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Christmas Events in London 2026: Markets, Lights, Ice Rinks and Every Date You Need

London doesn’t do Christmas quietly, and I’m all for it! The angels are already up over Regent Street, Oxford Street has gone full Hogwarts, and there’s a rink wrapped around the Shakespeare statue in Leicester Square. Walk down the Queen’s Walk after dark and you’ll smell the mulled wine before you see a single chalet.

What catches people out is the timing. Dates shift every year. A couple of favourites have moved for 2026, one long-running rink isn’t coming back this winter, and there are Tube strikes pencilled in for three of the busiest days before Christmas. The ticketed stuff sells out weeks ahead too. But most of the best bits are free, and you can see a lot of them in one evening on foot.

First time in the capital? Our London travel guide covers the basics. This page is purely the festive stuff.

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Christmas in London: Quick Facts

Already up and running: Skate Leicester Square, the Southbank Centre Winter Market, and the lights on Regent Street, Carnaby and Oxford Street
The big one: Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, 19 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 (closed Christmas Day)
Switch-ons still to come: Covent Garden on 12 November, Leadenhall Market on 19 November and the Trafalgar Square tree, expected on Thursday 3 December
Book these first: Christmas at Kew, Skate at Somerset House, Hogwarts in the Snow and the New Year's Eve fireworks
Free festive stuff: every street lights display, nearly all the markets, the Trafalgar Square carols and Covent Garden's hourly snowfall in December
Tube strike days: 24-hour walkouts are planned from midday on 26 November, 17 December and 19 December
Christmas Day: Friday 25 December, with no service on most public transport
Not happening this year: Ice Rink Canary Wharf is sitting out the 2026 season
Rough daily budget: £0 if you stick to lights and markets, or £60 to £100 (about €70 to €120 / $80 to $135) with a skate, a light trail and food
Tinker's Tip: Do the free stuff on weekday afternoons in November. It's the same lights and the same chalets with about half the people. Keep your December weekends for whatever you've already got tickets for.
Related Article: Our self-guided London walking tour from Westminster to Tower Bridge goes right past the Southbank Winter Market and ends a short stroll from Winter by the River. In December it's basically a festive walk with landmarks thrown in.

Christmas in London 2026: key dates at a glance

Christmas in London Made Simple
Christmas in London Made Simple

Screenshot this bit. Every major event, when it runs, roughly what it costs and how urgently you need to book.

← Swipe to scroll on mobile

Event2026 datesCostBook ahead?
Skate Leicester Square31 Oct to 3 JanAdults from £14.50, market freeRecommended
Southbank Centre Winter Market2 Nov to 3 JanFree entryNo
Glide at Battersea Power Station6 Nov to 3 JanAdults from about £19Yes
Trafalgar Square Christmas Market6 Nov to 3 JanFree entryNo
Winter by the River10 Nov to 3 JanFree entryNo
Skate at Somerset House11 Nov to 10 Jan£11 to £28.50Yes
Christmas at Kew13 Nov to 3 JanAdults from £29.50Yes, essential
Hogwarts in the Snow14 Nov to 17 JanAdults £58.50Yes, essential
Hamleys Santa's Grotto14 Nov to 24 DecFrom £75 per groupYes, essential
Queen's House Ice Rink18 Nov to 3 JanPaid skatingRecommended
Hyde Park Winter Wonderland19 Nov to 3 Jan£1 to £8.25 entryYes (timed slots)
Hampton Court Palace Ice Rink20 Nov to 3 JanAdults from about £19Yes
Chelsea Winter Village and Illuminations25 Nov to 28 DecVillage free, trail ticketedTrail only
King's Cross Winter Market26 Nov to 3 JanFree entryNo
Trafalgar Square tree lightingThu 3 Dec (expected)FreeNo, arrive early
Hampton Court Festive Fayre4 to 6 and 11 to 13 DecWith palace admissionYes
English National Ballet's Nutcracker17 Dec to 10 JanVaries by seatYes
Carols at the Royal Albert Hall19 to 24 DecVaries by seatYes
New Year's Eve fireworksThu 31 Dec£40 or £55Yes, essential

Prices and dates correct as of November 2026. Euro and dollar figures in this guide are rough conversions at about £1 = €1.19 / $1.33.

