These are the best things to do in London at Christmas 2026, and the best things to do in London in December, from Winter Wonderland and the West End lights to markets, ice rinks, panto, carols and Christmas Day itself. Every entry runs this season and every date below comes from the organiser’s own website.
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Big Christmas Events
The headline events of a London Christmas, most of them ticketed and worth booking early.
Hyde Park · 19 Nov 2026 to 3 Jan 2027
1. Hyde Park Winter Wonderland
London’s biggest Christmas fairground fills the east side of Hyde Park, with the UK’s largest open-air ice rink around the Victorian bandstand, a 70-metre giant wheel, rollercoasters, a circus and a Bavarian beer hall.
Everyone needs a timed entry ticket and rides cost extra, and it’s closed on Christmas Day. Our Winter Wonderland guide covers the zones, the hours and getting there.
Warner Bros. Studio Tour, Leavesden · 14 Nov 2026 to 17 Jan 2027
2. Hogwarts in the Snow
The Studio Tour dresses its sets for Christmas, with the Great Hall laid for a festive feast and the Hogwarts castle model under a layer of snow.
It’s the normal Studio Tour in winter dress, so a standard ticket covers it. Our Hogwarts in the Snow guide covers tickets and travel.
Sort the journey in one booking. The studios are near Watford, and packages with transport take care of getting there: Studio Tour entry with a coach from central London or entry with a return train from Euston.
Hampton Court Palace · 28 Nov 2026 to 3 Jan 2027
3. The Winter Palace at Hampton Court
The Winter Palace: The Christmas Beast Ball is a new immersive show with puppets, live actors, mythical beasts and a sleeping dragon, moving room by room through Henry VIII’s palace, and it’s included in palace admission.
The Festive Fayre runs on 4 to 6 and 11 to 13 December, and the palace stays open until 7.30pm on selected December dates. It closes on 30 November, on 1, 7, 8, 14 and 15 December and from 24 to 26 December, so check before you set off. More in our Hampton Court Palace guide.
Book the palace, get the show. The Winter Palace comes with Hampton Court Palace entry, which also covers the gardens and the maze. The ice rink on the palace drive is a separate ticket.
Tower Hill · 27 Nov 2026 to 3 Jan 2027
4. Christmas at the Tower of London
Christmas at the Tower: Victorian Traditions is a trail of festive scenes about how the Victorians shaped Christmas, with a walk-in Christmas card to pose in, and it’s included with entry. From 27 to 31 December the Spirit of Christmas adds the Tower postman, a giant pass-the-parcel and the Southwark Waits musicians.
The Tower is closed from 24 to 26 December. Book Tower of London tickets or read our Tower of London guide.
Kensington Gardens · 25 Nov 2026 to 3 Jan 2027
5. Victoria’s Countryside Christmas at Kensington Palace
Kensington Palace marks 190 years since young Victoria spent Christmas at Claremont House in Surrey by bringing a snowy countryside Christmas indoors, with trees hung with bespoke decorations and a garden arbour for photos. It’s included in palace admission.
Book Kensington Palace tickets, or see our Kensington Palace guide. Bear in mind the King’s Gallery is closed from 18 November for roof repairs.
Windsor · Thursday to Monday, 26 Nov 2026 to 4 Jan 2027
6. Christmas at Windsor Castle
A 20ft Nordmann fir from Windsor Great Park stands in St George’s Hall, a second tree fills the Crimson Drawing Room, and Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House gets its own miniature decorations, down to a tiny tree and a staircase garland.
The displays come with standard admission. The castle also opens on 22 and 29 December and closes from 24 to 26 December. Book Windsor Castle tickets or read our Windsor Castle guide.
Battersea · 5 Nov 2026 to 3 Jan 2027
7. Christmas at Battersea Power Station
Santa abseils down the Power Station at 12pm on 22 November, Santa’s Workshop grotto runs from 27 November to 24 December, and a makers’ Christmas market fills the building from 5 to 22 December. London Children’s Ballet dances The Nutcracker here from 5 to 13 December.
