Things to Do in London in December: Christmas Events, Winter Activities & New Year’s Eve
London Events in December 2026
December is one of the most exciting times to visit London. Christmas lights brighten the city centre, winter markets line the Thames, ice rinks open at historic landmarks and festive events take place throughout the month.
If you are looking for things to do in London at Christmas, you can spend an evening exploring a festive light trail, browse a winter market, watch a seasonal show or celebrate New Year’s Eve in central London. This guide brings together some of the best festive events and activities taking place across the city in December 2026.
1. Hyde Park Winter Wonderland
About: Spend a winter day or evening at one of London’s biggest seasonal attractions. Hyde Park Winter Wonderland returns with around 150 rides, attractions and experiences, alongside festive food, entertainment and Christmas activities.
Date: 19 November 2026 – 3 January 2027, excluding Christmas Day
Venue: Hyde Park, London
Price: Entry tickets required; prices vary.
2. Christmas at Kew
About: Follow an after-dark light trail through Kew Gardens, with illuminated trees, large-scale installations, light tunnels, music and seasonal food along the route. New for 2026, Kew is also holding adult-only evenings on 3 and 9 December.
Date: Selected dates, 13 November 2026 – 3 January 2027
Venue: Kew Gardens
Price: Standard adult tickets £29.50 off-peak or £37 peak; advance booking recommended.
3. Skate at Somerset House with Virgin Atlantic Holidays
About: Ice skate in the historic courtyard at Somerset House beneath its 40-foot Christmas tree. The seasonal programme also includes food, drinks, shopping and selected music-led Skate Lates sessions.
Date: 11 November 2026 – 10 January 2027
Venue: Somerset House, Strand
Price: Adults £13–£28.50; children £11–£15, plus a £1.50 booking fee per ticket.
4. Skate Lates at Somerset House
About: Visitors looking for an evening activity can book one of Somerset House’s Skate Lates, where DJs, artists and collectives provide the soundtrack while skaters take to the rink. December dates include sessions from BUMPAH, Balamii, Gauchoworld, UKF and others.
Date: Selected dates throughout December 2026
Venue: Somerset House, Strand
Price: Tickets required; prices vary.
5. Hogwarts in the Snow
About: See the sets from the Harry Potter films dressed for Christmas at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London. The Great Hall receives its festive decorations, while the Forbidden Forest, Diagon Alley and Hogwarts Castle model feature filmmaking snow. The 2026 edition also explores how festive sound effects were created for the films.
Date: 14 November 2026 – 17 January 2027
Venue: Warner Bros. Studio Tour London, Leavesden
Price: Paid; advance booking required.
6. Southbank Centre Winter Market
About: Walk along the Thames and stop at alpine-style chalets serving winter food and drinks, alongside independent traders. Its riverside setting also makes the market easy to combine with nearby attractions around the South Bank.
Date: 2 November 2026 – 3 January 2027 (closed 25 and 31 December).
Venue: Queen’s Walk, Southbank Centre
Price: Free entry; food, drinks and purchases charged separately.
7. Winter Palace at Hampton Court Palace
About: Explore Hampton Court Palace in its seasonal setting with Winter Palace: The Christmas Beast Ball. The 2026 experience features a festive world inspired by mythical creatures and is included with standard palace admission.
Date: 28 November 2026 – 3 January 2027
Venue: Hampton Court Palace
Price: Included with palace admission; adult tickets £33–£36.
8. Hampton Court Palace Festive Fayre
About: Browse food, drink, gifts and seasonal products from more than 100 artisan producers in the grounds of Hampton Court Palace. It runs across two weekends in December, making it a good option for Christmas shopping outside central London.
Date: 4–6 and 11–13 December 2026
Venue: Great Fountain Garden, Hampton Court Palace.
Price: Included with palace admission.
9. Hampton Court Palace Ice Rink
About: Skate outside Henry VIII’s former royal palace with its historic architecture forming the backdrop. Sessions run throughout December, with quieter reduced-capacity sessions also available.
Date: 20 November 2026 – 3 January 2027, excluding Christmas Day
Venue: Hampton Court Palace
Price: Separate skating ticket required; adult tickets from £18.
10. Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree and Carols
About: Visit Trafalgar Square to see London’s traditional Christmas tree, which has been presented to the city by Norway every year since 1947. Throughout December, one-hour carol singing sessions also take place around the tree.
Date: December 2026 (exact tree-lighting and carol singing dates to be confirmed)
Venue: Trafalgar Square
Price: Free.
11. Christmas at London Zoo
About: London Zoo adds seasonal activities to a day among its animals, including a Christmas forest, craft activities, festive animal talks and selected entertainment. On peak dates, visitors can also find elf games, Mrs Claus story sessions, live music and Santa travelling around the zoo.
Date: 21 November 2026 – 3 January 2027
Venue: London Zoo, Regent’s Park
Price: Included with standard zoo admission; Meet Santa requires a separate ticket.
12. Kew Christmas Express
About: Take a festive train ride through Kew Gardens with storytelling, songs and characters along the way. The experience lasts around 45 minutes and is particularly suited to families travelling with younger children.
Date: 3–23 December 2026
Venue: Kew Gardens
Price: Adult £27.50; children £16.50, with garden entry included.
13. Christmas Oratorio at the Southbank Centre
About: Listen to Bach’s festive Christmas Oratorio performed by the Orchestra and Choir of the Age of Enlightenment at the Southbank Centre. The programme features the first three cantatas alongside music by Zelenka.
Date: 5 December 2026 at 7pm
Venue: Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre
Price: Tickets from £47.