Watch out: The RMT has called 24-hour Tube strikes starting at midday on Thursday 26 November, Thursday 17 December and Saturday 19 December, each running to midday the next day. There are two more on 4 and 6 January. Strikes do get called off at the last minute, so check TfL before you travel. If they go ahead, lean on buses, National Rail and your feet. Most of the West End is walkable anyway.

Hyde Park Winter Wonderland 2026

Christmas at Hyde Park "Winter Wonderland"
Christmas at Hyde Park "Winter Wonderland"

Winter Wonderland runs from Thursday 19 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027 and only shuts on Christmas Day. The standard day is 10am to 10pm, with last entry at 9.30pm. Don’t assume a 10am start though. Quite a few weekdays open later: midday on several November dates, 11am on most December weekdays, and 2pm on 1 December.

You book a one-hour arrival slot and everyone needs a ticket, toddlers included. Once you’re through the gate you can stay as long as you like.

  • Off-peak: entry itself is free, you just pay a £1 booking fee (about €1.20 / $1.30)
  • Standard: £5.50 (about €6.60 / $7.30)
  • Peak: £8.25 (about €9.90 / $11)
  • Spend over £25 in one online order and your entry comes free

Those prices include booking fees this year. The entry ticket is the cheap part, mind. Rides, the ice rink, the Magical Ice Kingdom, the giant wheel and the shows are all charged separately, and that’s where an evening gets expensive. Look out for Luminarie Lane, a market street with its own light installation, and the canopy of 100,000 lights over the rink, which is the biggest outdoor one in the UK. Santa’s grotto is free once you’re in.

I’d treat it as a theme park that happens to sell bratwurst. Pick two or three paid things, book them in the same basket as your entry, and go on a weekday if you possibly can. Saturday nights in December are rammed and the food queues get silly. The nearest Tube stations are Hyde Park Corner, Marble Arch and Knightsbridge.

Money saver: Advance prices stop at 23:59 the night before your visit and it costs more on the day. Even if you only decide at 10pm, book online before you go to bed.

The best Christmas markets in London 2026

Covent-Garden-at-Christmas-in-London.jpeg
Covent Garden at Christmas in London
Market2026 datesBest forEntry
Southbank Centre Winter Market2 Nov to 3 JanRiver views and street foodFree
Christmas in Leicester Square31 Oct to 3 JanWest End evenings, skatingFree to browse
Trafalgar Square6 Nov to 3 JanThe Norwegian tree, carolsFree
Winter by the River10 Nov to 3 JanTower Bridge views, curlingFree
Covent Garden12 Nov to 2 JanDecorations, snowfall, giftsFree
Kingston Christmas Market12 Nov to 3 JanA calmer, Bavarian-style marketFree
Hyde Park Winter Wonderland19 Nov to 3 JanMarket plus rides and showsTimed ticket
King's Cross Winter Market26 Nov to 3 JanIndependent makers, the Aardman treeFree
Old Spitalfields and BoroughThrough Nov and DecMakers and festive food shoppingFree

Southbank Centre Winter Market


This is where I'd spend a first evening. The chalets line the Queen's Walk under Hungerford Bridge from 2 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, with the London Eye lit up right behind them. Stalls open 11am to 10pm and the pop-up bars keep going until 11pm. Walk over the bridge from Embankment, get something hot in your hands and wander east along the river. It's closed on Christmas Day, and it shut on New Year's Eve last year too, so check before you plan that night around it.

Christmas in Leicester Square


Festive stalls surround Skate Leicester Square, the rink that loops around the Shakespeare statue, until 3 January 2027. Skating starts from £14.50 for adults (about €17 / $19) and £9.50 for kids, plus a booking fee, for a 45-minute session with skate hire included. Until 26 November the weekday sessions start at midday, and from 27 November it's 10am to 10pm every day. Hours are shorter on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day and New Year's Day, and there's no skating on Christmas Day.

Trafalgar Square Christmas Market


A short run of wooden stalls in front of the National Gallery, open 10am to 10pm from 6 November to 3 January. It's small. You'll be round it in fifteen minutes. But you're standing between Nelson's Column and the Norwegian tree with carols going on next to you, so nobody's really there for the shopping.