Festive food huts line Malaysia Square until 3 January, and the Lift 109 glass lift takes you up a chimney for a 360-degree view of the lights.
8. Santa in the City
Paternoster Square · 8 to 10 Dec
Thousands of runners and walkers in Santa suits set off from Paternoster Square by St Paul’s for a 3K or 5K loop through the City, walkers at 7pm and runners at 7.15pm. Everyone gets a suit and beard, and places are sold through the charities taking part.
Smithfield · opens 28 Nov 2026
9. The New London Museum at Smithfield
The new London Museum opens at Smithfield on 28 November, free with booked admission, in the old market buildings. It’s the city’s biggest museum opening in years, and a good dry plan for a December afternoon.
South Kensington · to 6 Jan 2027
10. Christmas at the V&A
The V&A runs free Festive Fridays in the evening on 20 November and 4, 11 and 18 December, free gift wrapping from 18 November to 3 January, and the free Freddie Mercury exhibition, Splendid Things, until 17 January. Our V&A guide has the rest.
Christmas Lights and Light Trails
The West End’s lights are London’s best free Christmas show. Most are already on, and they’re close enough to walk in one evening.
Oxford Street · on now, tree until 5 Jan 2027
11. Oxford Street’s Harry Potter Lights
Oxford Street has gone Harry Potter for 2026, with the four Hogwarts houses flying above the newly pedestrianised street alongside its Sky Full of Stars lights. In Hanover Square, just off the street, a Harry Potter Christmas tree puts on a snowfall show every hour, on the hour, until 5 January. More in our Oxford Street guide.
Regent Street · on since 5 Nov
12. Regent Street’s Spirit of Christmas
The giant angels that arch over Regent Street have been its Christmas lights since 2016, back from 5 November with a new twist for 2026. Walk them from Oxford Circus down to Piccadilly Circus, then see our Regent Street guide.
See the lights from the top deck. The guided Christmas Lights Night Tour has a live guide on an open-top bus, leaving every half hour through the evening from the London Eye or Green Park, by the Ritz, and loops Oxford Street, Regent Street and Trafalgar Square in about ninety minutes. Prefer recorded commentary? The Christmas Lights Bus Tour runs a similar loop from Haymarket. Our Christmas lights tour guide compares them.
Soho · on since 4 Nov
13. Carnaby Street
Carnaby does the boldest lights in the West End, and 2026’s display, Press Play on Christmas, is a 1990s throwback strung over its pedestrian streets. It’s a two-minute walk east of Regent Street. More in our Carnaby Street guide.
Covent Garden · switch-on 12 Nov
14. Covent Garden’s Theatre of Christmas
Covent Garden’s 2026 season hangs giant gold bells and baubles in the Market Building, puts more than 300,000 lights across the area and stands a 50ft British-grown tree on the West Piazza. The lights switch on with live performances on Thursday 12 November.
Snow falls on the Piazza every hour from midday to 9pm between 4 and 31 December, and the Grotto in the Garden at The Actors Church runs from 21 November to 23 December.
Covent Garden · canopies of light
15. Seven Dials
A few minutes north of the Piazza, Seven Dials hangs canopies of lights over its cobbled streets, with the Dial itself as the centrepiece. Seven Dials Market puts on a White Christmas inside, with indoor snow at 3pm and 8pm from 12 November to 31 December.
Mayfair · switch-on 12 Nov
16. Bond Street
Bond Street switches on its lights on Thursday 12 November, with the street closed to traffic from 4pm to 8pm, Christmas chalets and a brass band. It’s usually calmer than Oxford Street, which makes it the better street for a slow look at the windows.
West End · 1 Nov 2026 to 6 Jan 2027
17. Leicester Square and St Martin’s Lane
Leicester Square’s star-shaped lights are up from 1 November to 6 January, and the lights along St Martin’s Lane run from 3 November. Combine them with the square’s ice rink and market stalls, further down this page.
