever, you can use my Fever discount code:
You can enter the code when booking through the Fever website or Fever app.
The useful thing is that KIDDOADVENTURES10 is not just one to keep for the Water Lantern Festival. You can also try the same discount code when booking other eligible Fever experiences, including attractions, immersive experiences, exhibitions and events available through Fever.
So if you regularly book London experiences through Fever, it is worth saving the code KIDDOADVENTURES10 and trying it before completing your booking.