Covent Garden at Christmas


Covent Garden is more of a full festive makeover than a chalet market. The season starts with the switch-on on Thursday 12 November: more than 300,000 lights, a 50ft Norwegian spruce on the West Piazza, and the giant bells and baubles hanging in the Market Building. From 4 to 31 December fake snow falls beside the tree on the hour, midday to 9pm, and it's free. Thursdays mean late shopping and performances. If you want presents rather than photos, the craft stalls in the Apple Market are the place.

Official Website: Christmas in Covent Garden

Winter by the River, London Bridge


London Bridge City's riverside market runs from 10 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, 11am to 10pm daily. The chalets sit on the stretch between London Bridge and Tower Bridge, next to a two-storey pop-up bar with a heated rooftop and six curling lanes down at the pier. You come for the view, though. Tower Bridge lit up at night is hard to beat, and on a weeknight you can get a spot at the railing. It closes at 5pm on Christmas Eve, 9pm on New Year's Eve and all day on Christmas Day.

King's Cross Winter Market


New for 2026. The King's Cross Winter Market fills Granary Square from 26 November to 3 January, open 11am to 10pm Sunday to Thursday and until 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays. It's free and you don't need to book. Go and find Aardman's Christmas tree while you're there (Wallace and Gromit, Shaun the Sheep and Morph are all on it). There's also a paid roller rink in Lewis Cubitt Square from 26 November to 22 December. The market is closed on 25 and 26 December and on New Year's Day. One thing to know: opening day is also the first Tube strike day.

Official Website: Christmas at King's Cross

Kingston Christmas Market


Fancy something calmer? Kingston is about 25 minutes by train from Waterloo, and its Ancient Market Place goes full Bavarian from 12 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. It's open 10am to 6pm Sunday to Wednesday and until 8pm Thursday to Saturday.

Old Spitalfields and Borough Market


Old Spitalfields has its lights on from Wednesday 11 November and runs festive pop-ups after that, including a Vinyl Market on 4 and 18 December. Borough Market is the one for food shopping. Think cheese, flaming Christmas puddings and free-range rare-breed turkeys, and go hungry.

Official Website: Old Spitalfields Market
Official Website: Borough Market
Good to know: Pretty much every market shuts on Christmas Day, and King's Cross closes on Boxing Day and New Year's Day as well. Build your 25th around a walk and a long lunch.
Related Article: After the full German-style experience? Our guide to Christmas markets and festive light shows in Europe picks out the city breaks that do it best.

London Christmas lights 2026: dates and where to see them

Leadenhall-christmas-lights-switch-on.jpeg
Leadenhall christmaslights switch on

The lights are the best free show in town, and most stay up into the first days of January. Several of the big ones are already on. Switch-on nights bring music, stalls and a serious crowd. Any night afterwards is quieter and the lights look exactly the same.

← Swipe to scroll on mobile

LightsOn fromWorth knowing
Leicester SquareSun 1 NovStar-shaped lights, up until 6 January
St Martin's LaneTue 3 NovTheatreland's own display
Carnaby StreetWed 4 Nov90s-themed Press Play on Christmas design
Regent Street and St James'sThu 5 NovThe Spirits of Christmas angels
Battersea Power StationThu 5 NovArt deco chandeliers and a 40ft tree
Oxford StreetMon 9 NovClassic stars plus four Hogwarts house banners
KnightsbridgeTue 10 NovMade with 3,000 recycled plastic bottles
Marylebone VillageWed 11 NovSwitch-on at 6pm, with a 55ft Ferris wheel
Old Spitalfields MarketWed 11 NovEvents from 3pm, lights on at 6pm
Covent GardenThu 12 Nov300,000+ lights and a 50ft tree
Bond StreetThu 12 NovCrown Jewels design, lights on at 7pm
Chelsea (King's Road)Thu 12 NovSparkling crowns over the street
Fleet StreetWed 18 NovDennis the Menace statue trail
Leadenhall MarketThu 19 Nov26ft tree, switch-on at 6pm
St Katharine DocksThu 19 NovChristmas market and a visit from Santa
The ShardTue 1 DecTower-wide festive display
Trafalgar Square treeThu 3 Dec (expected)Free ceremony, arrive early

Regent Street, Carnaby and Oxford Street


Regent Street's Spirits of Christmas angels have been glowing since 5 November, and they're still the ones everybody photographs. Carnaby has gone 90s with its Press Play on Christmas theme. Oxford Street switched on on Monday 9 November with a Harry Potter tie-in: the usual stars, plus four glowing banners between Marble Arch and Tottenham Court Road, one for each Hogwarts house. There's a Harry Potter Christmas tree in Hanover Square as well, with a snowfall show every hour.