Trafalgar Square · lit 3 Dec, up until 5 Jan 2027
18. The Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree
Every year since 1947 Norway has sent London a Christmas tree in gratitude for Britain’s support during the Second World War, decorated in the Norwegian way with simple vertical strings of lights. The 2026 tree is lit on Thursday 3 December, and choirs sing carols at its foot in one-hour sessions through December. Our Trafalgar Square guide has more.
Kew Gardens · selected evenings, 13 Nov 2026 to 3 Jan 2027
19. Christmas at Kew
London’s big after-dark light trail winds through the gardens past new light installations, with a fairground, street food and Father Christmas on the way, from 4.20pm to 10pm. Adult-only evenings are on 3 and 9 December, and Quiet Access sessions on 21 November and 1, 16 and 26 December.
It’s a separate evening ticket with timed entry, and last entry depends on your gate. Our Christmas at Kew guide has the gate times.
20. Winter Light at the Southbank Centre
South Bank · 24 Nov 2026 to 10 Jan 2027
A free outdoor trail of light art along the Riverside Terrace, with works by David Batchelor, Nathaniel Rackowe and a new piece from Jason Bruges Studio. It sits right beside the Winter Market, so do both in one evening.
21. Chelsea Winter Village and Illuminations
Royal Hospital Chelsea · 25 Nov to 28 Dec
The grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea host a light trail, a curling rink and festive markets from 25 November to 28 December, a short walk from Sloane Square.
St Katharine Docks · 14 Nov 2026 to 10 Jan 2027
22. The Andalucía Galleon at St Katharine Docks
A 55-metre replica of a 17th-century Spanish galleon moors in the central basin of St Katharine Docks for the season, and you can go aboard daily (it’s closed on Christmas Day and shuts at 2pm on Christmas Eve). The marina, a few minutes from the Tower, is at its prettiest with its Christmas tree lit.
Christmas Markets
London’s markets are more riverside chalets and street food than Bavarian village. These are the ones running in 2026.
23. Southbank Centre Winter Market
Queen’s Walk · 2 Nov 2026 to 3 Jan 2027
Alpine-style chalets line the river under Hungerford Bridge, with stalls open from 11am to 10pm and bars until 11pm. It closes on 25 and 31 December and 1 January. It’s the easiest market to fold into a walk along the South Bank, and our Southbank Centre guide covers the rest of the site.
London Bridge City · 10 Nov 2026 to 3 Jan 2027
24. Winter by the River at London Bridge City
Market stalls, a two-storey rooftop bar called The Clubhouse and curling on London Bridge City Pier fill the riverside between London Bridge and Tower Bridge, open daily from 11am to 10pm (shorter hours on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, closed on Christmas Day).
Free carol concerts run in Hay’s Galleria from 3 to 16 December, starting with a lantern parade at 4.30pm on 3 December.
Leicester Square · 31 Oct 2026 to 3 Jan 2027
25. Leicester Square Christmas Market
Market stalls ring the ice rink at Skate Leicester Square, open daily from 10am to 10pm (from 12pm on weekdays until 26 November) and closed on Christmas Day. It’s right in the middle of the West End, so it pairs well with the lights.
London Bridge · seven days a week from 30 Nov
26. Borough Market at Christmas
For Christmas food shopping, Borough Market opens seven days a week from Monday 30 November, with late opening to 6pm on 23 December and an 8am start on Christmas Eve. It’s closed from 25 to 27 December and on New Year’s Day. Our Borough Market guide has the regular hours.
Greenwich · lantern parade 18 Nov
27. Greenwich Market
Greenwich Market switches on its Christmas lights on Wednesday 18 November with a lantern parade that leaves the Old Royal Naval College at 4pm. The covered market, with its makers and street food, is good for gifts through December. More in our Greenwich Market guide.
