Ladies and gentlemen, people who own a novelty jumper and people who are about to buy one: London Christmas is back. And it has come to fight.
From early November to early January, this city turns its squares, shopping streets and at least one royal botanic garden into light shows, markets and ice rinks. Sometimes all three on the same corner. Regent Street switches its lights on 5 November. Kew opens its light trail on 13 November. Winter Wonderland opens in Hyde Park on 19 November. Somewhere in between, a man in a Santa hat will tell you the queue “starts just round the corner.” It doesn’t. It starts in Croydon.
I’m your hype man for this one, so expect some shouting. I’ll also tell you what’s free, what costs money, and which dates are confirmed and which are still “expected, probably, if the organisers stay on schedule.” A hype man who sends you to a market that hasn’t opened yet is just a man shouting in the cold.
All dates are for the 2026 season. Check the official sites before you go, because London Christmas plans move around a lot.
Where Are The Best Christmas Markets In London This Year?
Winter Wonderland, Hyde Park. The heavyweight champion of London Christmas. It runs from 19 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 and is open every day except Christmas Day. There are more than 150 things to see and do, including the Giant Wheel, the Magical Ice Kingdom and an Ice Bar. Yes, a bar made of ice. Humanity looked at winter and said “colder, please.”
The practical bit: you have to pre-book a one-hour entry slot. Off-peak slots are listed at £1, standard slots cost £5.50 and peak slots cost £8.25. If you spend £25 online on rides, attractions or food deals in one go, your entry is free. Most days it’s open 10am to 10pm, with last entry at 9:30pm, but some November dates open later, so check before you go.
Southbank Centre Winter Market. Alpine-style chalets along the Thames, with the London Eye right next to it. It sells festive food, mulled wine and handmade gifts. Entry is free, and it’s step-free and dog-friendly. Londonist lists it opening on 2 November. Your dog is invited. Your dog is thrilled.
Leicester Square. A free, enclosed market with handmade crafts and festive snacks, plus Skate Leicester Square from 31 October. It’s expected to run from early November to early January. Right in the middle of the West End, so it’s ideal if you’ve just watched a matinee and need sugar urgently.
Covent Garden. Free, open from early November, with three daily markets in the Market Building, big light displays and snow falling over the piazza. Fake snow, sure. But it’s the most reliable snow London will see all year.
Trafalgar Square. Wooden chalets, carol singers and the famous Norwegian Christmas tree. Expected from 9 November. Free.
For people who don’t like crowds (good luck, but here you go):
- Old Spitalfields has a covered market of independent makers selling clothing, jewellery, art and handmade gifts. Rain-proof, which in London counts as a luxury feature.
- Greenwich Market is near the Cutty Sark and sells stocking fillers, crafts and original art.
- Columbia Road has independent boutiques open late on Wednesdays in December.
- King’s Cross has eight separate markets, including a Canopy Market from 27 November. Eight. That isn’t a market, it’s a Christmas franchise.
When Do London’s Christmas Lights Switch On?
Here’s the lineup. Read it like a boxing card.
- Carnaby Street: 4 November
- Regent Street and St James’s: 5 November, a free, traffic-free switch-on event from 5pm to 9pm. This is the big one.
- Knightsbridge: 10 November
- Marylebone Village: 11 November, switch-on at 6pm
- Old Spitalfields Market: 11 November, lights at 6pm
- Covent Garden: 12 November, including the Piazza tree
- Bond Street: 12 November, lights at 7pm with the street closed to traffic
- Hampstead Village: 15 November, switch-on at 6pm
- Greenwich Market: 18 November, lights at 5pm
- Leadenhall Market: 19 November, switch-on at 6pm
Oxford Street is expected to light up around 2 November, but it hasn’t held an official switch-on ceremony in recent years. The lights just appear one evening without any announcement.
The best thing about this list is the price. Walking under the Regent Street lights costs nothing. Neither does Carnaby or Bond Street. You can spend a whole evening looking at the best displays in the city and pay only for the Tube fare and whatever hot drink you buy to keep your hands warm.
Is Christmas at Kew Worth The Money?
Time to be serious for a minute, because this one costs real money.
Christmas at Kew runs on selected dates from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, from 4:20pm to 10pm (9pm on Christmas Eve). Tickets start at £25.50, with family and child tickets available and a discount for Kew Members. The trail has large light installations, colour tunnels and soundscapes, plus a fairground, mulled wine, hot chocolate and Father Christmas.
Is it worth it? If you’re going to pay for one ticketed Christmas thing in London, this is the strongest candidate. It’s a light trail through a botanic garden, a different kind of night out from a market. A few things to know before you book:
- Entry is timed and capacity is limited, so book early. Tickets are sold through Fever.
- Adult-only evenings are on 3 and 9 December.
- Quiet Access sessions for visitors with hidden disabilities, such as autism, run on 21 November and 1, 16 and 26 December. If loud, busy events are hard for someone in your group, these sessions are a good way to go.
- No bikes or scooters. Parking has to be pre-booked, and Kew recommends public transport.
Where Can I Go Ice Skating In London At Christmas?
London takes skating rinks very seriously for a city that hardly ever freezes. Opening dates:
- Skate Leicester Square: 31 October (the early starter)
- Glide at Battersea Power Station: 6 November
- Skate at Somerset House: 11 November
- Queen’s House, Greenwich: 18 November
- Hampton Court Palace: 19 November
Winter Wonderland also has what VisitLondon calls the UK’s biggest outdoor ice rink. Bring gloves. Not for warmth. For falling over.
What Other Festive Events Are Happening In London?
There’s more, because London never does Christmas halfway:
- Christmas at the Tower of London opens 27 November.
- Winter Palace at Hampton Court opens 28 November, and the Hampton Court Festive Fayre is on 4 December.
- Chelsea Winter Village at the Royal Hospital Chelsea opens 25 November and includes a market.
- Santa’s Winter Garden at Fulham Palace opens 20 November.
- The Polar Express leaves Euston from 5 December.
- The Muppet Christmas Carol shows every day at the Prince Charles Cinema from 27 November to Christmas Eve. Every day. For a month. That’s commitment, and I respect it a lot.
How Do I Do London At Christmas Without Wrecking My Budget?
Okay, the hype man is putting the microphone down for this one.
London at Christmas can get very expensive very fast. The tickets, drinks, rides and gifts add up. It’s easy to come home with a lot of photos and an empty bank account. It doesn’t have to go that way.
Most of the best bits are free. Every light display on the switch-on list is free to walk under. Southbank, Leicester Square, Covent Garden, Trafalgar Square, Spitalfields and Greenwich all charge nothing to get in. You could see the Regent Street angels, the Trafalgar Square tree and the Southbank chalets in one evening and spend only a bus fare.
Some practical tips:
- Go on a weekday if you can. Winter Wonderland’s peak slots cost more for a reason. Weekends are busy everywhere.
- Book anything timed as early as possible. Kew and Winter Wonderland both run on time slots, and the good ones sell out.
- Set yourself a mulled wine budget. I’m only half joking.
- Pick one paid thing. Do it properly, then fill the rest of your time with free markets and light walks.
So Is London At Christmas Actually Worth It?
Yes. Loudly, yes.
It’s crowded, and sometimes it’s wet. At some point you’ll stand behind a group of twelve who have stopped in the middle of Regent Street to take one photo. But London does Christmas at a scale few cities can match, and a lot of it costs nothing. Pick a few dates, wrap up warm, and get yourself under those lights.
The hype man has spoken. Now go.
