The best things to do in London this Christmas

The Royal Albert Hall in Kensington is famed for its distinctive domed building. It has served as a concert venue for over 150 years and in the run-up to Christmas it hosts festive carol concerts. Performances run several times each day, with the final ones of the year on Christmas Eve.

Arguably one of the most photogenic pubs around, The Churchill Arms is widely-recognised for its floral façade. At Christmas, the pub gets a bit of a makeover, decked out with row upon row of Christmas trees. Remember to get a few photos before venturing inside for a warming drink in this traditional pub.

Battersea Power Station will transform into a magical Christmas destination with stunning Art Deco-inspired decorations, countless Christmas trees, and spectacular displays including a 40ft tree. The riverside ice rink, festive dining options, plentiful shopping opportunities, and the Lift 109 experience for panoramic city views ensure a memorable holiday visit for all.

Attending the carol services at St. Paul's Cathedral, a masterpiece by architect Sir Christopher Wren, is an annual ritual for many Londoners. Throughout December, you can enjoy a range of concerts, spanning family-friendly services, and traditional carols. Standout events include  the Christmas Carol Service on 23 and 24 December, both free and hugely popular – arrive early and brace for queues.

The Peter Pan Cup has been around since 1864, making it one of the city's oldest festive rituals. Reserved primarily for spectators unless you belong to the Serpentine Swimming Club, this 100-yard swimming race unfolds on Christmas morning at Hyde Park's lido. The race's moniker dates back to 1904 when Sir James Barrie, the renowned author and playwright, introduced the trophy. Brave participants dive into the waters at 9 am.

Old Spitalfields Market is keeping the festive spirit alive with community carols, kid-friendly trails, and free visits from Santa and his elves throughout December. Shoppers can browse everything from one-off handmade gifts and vintage decorations to charity finds and seasonal vinyl at its weekly specialist markets. With food, drink, and retailers open daily until Christmas Eve, it's an easy spot to soak up London's holiday buzz and tick off your gift list under one roof.

It’s the big daddy of them all – Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. This is London’s ultimate destination for Christmas fun, an expansive area with market stalls, street food and drinks, amusements, rides, and live music performances. There’s something to entertain every age group at this unashamedly festive attraction, so it’s great for families.

Scaling The O2 with Up at The O2 is an exhilarating experience all year round, but it's extra special this Christmas. Once you scale the The O2's iconic roof, you'll be able to chill out in an immersive snow globe 52 metres above the ground. The whimsical winter pod on the rooftop comes complete with falling snow, plenty of photo opportunities, and gingerbread cookies, as well as the option to buy drinks.

Shopping centre Leadenhall Market is impressive all year round but come Christmas its distinctive architecture is enhanced with dazzling festive decor. There are also seasonal workshops and pop-ups, plus festive guided walks. Snap some photos of the decorations and get some Christmas shopping done with the independent retailers based here.

Visit Trafalgar Square to see the Christmas tree that Norway famously gifts the UK every year. This prominent landmark also has other seasonal decorations and displays, and hosts a Christmas market where you can shop for gifts and treats. This is the magic of Christmas in the heart of the capital.

Explore a magical Christmas light trail around Kew Gardens for a festive evening activity suitable for all ages. The gardens here are spectacular at any time of the year but the dazzling illuminations make them even more special. Along the "Christmas at Kew" trail, you can stop at vendors selling treats, including hot drinks and snacks.

Each year, Kenwood House decks out its stately Hampstead Heath grounds with a brand-new festive light trail. For 2025, it's all about Peter Pan's Neverland. Expect Tinkerbell's shimmering trail to lead you through glowing London rooftops, pirate ships and secret hideouts, a sparkling mix of lights, soundscapes and a touch of theatre. Winter drinks and festive food are available to buy during your visit, and the mansion also hosts Father Christmas visits and other fun events throughout the season.

Relive the childhood magic of Christmas along with some tempting cocktails at the uber-festive Miracle at Henrietta bar. This Christmas-themed pop-up in Covent Garden is decked out with retro decorations and lights and has a menu of seasonal cocktails, served up in cups and vessels that are right on theme.

Liberty is famous for many things — a striking building, gorgeous textiles, and its Christmas shop. If you're looking to really go all out on the decor this year, this place is a must-visit. You'll find imaginative baubles and decorations in every possible design, plus the store's other departments are fab for Christmas shopping.

Home to the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Cadogan Hall is a concert hall in Chelsea. Performances cover genres ranging from classical to jazz and pop, plus dance and films. At Christmas the venue is hosting a variety of seasonal concerts and performances from ballet to choir music, carols, singalongs, and orchestral music.

Visiting Hamleys in Regent Street is a fab Christmas activity for kids. The world’s oldest toy shop offers seven floors of fun, and is one of London’s favourite places for meeting Santa in his grotto. Lots of other festive fun is going on too like parades, performances, and character meet-and-greets.

Each winter, Sadler's Wells turns into London's ultimate Christmas dance destination. For 2025, get ready for a trio of holiday treats: the beloved The Snowman returns to Sadler's Wells' Peacock Theatre, while Matthew Bourne's electric The Red Shoes lands back on the main stage for its annual festive season run. Plus, at Sadler's Wells East in Stratford, ZooNation debuts Ebony Scrooge, a bold, hip-hop-infused reinterpretation of A Christmas Carol that'll make you dance and think.

No Christmas in London is complete without the annual pantomime at The London Palladium, and this year it's Sleeping Beauty. Expect top-tier comedy from Catherine Tate in her Palladium debut, alongside perennial favourite Julian Clary and a troupe of panto legends including Paul Zerdin, Nigel Havers, and Rob Madge.