Spitalfields · switch-on 11 Nov
28. Old Spitalfields Market
Old Spitalfields switches on its Christmas lights on 11 November with a gospel choir and the Spitz Band, and stays open seven days a week, until 8pm on most weekdays. Its independent designers and vintage stalls make it the market for gifts you won’t find on Oxford Street. See our Old Spitalfields Market guide.
29. Chelsea Physic Garden Christmas Fair
Chelsea · 26 to 29 Nov
More than 100 independent stalls fill London’s oldest botanic garden, much of it under marquees, from Thursday 26 to Sunday 29 November. Entry is timed and the proceeds support the garden.
30. King’s Cross at Christmas
King’s Cross · 20 Nov 2026 to 3 Jan 2027
The King’s Cross Winter Market fills Granary Square from 26 November, a roller rink runs in Lewis Cubitt Square until 22 December, and Aardman’s Cracking Christmas Tree, decorated with Wallace and Gromit, Shaun and Morph, is free to see. Christmas Under the Canopy runs from 20 November to 23 December.
31. Crafty Fox Markets
King’s Cross and the Strand · 14 Nov to 13 Dec
Crafty Fox brings independent makers together at the British Library on 14 and 15 November, at RSA House off the Strand on 5 December, and at King’s Cross on 6 December and the weekend of 12 and 13 December.
32. Christmas at Chiswick House
Chiswick · 1 Nov to 24 Dec
The Duck Pond Festive Market runs in the gardens until Christmas Eve, Father Christmas has a grotto inside the house from 28 November, and a Christmas opera, The Duchess’s Christmas, is staged in the house on 12 and 13 December.
Ice Skating
London’s best rinks for 2026, all outdoors and all worth booking ahead for evening and weekend sessions.
Strand · 11 Nov 2026 to 10 Jan 2027
33. Skate at Somerset House
The rink to book is set in the 18th-century Fountain Court of Somerset House, under a 40ft Christmas tree. Skate Lates with DJs start at 8pm, and there are relaxed sessions and sessions for wheelchair users. It’s closed on Christmas Day. Our Somerset House guide has more.
34. Hampton Court Palace Ice Rink
Hampton Court · 20 Nov 2026 to 3 Jan 2027
The rink sits on the palace drive in front of Henry VIII’s palace, with fewer skaters per session this year, live ice sculpting and a Skating Santa at weekends. It’s closed on Christmas Day and is a separate ticket from palace entry.
35. Queen’s House Ice Rink, Greenwich
Greenwich · 18 Nov 2026 to 3 Jan 2027
A rink in front of the Queen’s House in Greenwich, open from 10am to 9pm, with toddler, student and SEND sessions. It pairs well with the Cutty Sark and Greenwich Market.
Battersea · 6 Nov 2026 to 3 Jan 2027
36. Glide at Battersea Power Station
London’s riverside rink sits beside the Thames at Battersea Power Station, with a skate trail and a bar in The Glass House.
37. Skate Leicester Square
Leicester Square · 31 Oct 2026 to 3 Jan 2027
The most central rink, ringed by the Christmas market stalls and open daily except Christmas Day. Bear in mind that the Natural History Museum rink has closed for good and the Canary Wharf rink is taking 2026 off, so older lists that include them are out of date.
Shows, Concerts and Carols
Ballet, panto, concerts and carol services. The big carol services are free but need planning.
Royal Opera House and London Coliseum · December to January
38. The Nutcracker
London has two Nutcrackers this Christmas. The Royal Ballet’s Peter Wright production is at the Royal Opera House from 3 December 2026 to 13 January 2027, and English National Ballet’s runs at the London Coliseum from 17 December to 10 January, with a family-friendly performance on Saturday 9 January at 2pm.
At the Royal Opera House you can also take The Making of The Nutcracker, a 75-minute backstage tour for ages 12 and up, from 23 November to 13 January.
