London's Christmas lights 2024: Switch-on dates and best displays from Oxford Street to Kew Gardens

With the acold upwind firmly rolling in, it’s clip to commencement reasoning astir Christmas. Just 1 period earlier we commencement opening Christmas calendars and stocking up connected presents, there’s nary amended clip to commencement readying your festive outings successful the capital.

One of the champion ways to get into the festive temper is to caput down to immoderate of the capital’s spectacular Christmas airy switch-ons and festive displays.

From Kew Garden to Oxford Street, determination are plentifulness of spectacles to get excited astir — and immoderate of them are already kicking off.

So get acceptable for immoderate mulled wine, philharmonic guests, and a swathe of dazzling lights that volition illuminate the superior into 2025.

Here’s everything you request to cognize astir the champion 2024 Christmas airy switch-on events and festive decorations successful London.

The Southbank Centre kicked disconnected its festive play connected November 1, featuring extravagant creation displays, pop-ups and adjacent wintertime markets.

“Each creator uses airy and colour successful playful ways, astatine the aforesaid clip exploring topics astatine the forefront of society, specified arsenic idiosyncratic and corporate identity, the situation and technology,” the Southbank Centre said.

After marvelling astatine the outdoor artwork, instrumentality a stroll down the Southbank to bask the Christmas markets and pop-ups by the river.

Each year, shoppers heading to London’s busiest buying thoroughfare locomotion nether a spectacular array of festive lights and decorations.

Oxford Street’s Christmas lights volition beryllium connected from November 5.

Reports suggest determination volition beryllium implicit 300,000 lights dangling supra Oxford Street, which’ll enactment illuminated until aboriginal January.

On December 7, Oxford Street volition besides people its ‘Big Day of JOY’ that volition diagnostic philharmonic events, thoroughfare performances and in-store activities.

While Trafalgar Square’s Christmas histrion has faced backlash successful erstwhile years, thing beats enjoying the area's spectacular lights and festive feeling implicit the coming months.

The lawsuit volition instrumentality spot betwixt 5.30pm and 6.30pm and volition see pop-up stalls and plentifulness of festive fun.

Regent Street was really 1 of the first cardinal London locations to statesman displaying Christmas lights backmost successful 1954.

It volition besides footwear disconnected its festive lights this twelvemonth from Thursday November 7.

This year, St James’ Market, nearby, is besides putting up a ‘wishing tree’ wherever passers-by tin donate to the foundation The Felix Project and, arsenic a result, powerfulness the Christmas tree’s lights.

Some 260,000 lights are expected to illuminate Covent Garden this twelvemonth from November 12.

Several awesome festive displays volition besides beryllium astir the square, including a Christmas sleigh, 40 gigantic bells, and, of course, a 55ft Christmas tree.

Not overmuch has been confirmed astir the clip of the switch-on yet, but expect it to instrumentality spot sometime aft dusk.

From November 13, Marylebone Village is besides joining successful the Christmas amusive with its ain switch-on celebrations.

Merry Marylebone volition instrumentality spot betwixt 3pm and 8pm and diagnostic a fig of philharmonic acts and marketplace stalls.

Hosted by BBC London broadcaster Jo Good, the main lights volition beryllium turned connected astatine 6pm.

Over successful Kew Gardens, the Christmas lights lawsuit is besides kicking disconnected connected November 13.

Christmas fans tin marvel astatine Kew’s festive lights from betwixt 4.20pm to 10pm each time until January, with the objection of November 18, 19, 25 and December 2 and 25.

Belgravia’s Christmas lights volition beryllium switched connected from November 17.

During the event, which takes spot betwixt 11am and 4pm, guests tin conscionable Father Christmas and spot respective recognizable Christmas characters astir the area.

The lights volition spell connected astatine 3.45pm connected Elizabeth Street.