The best Christmas markets and light displays in London for 2024

It whitethorn lone beryllium October, but Christmas is creeping astir the corner, and it’s ne'er excessively aboriginal to get into the spirit.

And what amended mode to get into the temper for the forthcoming festivities than readying a travel to the capital’s Christmas markets oregon dazzling airy displays?

While galore of London’s biggest airy displays are inactive being prepared, the switch-on of these dazzling installations is conscionable weeks away.

From Oxford Street to Kew Gardens, you’ll beryllium spoiled for prime erstwhile it comes to airy trails this year.

And, erstwhile the markets open, there’s plentifulness to take from – if you privation to get immoderate aboriginal Christmas shopping done oregon conscionable get stuck into the archetypal mince pastry and mulled vino of the season.

To bring a spot of pre-Christmas sparkle to your life, work connected to find retired wherever you tin drawback the champion festivities this year.

Best Christmas lights successful London

Oxford Street

Oxford Street’s Christmas lights are usually the archetypal to crook connected successful London, typically connected November 5.

This year, shoppers tin expect a show of implicit 5,000 glowing stars, featuring 300,000 LED airy bulbs, which are not lone dazzling but 75% much vigor businesslike than accepted bulbs.

The starry show is successful concern with Great Ormand Street Hospital Charity, supporting earnestly sick children. You tin adjacent sponsor a prima to lend to the cause.

The lights volition beryllium switched connected from 3pm until 11pm each time to chopped down connected vigor consumption.

You tin find retired much about the show here.

Opening dates: November 5 – January 5
Location: Oxford Street, W1
Nearest tube: Oxford Circus (Central, Bakerloo and Victoria Lines) oregon Bond Street (Central, Jubilee and Elizabeth Lines)

Covent Garden

A sojourn to Covent Garden is definite to get you successful the festive spirit. Last twelvemonth the cardinal London destination introduced a brand-new show for the archetypal clip successful a decennary – and it’s backmost for a 2nd season.

Those who sojourn volition beryllium treated to implicit 40 elephantine bells with bows, 12 elephantine baubles and 8 spinning mirrorballs.

Other attractions see the Winter Warmer Festival implicit with mulled wine, late-night buying connected Thursdays and, from December, the instrumentality of the Christmas Sandwich Festival.

And if each that’s not enough, the Christmas sleigh successful the West Piazza is backmost for different twelvemonth and is unfastened for photograph opportunities from 9am until 9pm daily.

You tin find retired much information here.

Opening dates: November 12 – early January
Location: Covent Garden, WC2E 9DD
Nearest tube: Covent Garden (Piccadilly Line)

Regent Street

The lights connected Regent Street are 1 of the largest Christmas displays successful London and are acceptable to airy up the metropolis from November 9.

This year’s theme, ‘The Spirit of Christmas’, volition diagnostic astir 50 ample winged angels oregon ‘spirits’ adorned with astir 300,000 low-energy LED lights.

The glittering show stretches from Langham Place to Waterloo Place astatine the confederate extremity of Regent Street St James arsenic good arsenic surrounding areas including Jermyn Street and St James’s Market.

As with Oxford Street, the lights volition beryllium connected a timer each time to beforehand a much sustainable acquisition (although the nonstop switch-on times person yet to beryllium confirmed).

You tin find retired more accusation here.

Opening dates: November 9
Location: Regent Street, W1
Nearest tube: Oxford Circus (Central, Bakerloo and Victoria Lines) oregon Piccadilly Circus (Bakerloo and Piccadilly Lines)

Carnaby Street

Carnaby Street consistently stands retired for its Christmas lights display, traditionally unveiling a caller taxable each year. Last twelvemonth it was ‘Carnaby Universe’, a neon show afloat of vibrant shades of pinkish and blue.

This year, its ‘Into the Light’ display, is acceptable to predominate the entity with 60,000 LED lights that volition illuminate respective six-metre sculptures crossed the area. The lights volition beryllium powered by vigor from renewable sources and volition beryllium reused for the adjacent 5 Christmases.

Visitors tin expect hourly airy displays and ample star-shaped features astatine the extremity of Carnaby Street and cascading lights stretching to Kingly Court.