West End · 5 Dec 2026 to 10 Jan 2027
39. Cinderella at the London Palladium
The Palladium panto has Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders as the Ugly Sisters, their first West End reunion in 17 years, and Julian Clary as the Fairy Godfather. It’s packed with innuendo aimed over the children’s heads, and under-4s aren’t admitted.
40. Jack and the Beanstalk at Hackney Empire
Hackney · 21 Nov to 31 Dec
For a panto that’s less starry and just as loud, Hackney Empire’s Jack and the Beanstalk is directed by Clive Rowe, who also plays Dame Trot. There are BSL, relaxed and audio-described performances in early December.
41. The Snowman at the Peacock Theatre
Holborn · 21 Nov 2026 to 3 Jan 2027
A brand-new production of The Snowman, directed and choreographed by Will Tuckett, with Howard Blake’s score, Walking in the Air included, and new puppets. It’s the gentlest show on this list and ideal for younger children.
Waterloo · 10 Nov 2026 to 9 Jan 2027
42. A Christmas Carol at the Old Vic
Jack Thorne’s version of Dickens, the Old Vic’s Christmas fixture, returns with Giles Terera as Scrooge.
South Bank · 12 Dec 2026 to 3 Jan 2027
43. Cirque Alice at the Royal Festival Hall
An acrobatic Alice in Wonderland with aerialists, contortionists and puppetry, with ringside seats on the stage itself. It’s for ages five and up.
London Bridge · 20 and 21 Dec
44. Carols at Southwark Cathedral
Southwark Cathedral’s carol services at 6pm on 20 and 21 December are free, with tickets released through Eventbrite. It also hosts Handel’s Messiah on 13 December and the Crisis Carol Concert on 12 December, and its Crib Service at 4pm on Christmas Eve needs no ticket.
45. A Christmas Carol at the Charles Dickens Museum
Bloomsbury · 1 to 23 Dec
In the house where Dickens lived, James Swanton performs A Christmas Carol live on most days in December, usually at 4pm and 6pm, and the museum opens from 10am to 6pm on Christmas Eve.
46. The Muppet Christmas Carol Sing-Along
Prince Charles Cinema, Leicester Square · 27 Nov to 24 Dec
The Prince Charles Cinema shows The Muppet Christmas Carol more than 50 times this season, most of them as sing-alongs with a hosted pre-show and a visit from Father Christmas. It’s a Wonderful Life is on too.
South Kensington · 1 to 31 Dec
47. Christmas at the Royal Albert Hall
The Hall puts on a show almost every night in December, from Carols at the Royal Albert Hall (19 to 24 December) to Home Alone in Concert (5 and 6 December) and Jamie Cullum (10 and 11 December). More in our Royal Albert Hall guide.
City of London · ballot 12 to 26 Nov
48. Carols at St Paul’s Cathedral
St Paul’s gives out free tickets for its Christmas Carol Services (4pm on 23 and 24 December) and Family Carols (11am on 19 December) by ballot, open from 12 to 26 November, and entering early makes no difference. Britten’s Ceremony of Carols on 12 December at 5pm needs no ticket. See our St Paul’s Cathedral guide.
Westminster · tickets released 16 and 18 Nov
49. Lessons and Carols at Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey releases free tickets on 16 and 18 November, at 9.30am and 2.30pm, for its candlelit Service of Lessons and Carols (6pm on 23 and 24 December) and Midnight Mass, first come, first served. Our Westminster Abbey guide covers visiting the rest of the year.
50. Carols at St Martin-in-the-Fields
Trafalgar Square · through December
The easy one, because the church on Trafalgar Square issues no tickets for services. Its Nine Lessons and Carols is on Sunday 13 December at 3pm and 5pm, and its ticketed candlelit concerts run all month, including A Trafalgar Square Christmas on 3 December, the night the square’s tree is lit.
Christmas with Children
Santa, snow shows and stage favourites for a family Christmas in London.
