At a towering 17 metres tall, The Hive is a striking installation in the heart of a wildflower meadow that recreates life inside a beehive.

A stunning piece of contemporary art, it’s one of the most photographed spots in the Gardens.

Walk into this larger-than-life enclosure and you’ll immediately enter the whirring world of a real beehive at Kew.

One thousand LED lights glow according to the vibrations of bees that live in the Gardens.

In the background, a musical symphony responds to this activity. You might (or might not) notice that every sound is performed in the key of C – the very key that bees buzz in!

Exploring the secret life of bees on a human scale, the Hive is a space to celebrate their powerful role in sustaining life as we know it.