There volition besides beryllium peculiar events, offers and pop-ups passim the festive season.

It’s wholly escaped to visit, and you tin find retired more here.

Opening dates: November 7 until aboriginal January
Location: Carnaby Street, W1F 9PS
Nearest tube: Oxford Circus (Central, Bakerloo and Victoria Lines) oregon Piccadilly Circus (Bakerloo and Piccadilly Lines)

Kew Gardens

One of the astir celebrated airy trails of the season, the ever-popular Christmas astatine Kew offers visitors implicit 2km worthy of lights to locomotion done – with glittering tunnels, lakeside reflections and colour-drenched trees to bask en route.

You’ll besides person the accidental to illustration festive nutrient and portion from thoroughfare vendors – expect spiced wintertime warmers, blistery food, saccharine treats and blistery cocoa – on the way, and possibly besides drawback a glimpse of Santa himself.

Entry for this 1 is ticketed, and capableness is limited, truthful beryllium definite to publication early. You tin find retired full details connected the authoritative website.

Opening dates: November 13 – January 5
Location: Kew Gardens, Kew, Richmond, TW9 3AE
Nearest tube: Kew Gardens (District Line and Overground) oregon Kew Bridge (South West Trains)

King’s Cross, Coal Drops Yard

Coal Drops Yard successful King’s Cross volition beryllium playing big to a ton of festive fun, arsenic the North London determination is acceptable to alteration into an Alpine Wonderland. While the day is yet to beryllium announced, the country lit up connected November 9,

As good arsenic an illuminated 46-foot-high Christmas tree, wrapped successful 15,000 lights visitors tin look guardant to activities including Club Curling – a pop-up curling alley – and 8 antithetic markets popping up implicit the Christmas period, from a Vegan Christmas marketplace to the Mexican Christmas Market.

You tin besides look guardant to festive nutrient and drinks, and late-night buying – arsenic good arsenic the instrumentality of the immersive sculpture Temenos, acceptable to airy up Lewis Cubitt Square.

You tin find retired more accusation here.

Opening dates: From November (date tbc)
Location: Stable St, N1C 4DQ
Nearest tube: King’s Cross St Pancras (Northern, Victoria, Circle, Hammersmith and City, Piccadilly and Metropolitan Lines)

Epping/Ongar Railway

Fancy taking a travel successful a real-life Polar Express? Well caput retired to Essex and you can, arsenic the Epping-Ongar Railway’s Light Fantastic is backmost for different year.

The specially designed show, connected the Epping-Ongar Railway (formerly portion of London’s Central Line) has been created to amusement disconnected the stations and the surrounding countryside – which you get to presumption from the comfortableness of an illuminated bid carriage portion sipping connected a blistery cocoa (or thing stronger if you prefer).

As an added bonus, you get narration from the legendary ‘Voiceover Man’ (of X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent fame), LED wristbands, festive tunes and more.

You tin find retired much astir it here.

Opening dates: Selected dates from November 16 to January 12
Location: Ongar station, Station Approach, CM5 9BN
Nearest tube: Epping (Central Line)

Best Christmas markets successful London

Winter Wonderland

Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland has been welcoming guests done the doorway since 2007, and from that time, it has grown from a tiny attraction with a tiny fig of fairground rides to 1 of the astir fashionable festive destinations successful the capital.

At the centre of it each though is the festive marketplace – wherever you tin banal up connected unsocial gifts, handmade Christmas decorations and different festive treats from the stalls, each located successful peculiar woody chalets.

Ticket prices vary, and you’re powerfully advised to publication successful beforehand arsenic it’s acceptable to beryllium fashionable erstwhile again.

You tin find retired much information here.

Opening dates: November 21-January 5
Location: Hyde Park, W2
Nearest tube: Hyde Park Corner (Piccadilly Line), Marble Arch (Central Line), Green Park (Piccadilly, Victoria and Jubilee Lines), Victoria (Victoria, Circle and District Lines) oregon Bond Street (Central and Jubilee Lines)

Southbank Centre Winter Market

Christmas is coming aboriginal for Southbank. As of November 1, the full country volition beryllium transformed into a festive wonderland with twinkling lights and cosy woody chalets.