Regent’s Park · 21 Nov 2026 to 3 Jan 2027
51. Christmas at London Zoo
A walk-through Christmas forest leads to a North Pole HQ for letters to Santa and cracker-making, Santa drives round the zoo at lunchtime, and the keepers give festive talks. Santa’s grotto is a separate ticket. Book London Zoo tickets.
Fulham · 20 Nov to 23 Dec
52. Santa’s Winter Garden at Fulham Palace
New for 2026, Fulham Palace’s walled garden becomes a snowy North Pole with falling snow and lights, ending with a private meeting with Santa. There are daytime and after-dark sessions, booked through its own website, and some sessions are already selling out.
Eltham · 5 Dec 2026 to 3 Jan 2027
53. Christmas at Eltham Palace
English Heritage’s Art Deco palace holds a Christmas Fair on 5 and 6 December, festive family activities at weekends until 20 December and a community wreath trail into January. Book Eltham Palace tickets.
Greenwich · 14 Nov to 24 Dec
54. Christmas in Greenwich
Santa’s Grotto at the Queen’s House tells a Snow Queen story that ends with Father Christmas, and many December dates have already sold out. The Cutty Sark runs festive talks, and the National Maritime Museum has a Winter Solstice family festival on 19 December. Bear in mind the Royal Observatory is closed for refurbishment. Book Cutty Sark tickets.
55. Wundrful World of Christmas at ExCeL
Royal Docks · 14 Nov to 24 Dec
A walk-through North Pole for young children at ExCeL, where they meet Mrs Claus and Santa before the Elves’ Playground of rides and stalls.
Greenwich Peninsula · 24 Dec 2026 to 3 Jan 2027
56. Disney On Ice at The O2
Disney On Ice presents Discover the Magic, a search for Tinker Bell with Moana, Belle, Elsa, Stitch and Miguel, over the days after Christmas. Our guide to The O2 covers getting there.
57. Peppa Pig’s Big Family Show
Theatre Royal Haymarket · 4 Dec 2026 to 3 Jan 2027
Peppa’s family build and decorate their home for a new arrival in a show of about 80 minutes, with relaxed performances on 7 December and 2 January.
58. Victorian Santa’s Grotto at London Museum Docklands
West India Quay · 20 Nov to 23 Dec
Families walk through the museum’s recreated Sailortown streets to a Dickensian grotto, and each child leaves with a present inspired by Victorian toys. The first two sessions each day are sensory-friendly, and booking is essential.
59. The Aurora Line at Westfield London
Shepherd’s Bush · 5 to 24 Dec
A festive train ride through an enchanted winter forest ends at Santa’s cabin, with a gift for each child and a professional photo. It’s advance booking only.
Regent Street · through December
60. Hamleys on Regent Street
London’s most famous toy shop holds parades and visits from Hamley Bear through the season, and its Santa’s Grotto has to be booked ahead.
Windsor · selected dates, 21 Nov 2026 to 3 Jan 2027
61. LEGOLAND Windsor at Christmas
A giant DUPLO Christmas tree, the Festival of Flurries snow show and more than 20 rides, with Festive Sleepovers at the resort hotels if you want to stay. Book LEGOLAND Windsor tickets or read our LEGOLAND Windsor guide.
62. Father Christmas at Chelsea Physic Garden
Chelsea · Fridays to Sundays, 4 to 20 Dec
Father Christmas tells stories in London’s oldest botanic garden on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in December, a quieter alternative to the big grottos.
Christmas Shopping and Windows
The department stores go all out, and the windows are a free show of their own.
Oxford Street · Snow Show from 14 Nov
63. Selfridges
Selfridges’ 2026 theme is Christmas and the City. Its Snow Show, with bellhops, a brass band, Santa and a snowfall finale, runs on 14, 15, 21 and 22 November and 5, 6, 12 and 13 December.