Covent Garden, Seven Dials and Neal's Yard


Covent Garden's lights carry on into Seven Dials and Neal's Yard, and those little streets are lovely after dark. Our London hidden lanes walking tour goes through both, along with Goodwin's Court and Burlington Arcade. It's a good walk any time of year. With the decorations up it's better.

Leadenhall Market


The City's Victorian covered market lights its 26ft tree on Thursday 19 November, with live music and a snow flurry before the 6pm switch-on. The City empties out at weekends, so you'll have more room then, though some of the shops will be shut.

An easy Christmas lights walk


Here's the route I'd do. Start at Oxford Circus and head down Regent Street, ducking into Carnaby on the way. Cross Piccadilly Circus into St James's, then cut over to Leicester Square and Covent Garden, and finish under the tree in Trafalgar Square. Give it about 90 minutes, longer if you keep stopping for hot chocolate (you will).

If your feet give up halfway, the open top deck of a Big Bus sightseeing tour gets you round a good chunk of the West End sitting down.

Must do: Walk Regent Street on a weeknight after 8pm. The shops are winding down, the pavements have cleared, and you can look up at the angels without taking a shopping bag to the ribs.

Ice skating in London for Christmas 2026

Skate on Somerset House
Skate on Somerset House 📸 Somerset House

There are six big outdoor rinks this winter and they feel nothing alike. Prices below are for adults. Most rinks add a booking fee online, which is annoying, so check the final total before you pay.

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Rink2026 datesAdult priceWhy go
Skate Leicester Square31 Oct to 3 JanFrom £14.50 (€17 / $19)Easy last-minute West End skate
Glide at Battersea Power Station6 Nov to 3 JanFrom about £19 (€23 / $25)Three rinks plus a riverside skate trail
Skate at Somerset House11 Nov to 10 Jan£11 to £28.50 (€13 to €34 / $15 to $38)The classic courtyard rink
Queen's House, Greenwich18 Nov to 3 JanCheck siteTwice the size it was, World Heritage setting
Hyde Park Winter Wonderland19 Nov to 3 JanSeparate rink ticketUK's biggest outdoor rink
Hampton Court Palace20 Nov to 3 JanFrom about £19 (€23 / $25)Skating in front of a Tudor palace

Skate at Somerset House


This is the one people picture when they think of skating in London. The rink sits in Somerset House's big neoclassical courtyard from 11 November 2026 to 10 January 2027, with a towering tree at one end and DJs on Friday and Saturday nights. Tickets run from £11 to £28.50 (about €13 to €34 / $15 to $38) depending on the slot. Not skating? You can walk into the courtyard and watch for free. Bring a card, because the whole site is cashless.

Official Website: Skate at Somerset House

Glide at Battersea Power Station


Three linked rinks and a skate trail beside the river, directly under the four white chimneys. Glide runs from 6 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, with adult tickets from around £19 (about €23 / $25). You can also hire a private igloo for afterwards, which is a decent shout for a birthday or a work do.

Queen's House and Hampton Court


Greenwich's rink opens on 18 November and it's twice the size it used to be. It sits beside the Queen's House, inside the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site. Hampton Court's rink runs from 20 November to 3 January (not Christmas Day) with the first session at 10am and the last at 8pm, and you skate with Henry VIII's palace as your backdrop. Both are a trek from the centre. I think they're the two prettiest rinks in London.

Official Website: Queen's House Ice Rink
Watch out: Ice Rink Canary Wharf, one of London's longest-running seasonal rinks, isn't operating this winter. Plenty of older guides still list it, so don't plan a Docklands evening around it.

Christmas at Kew and London's light trails

christmas at Kew Gardens
Christmas at Kew

Christmas at Kew


If you only pay for one thing all season, I'd make it this. Christmas at Kew runs from Friday 13 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027, though it's closed on 16, 23 and 28 November and on Christmas Day. The trail is 3km. On paper that's an hour's walk. With hot chocolate stops and photos, give it two hours or more.