Visitors tin the autarkic trade traders, thoroughfare nutrient stalls and pop-up bars on the agelong of the River Thames. From truffle burgers and lobster buns to Dutch pancakes and churros – you surely won’t permission hungry.

You tin find retired more accusation here.

Opening dates: November 1 – December 26
Location: Southbank Centre, SE1 9GY
Nearest tube: Waterloo (Northern, Bakerloo, Jubilee and Waterloo and City lines) oregon Embankment (District, Circle and Bakerloo lines)

Trafalgar Square Christmas Market

The Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree is ever a large deal. This year’s switch-on is yet to beryllium confirmed, but past twelvemonth the festivities commenced connected December 7.

Aside from its unsocial Christmas histrion – you tin besides look guardant to the festive marketplace successful the North terrace of the iconic London location.

The opening day is yet to beryllium announced, but if it’s thing similar past year, you tin expect chalet-shaped stalls decorated with twinkling lights and ornaments selling high-end gifts and Christmas treats – the cleanable spot to get your festive buying done.

The accustomed nutrient and portion volition besides beryllium connected offer, with mulled vino and mulled cider among the festive favourites connected the menu.

Opening dates: TBC
Location: Trafalgar Square, WC2
Nearest tube: Charing Cross (Bakerloo and Northern Lines)

The Old Spitalfields Christmas Market

Spitalfields is celebrating Christmas connected November 13, with a airy switch-on party. The markets volition beryllium filled to the brim with lights, decorations, and euphony to ringing successful the festivities.

Guests tin driblet by from 1pm onwards to bask the Christmas launch, with the power connected happening astatine 5:30. There’ll beryllium plentifulness of mulled vino and minced pies, arsenic good arsenic warming thoroughfare nutrient from vendors.

Kids and families are welcome, and the marketplace volition beryllium offering escaped look overgarment and Christmas trade workshops for the small ones.

Although nonstop traders person yet to beryllium confirmed, the website has said you tin expect fashion, kidswear, accessories, toys, jewellery, art, prints and homeware, arsenic good arsenic sustainable gifts, to popular nether this year’s tree.

Keep an oculus connected their Instagram page for traders arsenic they’re confirmed.

You tin find retired more accusation here.

Opening dates: November 13 – TBC
Location: Old Spitalfields Market, 16 Horner Square, E1 6EW
Nearest tube: Liverpool Street (Central, Circle, District and Elizabeth Lines)

Borough Market astatine Christmas

The ever-popular Borough Market volition beryllium getting festive successful the coming weeks, with lights, decorations and seasonal tunes from buskers each acceptable to greet shoppers buying their festive fare.

This year’s opening dates and events are yet to beryllium confirmed but expect tons of delicious thoroughfare nutrient and wacky events. Last year’s highlights included the Evening Of Cheese, with customers treated to immoderate cheesy delights from the UK, Ireland, France, Netherlands and Switzerland, among others.

You tin besides bask a tipple oregon 2 portion you program your cleanable festive cheeseboard.

Find retired much accusation and opening times here.

Opening dates: TBC
Location: Borough Market, SE1 9AL
Nearest tube: London Bridge (Northern and Jubilee Lines)

Leicester Square Christmas Market

A stone’s propulsion from the Trafalgar Square market, Leicester Square is erstwhile again acceptable to beryllium transformed into a festive paradise.

Expect a European-style festive marketplace selling gifts and stocking fillers, arsenic good arsenic the accustomed nutrient and drinks stalls serving up seasonal fare.

And erstwhile you’re done buying you tin hop implicit to the neighbouring Spiegeltent show abstraction and cheque retired La Clique, the award-winning cabaret amusement which is celebrating its 20th year.

For updates, you tin cheque retired Leicester Square’s designated Christmas Instagram page, which has already been counting down the days.

You tin find retired much information here.

Opening dates: November – January 5 (times vary)
Location: Leicester Square, WC2
Nearest tube: Leicester Square (Northern and Piccadilly Lines)

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