Piccadilly · open to 10pm from 14 to 23 Dec
64. Fortnum & Mason
Fortnum’s 2026 windows are by the illustrator Olaf Hajek, with mischievous mice and a wand-waving Christmas Fairy. The Christmas shop is on the lower ground floor, and the store stays open until 10pm from 14 to 23 December.
Knightsbridge · Christmas World
65. Harrods
Christmas World on the lower ground floor is all decorations, stockings and crackers, including the 2026 bauble and the 2026 Christmas bear, Henry. The building is lit up every night. See our Harrods guide.
Columbia Road · 25 Nov and 2, 9, 16 Dec
66. Columbia Road Christmas Wednesdays
The shops on Columbia Road and in Ezra Street open late, from 5pm to 9pm, on four Wednesday evenings before Christmas, with mulled wine and the road closed to traffic. There are no carols this year, so come for the shopping.
Regent Street · Christmas Shop
67. Liberty
Liberty’s Christmas Shop takes over the fourth floor of its mock-Tudor building, just off Regent Street.
68. Christmas in Chelsea
King’s Road and Duke of York Square · 5 Nov to 28 Dec
Duke of York Square lights its 40ft Norwegian spruce on 12 November from 5pm, with the Chelsea Pensioners singing. Four Festive Saturdays (14, 21 and 28 November and 5 December) bring choirs, brass bands and stilt walkers to the King’s Road, with snow flurries on the hour at weekends. The Ever After Garden fills Duke of York Square with more than 30,000 lit white roses for The Royal Marsden until 21 December.
Festive Food and Drink
Afternoon teas, rooftop cabins and a dinner on a train.
Victoria and Trafalgar Square · until 31 Dec
69. Festive Afternoon Tea on a Bus
Afternoon tea on a vintage Routemaster is a very London way to do tea and the sights at once. Brigit’s Bakery decorates its tea buses for Christmas until 31 December, and adds a Grinch-themed Grinchmas tour with a live guide. Both take about ninety minutes.
Tea with a view. Book the Grinchmas Afternoon Tea Bus Tour, with a live guide and themed treats, or the classic afternoon tea bus, decorated for Christmas until 31 December.
Park Lane · 14 Nov 2026 to 3 Jan 2027
70. Festive Afternoon Tea at The Dorchester
The Promenade serves a festive afternoon tea on weekdays through the season, with live carols at weekends, plus afternoon teas on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
Strand · Christmas season
71. Festive Afternoon Tea at The Savoy
The Savoy’s festive afternoon tea is served in its Gallery under the glass dome, with seasonal treats, warm scones and Champagne.
72. The Berkeley’s Rooftop Cabins
Knightsbridge · from 13 Nov
Alpine-style cabins built from ski gondolas sit on The Berkeley’s roof looking over Hyde Park, serving raclette, chocolate fondue and gingerbread s’mores, with a bell in each cabin to ring for Champagne.
73. Coppa Club Igloos
Tower Bridge · festive menus
Ten private igloos on the riverside terrace look straight across to Tower Bridge, booked for breakfast, lunch or dinner, with festive menus through the season.
74. The Murdér Express
Shoreditch · festive menu in December
A murder mystery served on a 1937 train set in a railway arch near Shoreditch, with a three-course menu and a festive menu in December. The current show is The Murdér Express Part Deux: Jewel of the Empire.
Christmas Day and After
London almost stops on 25 December. Here’s what you can still do, and what reopens on Boxing Day. Our Christmas Day in London guide has the full picture.
Book well ahead
75. Christmas Day Lunch Out
Duck & Waffle, which never closes, serves a Christmas Day menu from 11.30am to 9pm with the City below you. Ham Yard Hotel does a four-course lunch with roast turkey or salmon coulibiac, The Dorchester serves Christmas lunch and dinner in The Promenade, and Rondo at The Hoxton, Holborn has a Christmas Day menu from 12pm to 5pm.