  • Entry slots: from 4.20pm, with last entry between 7pm and 7.40pm depending on your gate
  • Closing time: 10pm, or 9pm on Christmas Eve
  • Adults: £29.50 off-peak (about €35 / $39) or £37 peak (about €44 / $49)
  • Children (4 to 15): £20 off-peak or £24 peak, and under-4s go free but still need a ticket
  • Family (2 adults, 2 children): £86 off-peak or £105 peak (about €103 to €125 / $115 to $140)
  • Off-peak dates: 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26 and 30 November, plus 1 and 2 December
  • New for 2026: adults-only evenings on 3 and 9 December
  • Quiet Access sessions: 21 November and 1, 16 and 26 December

Those prices include a £1 booking fee. Use Victoria Gate if you're arriving by Tube or bus, and Elizabeth Gate if you're coming by train to Kew Bridge. Brentford Gate is only for people who've pre-booked parking.

Official Website: Christmas at Kew

Chelsea Winter Village and Illuminations


Back for a second year in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, a few minutes' walk from Sloane Square, from 25 November to 28 December 2026. The village is free to walk into. It's on a bigger site this time, with a new covered food hall, an après-ski bar, fire pits, curling, fairground rides and the Chelsea Pensioners Choir. The Illuminations light trail needs a ticket and has a longer route this year. Last season adult trail tickets ran from £15 to £24.95 (about €18 to €30 / $20 to $33).

Check this first: Kew warns of planned closures on the District line and the Overground through Kew Gardens station on some dates, and the Tube strike days (26 November, 17 and 19 December) will hit the District line too. If the line's down, take a train from Waterloo to Kew Bridge and use Elizabeth Gate.
Money saver: Book online in advance. Gate prices run a few pounds higher per ticket, and midweek dates outside school holidays are the cheapest of all.
Official Website: Chester Zoo
Related Article: Heading to Merseyside next? Our Liverpool walking tour with map links the cathedrals, the Beatles spots and the docks in one easy day.

Trafalgar Square Christmas tree and carols

Trafalgar-Square-Christmas.jpeg
Trafalgar Square Christmas

Every year since 1947, Oslo has sent London a Norway spruce to say thank you for Britain’s support during the Second World War. The tree is usually 50 to 60 years old and more than 20 metres tall. People grumble that it looks a bit plain. It’s meant to. That’s how Norway dresses a tree.

The lighting ceremony traditionally falls on the first Thursday of December, which makes it Thursday 3 December this year. It usually starts around 5pm with a band and a choir, and the lights go on at 6pm. The date hadn’t been formally confirmed when I checked, so have a quick look before you travel in for it. It’s free and it gets packed, so turn up early. After that, carol groups sing beside the tree through December, and St Martin-in-the-Fields is on the corner when you need to thaw out.

Fact: The tree’s lights hang in vertical strings, the traditional Norwegian way. Just before Twelfth Night it comes down, gets chipped and is composted into mulch.

Christmas at Hampton Court Palace

Hampton Court Palace Actors
Hampton Court Palace Actors

Hampton Court is a cracking festive day out, about 35 minutes by train from Waterloo. The big indoor event this year is Winter Palace: The Christmas Beast Ball, from 28 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. The palace rooms are dressed for Christmas and mythical beasts turn up to the party. There’s a neuroinclusive relaxed session on 8 December.

  • Festive Fayre: 4 to 6 and 11 to 13 December, 10am to 5pm, with 100+ artisan producers
  • Ice rink: 20 November to 3 January (not Christmas Day), sessions 10am to 8pm
  • Gardens: close at 4.30pm, or 5pm on Festive Fayre days
Small print: The Festive Fayre is included with palace admission (members go free). The ice rink is a separate ticket and doesn’t get you into the palace. Easy to mix up, so check which one you’re buying.
Personalised passport holders from The Travel Tinker Shop
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Hogwarts in the Snow at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour

Hogwarts at christmas
Hogwarts at christmas

The Studio Tour's Christmas makeover runs from 14 November 2026 to 17 January 2027. The Great Hall is laid out for a festive feast and the huge Hogwarts castle model gets covered in filmmaking snow. That last room is the one that makes grown adults go quiet. Adult tickets are £58.50 (about €70 / $78), children aged 5 to 15 are £47 (about €56 / $63) and a family ticket is £188 (about €224 / $250). Festive dates sell out fast.

