Seven-metre Sun by Luke Jerram heading to Eden Project for Christmas

You can’t look at the Sun. That is the one rule everybody learns early. This winter, in a glasshouse near St Austell, you will be able to stand underneath it and stare for as long as you like.

A seven-metre model of the Sun by artist Luke Jerram is coming to the Eden Project for Christmas. The artwork is called Helios, and it will hang inside the Mediterranean Biome from Friday 20 November until 2 January 2027.

What Helios is

Helios is an internationally touring artwork that combines detailed solar imagery with animated lighting to give a realistic picture of the Sun’s surface. At Eden it will be suspended within the Mediterranean Biome and accompanied by a festive soundscape.

The scale is 1:200 million. Every centimetre of the artwork represents 2,000km of the Sun’s surface. For comparison, Earth would be roughly the size of a tennis ball alongside it.

It takes its name from the ancient Greek sun god, who was credited with bringing daylight and the changing seasons.

📷Helios at Cork Midsummer Festival, Ireland. Photo (c) Jed Niezgoda

How it was made

Bristol-based Luke created the artwork using imagery supplied by astrophotographer Dr Stuart Green and NASA, captured between May 2018 and June 2024.

Look closely and you can pick out sunspots, spicules and filaments. Also visible is the region of the Sun responsible for the solar flare that contributed to the Northern Lights displays seen across the UK in May 2024.

Luke’s other installations include Museum of the Moon, Mars, and Gaia, which featured in Eden’s Christmas illuminations in 2019. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society the same year.

The Eden Project says the artwork offers a safe way to view the surface of the Sun, and that it follows a period of renewed public interest in solar phenomena after this year’s partial eclipse and aurora displays.

📷Portrait of Luke Jerram with Helios (c) Bec Hughes, House of Hues

“Awe, wonder and appreciation”

Luke Jerram said: “The Sun has inspired humanity for millennia. It sustains all life on Earth, influences our climate and weather systems, and has shaped cultures, beliefs and scientific discovery throughout history.

“Through Helios and its distinctive setting within the Eden Project’s Mediterranean Biome, I hope people will experience a renewed sense of awe, wonder and appreciation for this celestial body that makes life possible.”

Kate Francis, creative programme producer at the Eden Project, said: “For Eden, Helios is a reminder of the connections between sunlight, planetary health, the living world and mental wellbeing. During these dark, winter months, the artwork will bring warmth, light, positivity and an opportunity for reflection and togetherness at this festive time.”

Kate added: “There’s a lot to pack into a visit, with our all-new Father Christmas show, new-look ice rink and our showstopping lights. Fortunately, our Christmas Lights pass provides unlimited return visits and free entry for children.”

📷Helios at Dyffryn Gardens, UK (c) National Trust Images, Aled Llywelyn

Lights, Father Christmas and a new-look ice rink

Helios is one part of a wider Christmas at the Eden Project programme. Illuminations will lead visitors through the Outdoor Gardens, and light displays will run among the tropical planting of the Rainforest Biome after dark.

Father Christmas and his elves return, this time with an all-new show.

The ice rink is back too, with a Northern Lights-inspired backdrop and a forest-themed setting. It opens on Saturday 24 October, in time for the October half-term holidays, and runs through to the end of February half-term on Sunday 21 February 2027. Bookable sessions, lessons, family-friendly slots and toddler play sessions will all be available.

📷Helios at Basildon Park, UK. Photo (c) National Trust Images, Hugh Mothersole

Cornwall Christmas Fair returns

Before the lights go on, the Cornwall Christmas Fair comes back to Eden on the evening of Wednesday 18 November and during the day on Thursday 19 November. More than 60 independent makers and artisans will be there.

The fair raises funds for the Cornwall Community Foundation. Last year it raised £63,000 for community projects.

Dates, prices and booking

• Christmas at the Eden Project: selected late-opening dates from 20 November 2026 to 2 January 2027. Eden is closed on Christmas Day.
• Helios: on display from 20 November 2026 to 2 January 2027.
• Ice skating: daily from 24 October 2026 to 21 February 2027.
• Cornwall Christmas Fair: evening of 18 November and daytime on 19 November.
• Admission: adults from £35.50, children from £12.50, under-fives free. Visitors receiving Universal Credit, Pension Credit or UK Legacy Credit can enter for £15.
• Locals’ Pass: residents of Cornwall and Devon can buy one from £26.80 per adult and £10.80 per child. It is now available year-round.

Tickets can be booked through the Eden Project website, where pre-booking online gets the best price.

The Eden Project is an education charity and marks its 25th anniversary this year. It says the Cornwall site has generated £6.8 billion in total economic impact for the South West since opening in 2001.

📷Helios at St Albans Museum + Gallery, UK. Photo (c) Stephanie Belton