Westminster Pier · 25 Dec
76. A Christmas Day Thames Cruise
A Christmas Day lunch cruise from Westminster Pier takes about three hours with a traditional festive lunch on board, and there are shorter sightseeing cruises on the day too.
77. A Christmas Day Bus Tour
Central London · 10am to 4pm on 25 Dec
With no Tube running, a hop-on hop-off bus that runs on Christmas Day every 30 minutes from 10am to 4pm is one of the few ways to see the sights without walking the lot.
Christmas Day, sorted. Book the Christmas Day Thames lunch cruise from Westminster Pier, or a Christmas Day hop-on hop-off bus ticket for 10am to 4pm.
Hyde Park, Hampstead Heath and Hampton
78. A Christmas Morning Swim
The Serpentine Swimming Club races for the Peter Pan Cup at 9am, as it has almost every year since 1864, though only qualifying club members swim. To get in the water yourself, Parliament Hill Lido on Hampstead Heath is open every day of the year, Christmas Day included, and the heated outdoor pool at Hampton Pool runs Christmas Day sessions.
Anywhere · all day
79. A Christmas Day Walk
With no Tube and the roads quiet, Christmas morning is the one day you can walk from Westminster along the Embankment to St Paul’s in near silence. Santander Cycles run as usual, and the Serpentine Lido Café in Hyde Park opens from 8am to 4pm when most park cafés are shut.
Free, no ticket needed
80. Church on Christmas Day
St Paul’s holds a Choral Eucharist at 11am and Festal Evensong at 3pm, Westminster Abbey has Holy Communion at 8am and Evensong at 3pm, and St Martin-in-the-Fields has a Eucharist at 10.30am, all without tickets.
81. Volunteer with Crisis at Christmas
London day centres · Christmas week
Crisis runs day centres and hotels for people experiencing homelessness over Christmas and recruits volunteers for them each year. Its 2026 volunteering opportunities are open now.
82. Boxing Day in London
26 Dec
The big attractions reopen: the London Eye (10am to 8.30pm), SEA LIFE (11am to 6pm), Madame Tussauds (9am to 8pm), the Somerset House rink and Winter Wonderland. The major museums stay shut until 27 December. For football, Fulham host Brighton and Spurs host Bournemouth at 3pm, and Crystal Palace play Arsenal on 27 December at 7pm.
83. New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day
31 Dec and 1 Jan
The fireworks over the Thames are ticketed, and our New Year’s Eve in London guide covers the tickets, viewing areas, cruises and getting home. On New Year’s Day, the London Parade runs from 1pm along Piccadilly, Regent Street and Whitehall, and watching from the route is free.
More Christmas in London: see our Christmas in London hub for the key dates and every Christmas guide.
FAQ
What is there to do in London at Christmas?
The West End lights, Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, the Christmas markets on the South Bank and at London Bridge, ice skating at Somerset House, Christmas at Kew, Hogwarts in the Snow, panto at the London Palladium and carol services at St Paul’s and Westminster Abbey are the highlights for 2026.
What are the best free things to do in London at Christmas?
Walking the Oxford Street, Regent Street and Carnaby lights, the Trafalgar Square tree, the Covent Garden snowfall, the department store windows, the riverside markets and the services at St Martin-in-the-Fields all cost nothing.
When do the Christmas lights go on in London in 2026?
Carnaby Street’s lights have been on since 4 November and Regent Street’s since 5 November, and Oxford Street’s Harry Potter display is up. Covent Garden and Bond Street switch on on Thursday 12 November.
What is open in London on Christmas Day?
Very little. There is no Tube and no TfL buses, and most attractions and museums close. Parks, churches, some restaurants, Christmas Day cruises and a hop-on hop-off bus run.
What is there to do in London in December?
December is the peak of the Christmas season, with the lights on, the markets and rinks open, the Nutcracker and panto running, carol services from mid-month and the New Year’s Eve fireworks on 31 December.