Getting there is simple enough. Take the train from Euston to Watford Junction, which is around 20 minutes and works with Oyster or contactless. Then hop on the electric shuttle bus to the studio, which is included in your ticket. Allow three to four hours inside.

Would you prefer someone else to sort the travel? Have a look at Harry Potter studio tours with transport from London, which bundle the ticket with a coach from the centre.

Reality check: It isn't in London. Leavesden is roughly 30km northwest of the centre, so with travel this is half a day at the very least. Don't try to squeeze it in before an evening at Kew.

Where to stay in London

Christmas shows, concerts and meeting Santa

Royal Albert Hall


Carols at the Royal Albert Hall is the big festive sing-along, with 15 performances between 19 and 24 December. Earlier in the month, Home Alone is screened with a live orchestra on 5 and 6 December, and the Royal Choral Society's Christmas concert is on 7 December. Don't be put off by the balcony seats. They're cheaper and you still get the whole sweep of that hall.

The Nutcracker and other Christmas shows


English National Ballet's Nutcracker is back at the London Coliseum from 17 December 2026 to 10 January 2027, with Tchaikovsky's score played live by the ENB Philharmonic. If ballet isn't your thing, Christmas Carol Goes Wrong is at Wyndham's Theatre from 18 December to 23 January.

Official Website: English National Ballet

Hamleys Santa's Grotto


The Regent Street toy shop runs its grotto from 14 November to 24 December, with visits between 10.15am and 8pm. It isn't cheap. Prices start at £75 for a group of three (about €90 / $100), extra guests cost more up to a maximum of six, and the dates nearest Christmas climb as high as £195 (about €233 / $260). On a budget? The grotto at Winter Wonderland is free once you've paid your entry.

Official Website: Hamleys Santa's Grotto
Tinker's Tip: Go for the earliest Hamleys slot you can get. The shop gets busier by the hour, and an early visit leaves you free to explore the other floors before the crush starts.

Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Eve in London

Christmas Day is the one day London properly stops. There's no service on most public transport. Winter Wonderland, Kew and the rinks are closed, and so are most shops. I quite like it, to be fair. An empty South Bank on Christmas morning is a rare thing. Just book your lunch somewhere you can walk to.

← Swipe to scroll on mobile

DayWhat to expect on transportGood to know
Thu 17 DecTube strike from midday (planned)Runs to midday on Fri 18 Dec
Sat 19 DecTube strike from midday (planned)Last Saturday before Christmas
Thu 24 Dec (Christmas Eve)Services run but finish earlyRinks and Kew close early
Fri 25 Dec (Christmas Day)No service on most public transportMost attractions closed
Sat 26 Dec (Boxing Day)Reduced service, some lines closedThe sales start
Mon 28 DecBank holiday timetables likelySubstitute Boxing Day holiday
Thu 31 Dec (New Year's Eve)Most services run through the nightFireworks are ticket only
Fri 1 Jan (New Year's Day)Reduced serviceNew Year's Day Parade disrupts central buses

TfL publishes its full festive timetable in December, so check it nearer the time. Last year normal fares applied on New Year's Eve, with no free travel. Engineering works are also set to cut trains into Waterloo on Sunday 27 and Monday 28 December, which matters if you're heading to Hampton Court or Kingston. And the Tube strikes pick up again on Monday 4 and Wednesday 6 January.

Timing tip: Christmas Day is a Friday this year, so Boxing Day falls on the Saturday and the extra bank holiday lands on Monday 28 December. Expect that whole long weekend to feel like one giant Saturday at the big attractions. Book the earliest slots going.

The Mayor of London's New Year's Eve fireworks run from 8pm on Thursday 31 December to 12.30am, and you can only watch from the official viewing areas with a ticket. Tickets are £40 or £55 depending on the area (about €48 or €66 / $53 or $73), with £20 off for London residents, and Ticketmaster is the only official seller. The first batch went on sale on 23 October. A second, smaller batch is due later in the year. No ticket? Stay well away from the Embankment and find a pub with a telly.

Official Website: Transport for London
Watch out: Staying outside central London over the 25th? You're more or less stuck there for the day unless you've booked a cab, and cab fares go up over the holiday. Pick a hotel within walking distance of your Christmas lunch.
Related Article: Thinking beyond the capital? Our round-up of UK festive weekenders has eight easy city breaks, with plenty of markets and a few medieval streets.