14. Christmas by Candlelight at Winter Wonderland
About: Add a live seasonal music performance to a visit to Hyde Park Winter Wonderland. Christmas by Candlelight performances take place on selected December evenings, with seating available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Date: 5, 6, 11, 13, 20 and 23 December 2026 at 8:30pm
Venue: Candlelight Arena, Hyde Park Winter Wonderland.
Price: Tickets start from £38; a suitable Winter Wonderland entry ticket is also required.
15. Britten’s Ceremony of Carols at St Paul’s Cathedral
About: Hear Benjamin Britten’s well-known Christmas work for harp and choristers performed inside St Paul’s Cathedral. It offers a more traditional musical experience among London’s busier festive attractions.
Date: 12 December 2026, 5pm–6pm
Venue: St Paul’s Cathedral
Price: Free
16. Trussell Carol Concert at St Paul’s Cathedral
About: Join a Christmas evening of traditional carols, guest readers and stories at St Paul’s Cathedral. The fundraising concert supports Trussell’s work with food banks across the UK.
Date: 15 December 2026, 7pm–8:15pm
Venue: St Paul’s Cathedral
Price: Tickets from £25.
17. English National Ballet’s Nutcracker
About: Watch one of the best-known Christmas ballets as English National Ballet brings Nutcracker back to the London Coliseum. More than 100 dancers and musicians take part in the production, which follows Clara from Christmas Eve in Edwardian London into a fantasy world.
Date: 17 December 2026 – 10 January 2027
Venue: London Coliseum
Price: Paid; prices depend on performance and seating.
18. London International Horse Show
About: The London International Horse Show returns to ExCeL London with five days of equestrian sport and entertainment. The programme includes world-class jumping, dressage and driving, alongside displays, the London International Showing Series and a festive shopping village.
Date: 17–21 December 2026
Venue: ExCeL London
Price: Paid tickets from £37.95; prices vary by ticket category and session.
19. Family Carols at St Paul’s Cathedral
About: Families can attend a late-morning Christmas carol service at St Paul’s Cathedral. The annual event is designed as a family-friendly way to hear seasonal music in one of London’s best-known churches.
Date: 19 December 2026, 11am–12pm
Venue: St Paul’s Cathedral
Price: Free; tickets allocated through a ballot opening in November 2026.
20. St Paul’s Christmas Carol Service
About: The traditional Lessons and Carols service tells the Christmas story through readings and music performed by the St Paul’s Cathedral Choir. Two services are scheduled immediately before Christmas.
Date: 23 and 24 December 2026, 4pm
Venue: St Paul’s Cathedral
Price: Free; tickets allocated through a ballot opening in November 2026.
21. Van Eyck: The Portraits at the National Gallery
About: Take a break from the Christmas crowds with a major exhibition at the National Gallery. Van Eyck: The Portraits brings together all nine of the artist’s known painted portraits from collections across Europe for the first time, alongside his only surviving portrait drawing.
Date: 21 November 2026 – 11 April 2027
Venue: National Gallery, Trafalgar Square
Price: Standard admission £18; under-18s free.
22. Thick & Tight: Camp as Christmas
About: For an alternative seasonal show, the Southbank Centre hosts Camp as Christmas, a cabaret-style variety performance from Thick & Tight at the Purcell Room.
Date: 10 December 2026 – 3 January 2027
Venue: Purcell Room, Southbank Centre
Price: Tickets from £26; prices vary by performance and availability.
23. There’s a Bear on My Chair
About: Families with younger children can see a stage adaptation of Ross Collins’ popular books at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. The seasonal run continues through Christmas and into the first days of January.
Date: 9 December 2026 – 3 January 2027
Venue: Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre
Price: Tickets from £17.
24. Christmas Day at St Paul’s Cathedral
About: Visitors spending Christmas Day in London can attend services at St Paul’s Cathedral, including the Christmas Day Choral Eucharist from 11am to 12:30pm and Festal Evensong from 3pm to 4pm.
Date: 25 December 2026
Venue: St Paul’s Cathedral
Price: Free
25. New Year’s Eve in London
About: Finish December by welcoming 2027 in London. The city’s New Year’s Eve celebrations centre on the famous fireworks near the London Eye, alongside river cruises, restaurants, theatre performances and parties across the capital.
Date: 31 December 2026
Venue: Central London and venues across the city
Price: Fireworks tickets £40–£55 for visitors from outside London and £20–£35 for London residents, plus booking fees.
Essential Tips for Visiting London in December 2026
December is one of London’s busiest times for visitors, particularly during the final two weeks of the month. Book popular attractions such as Christmas at Kew, Winter Wonderland, Hogwarts in the Snow, ice skating and theatre performances in advance.
Allow extra travel time when visiting busy central areas such as Oxford Street, Covent Garden, Trafalgar Square and the South Bank. Christmas markets and light displays can become especially busy after dark and at weekends.
London’s weather in December can be cold and wet, so warm layers, comfortable footwear and a waterproof jacket are useful if your plans include Christmas markets, outdoor light trails or ice rinks.
Opening hours may change around Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve. Most public transport services do not operate on Christmas Day, so check the latest TfL information and individual attraction websites before travelling.
If you are attending New Year’s Eve celebrations, plan your route well in advance. Central London becomes extremely busy, and access around the official fireworks area is controlled.
Planning Your Christmas Stay in London
December events take place across central, west and east London, so staying close to public transport can make it easier to reach Christmas markets, light trails, theatre shows and other festive attractions across the city.
London Backpackers is based in Hendon, North London, approximately one minute’s walk from Hendon Central Underground station. With convenient connections into central London, the hostel offers travellers a practical base for exploring Christmas events and attractions across the city while enjoying budget-friendly accommodation.
