Best festoon lights: 5 picks to make your garden sparkle

We all love the look of festoon lights as they instantly create a chilled atmosphere in your garden. String them up in trees, over patios or around doorways to add a subtle glow to your outdoor space. They're also great for creating that boho feel that’s been so popular for the last few summers – combine with an outdoor sofa and a rug and you have a whole new look!

We have rounded up five of the best festoon lights out there, with options to suit all all budgets and gardens big or small. Plus, check out our best outdoor lights for even more brilliant ways to illuminate your space. 

The best festoon lights

Our top pick of the best festoon lights come from Lights4fun. We love these lights because they give you so many options. You can pick the length you want, ranging from 5m to a massive 40m, choose the colour of the bulb and the colour of the wire. If you have a large garden or are buying for an event such as a garden party, these are by far the best choice. They also have eight light effects that you can match to the vibe of your garden. 

Buy the Lights4fun 5m 20 Warm White LED Connectable Festoon Lights

These Garden Trading offerings make it into our list of the best festoon lights because they are classic as festoon lights come. A thick black wire and big round bulbs are iconic, and we love the almost clunky (in a good way) look of them. Each of the 20 bulbs is actually filled with clusters of five tiny LED lights on a copper wire so you don’t get that direct bright light you can find with some festoon lights, this design creates more of an overall glow. 

Buy the Garden Trading Festoon Lights

If you're after some bargain festoon lights, this set from Dunelm is one of the cheapest we could find. The overall look once strung up is still lovely, you just don’t get the classic look of the clear bulbs – but for 20 quid we think they are great! You can also click and collect on the very same day so these lovely lights could be up in your garden by this evening. 

Buy the Dunelm Festoon Lights 

If you are after solar powered festoon lights so you aren’t relying on a plug, this set from Argos would be perfect. If you need more than 20 bulbs, you could buy multiple sets and simply string them together.  They are a great price and available for click and collect on the same day. They give off a lovely warm light and look just as stylish in the daylight too – they definitely look like they cost more than just £20!

Buy the Argos Home Solar 20 Festoon Warm White Lights

If you prefer more of a beach vibe in your garden, a white cable could be a better option. This set from Amazon is really hard wearing thanks to the rubber cable, which is more malleable than the PVC cables you get and therefore less likely to snap when you wrap it around trees or furniture. The lights come with a two-year warranty, so you can replace them if anything goes wrong. Plus, if you have a larger garden you can combine these sets to create up to 800m of fairy lights!

Buy the Festive Lights ConnectPro Outdoor Festoons

More garden lighting ideas: 

• Find your perfect lighting scheme with our garden lighting ideas 
• Shop the best solar lights for your garden
• Add a warm glow after dark with the best fire pits