Where to stay for Christmas in London

Where you stay matters more in December than at any other time of year. You’ll be out after dark, it’ll be cold, and with strike days in the mix you want to be able to walk to things.

  • South Bank and Waterloo: the Winter Market on your doorstep and an easy walk over to the West End
  • Covent Garden and the West End: the lights outside your window, but you pay for it
  • Kensington and Bayswater: handy for Winter Wonderland and the Royal Albert Hall
  • London Bridge and Southwark: Winter by the River, Borough Market and good transport links

December rooms go quickly, especially on the Winter Wonderland weekends. Compare Booking.com London hotels as early as you can. Travelling solo or keeping costs down? The central London hostels on Hostelworld make a cheap base for a festive weekend.

Contactless works on every Tube, bus and train in the city and caps what you pay each day, so there’s no need to buy tickets as you go. There’s more on that in our England travel tips.

Weather note: London almost never gets a white Christmas. Expect damp, chilly days with highs of around 8°C, and it’s dark by about 4pm in December. Layers, a waterproof and comfy shoes will serve you better than one huge coat you’ll be sweating in on the Tube.

A festive day in London that barely costs a thing

This is roughly how I'd spend a December day without spending much.

  • Late morning: Covent Garden, timed for the midday snowfall by the tree
  • Lunch: street food at the Southbank Winter Market or a wander round Borough Market
  • Afternoon: a skate at Somerset House, a short walk from Covent Garden
  • Dusk: Trafalgar Square for the tree and carols, then Leicester Square
  • Evening: the lights walk up through Piccadilly, Regent Street and Carnaby
  • Nightcap: mulled wine by the river at Winter by the River

Want all of this pinned on your phone? Our London Google Maps legend drops the spots into your own map, which beats juggling ten tabs with cold fingers.

← Swipe to scroll on mobile

What£€ (approx)$ (approx)
Winter Wonderland standard entry£5.50€6.60$7.30
Winter Wonderland peak entry£8.25€9.90$11
Skate Leicester Square (adult, from)£14.50€17$19
Christmas at Kew adult (off-peak / peak)£29.50 / £37€35 / €44$39 / $49
Skate at Somerset House£11 to £28.50€13 to €34$15 to $38
Glide or Hampton Court rink (adult, from)about £19€23$25
Hogwarts in the Snow (adult)£58.50€70$78
Hamleys grotto (group of 3, from)£75€90$100
New Year's Eve fireworks£40 or £55€48 or €66$53 or $73
Markets, lights, Trafalgar Square treeFreeFreeFree
Money saver: That whole day costs you one rink ticket plus whatever you eat and drink. Put what you've saved towards one paid highlight. Kew would be my choice.

Before you go...

A bit of planning goes a long way here. Book Kew, your Winter Wonderland slot and any skating now, put the three strike days in your phone, and leave everything else loose. The lights, the markets and the Trafalgar Square tree don’t need a ticket. They’re at their best on a cold weekday evening with something hot in your hand.

Still in a festive mood? Browse all our Christmas guides, pair London with Christmas in York for a two-city break, or have a look at our best places to travel at Christmas if you’re thinking further afield.

FAQs

When do the Christmas lights go on in London in 2026?

Most of the big ones are already on. Regent Street lit up on 5 November and Oxford Street on 9 November, with Covent Garden following on Thursday 12 November. Most displays stay up until the first week of January.

Off-peak entry is free apart from a £1 booking fee, and you still have to pre-book a slot. Standard entry is £5.50 and peak is £8.25, with rides and attractions charged on top.

Not a lot. There’s no service on most public transport and the big attractions close. Parks and riverside walks are open though, and plenty of pubs and restaurants serve Christmas lunch if you book ahead.

Southbank, Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden, Winter by the River, King’s Cross and Kingston are all free to walk around. Winter Wonderland is the exception because it needs a timed entry ticket.

No. Ice Rink Canary Wharf is taking a break for the 2026 winter season. Glide at Battersea Power Station, Skate at Somerset House and the Queen’s House rink in Greenwich are the best alternatives.

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Helen Ross

I’m a photographer and travel enthusiast, journeying from place to place for the hidden tales and unseen moments. I also pack roughly twice as much camera gear as clothing, which my back has opinions about.

Everything here comes from trips I’ve actually taken. LinkedIn  |  Editorial and AI policy

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