Browsing in Covent Garden Market is an excellent tip for Christmas shopping, with various big retailers and independents. You can experience much more than that here – every year, the market transforms into a Christmas Village with world-famous Christmas lights. There's fabulous decor, warming mulled wine, and special events such as making your Christmas table centrepiece.

Iconic department store Harrods is famous for the elaborate Christmas decorations that adorn its famous exterior. Pop down during the festive season to admire the decor and window displays. If you’ve still got some presents to buy, the various departments here offer lots of choice from fashion and jewellery to foodie gifts.

Christmas in Catford means one thing: panto season at Broadway Theatre, and this year's production promises to be the cat's pyjamas. Joy Productions brings Dick Whittington and his Catford Cat to the stage, a playful retelling that whisks our hero and his feline sidekick onto the Empire Windrush before landing them in SE6, where Queen Rat and her rodent army are wreaking havoc.

Forget carols, this December, Wembley is serving up smooth vocals and '90s nostalgia with the R&B Xmas Ball. Hitting the OVO Arena stage on 7 December, the lineup is stacked: Boyz II Men headline with their legendary harmonies, Toni Braxton makes her first UK appearance in over five years, and they're joined by the ever-soulful Joeplus Dru Hill, complete with original members Sisqó, Nokio and Jazz.

Lil' Nashville's Big Nash Christmas Bashes are riding into town on 5 and 13 December, with the honky-tonk going full festive with live performances from incredible country artists, a special show (plus holiday dance tutorial) from The Country Roses, and the resident DJ spinning the best country hits from the 90s to today with a seasonal twist. Throw in authentic Southern BBQ with festive flavours, and you've got the ultimate Nashville-style holiday hoedown right in the heart of London.

Each December, the Raymond Gubbay Christmas Festival returns to Barbican Hall, delivering a joyous lineup of concerts from 20 December to 1 January. Expect everything from the festive singalong and heated candlelit carols to cinematic favourites and New Year's Day Proms. Highlights this year include The Planets, The Best of John Williams, Beethoven's Ninth, a swingy Glenn Miller tribute, and a blockbuster showdown called The Music of Zimmer vs Williams.

This December, Between the Bridges transforms into Electric Winter, South Bank's ultimate festive party zone. The riverside courtyard becomes a heated, covered winter playground, think street food stalls, mulled wine, Christmas cocktails, and pop-up bars ready for every level of winter frolic. The 2025 line-up delivers everything from drag brunches to festive club nights, world-class makers' markets and bass-pumping live DJs to bring the Xmas energy.

Explore Christmassy architecture at The Museum of Architecture’s annual The Gingerbread City exhibition. Visitors can explore a series of cities designed by professional architects, made from gingerbread, and showcasing sustainable design concepts. You can also have a go at creating your own gingerbread structure at a gingerbread house-making workshop.

Formerly home to a grand North London postal sorting office, Islington Square is transforming into a festive hub with The Christmas Sorting Office, offering complimentary workshops, a special Father Christmas post box, and an illustrator creating handmade gift tags. This seasonal pop-up on 23 November complements a wider event, where local shops, restaurants, and bars present unique holiday experiences, including promotions, special menus, and discounts.

Centrally-located church St Martin-in-the-Fields is well-known for its programme of classical and choral music concerts in a unique setting. During the festive season, it hosts candlelit carol concerts performed by the church's choir and brass band. Some concerts are designed to be family-friendly or specifically made to entertain little ones.

Mercato Mayfair has transformed its Grade I-listed church into a secret pocket of Christmas magic, complete with blowtorched hot chocolates, cookie-dipping pots, and mulled wine beneath twinkling lights. Visitors can sample festive treats from London's top small-batch bakeries, sip seasonal drinks in the cosy rooftop bar, and even send letters to Santa or treat their pups to a festive cup. Blending nostalgia, indulgence, and family-friendly fun, Christmas by Mercato is set to be one of Mayfair's standout winter experiences.

Santa Claus will be visiting Southside Shopping Centre in Wandsworth from 27 November to Christmas Eve, welcoming families to his festive grotto. Children can meet Santa, share their wishes, take a photo, and receive a special age-appropriate gift. The grotto, located on the first floor, promises a magical start to the season, with advance booking advised.

“The Nutcracker” is classic Christmas entertainment for the whole family, and you can take in a performance at the London Coliseum. This is the largest theatre in London, seating almost 2,500 people. It's also the base for the English National Ballet, the company that puts on the Christmas performance each year.

Every year, the festive spirit covers the London streets with a blanket of twinkling Christmas lights, transforming the sombre city streets into a winter wonderland. Numerous neighbourhoods throughout the capital cover themselves with Christmas lights and other festive decorations, making London's Christmas lights a major attraction for winter visitors from around the world. Our guide on the best places to see the dazzling lights in London allows you to plan your very own trail to see the best of London's Christmas lights.

For many, food is the best thing about Christmas, and there are many places in the city where you can indulge when the festive season comes around. Numerous restaurants in London will feature special festive menus during the Christmas season, and we're showcasing some of our favourites in our guide to Christmas dinners in London.

We've mentioned a few of our favourite Christmas markets already but there are many more for you to explore, so we've written the ultimate rundown of the best Christmas markets that are popping up this year. Whether you want to stock up on gifts crafted by local artisans or you just want to see how much mulled wine you can guzzle down, you'll be able to do all this and more at London's multitude of Christmas markets.

Ice skating has been one of the most popular things to do at Christmas for centuries, and there are lots of different ice rinks to glide around on in London, from classic covered venues to seasonal ones that pop up across the city. Most are open throughout winter, but they're especially nice to visit during the holidays, when they feature festive decor to add to the atmosphere. Our guide to where to go ice skating in London tells you everything you need to know about this fun Christmas activity in London.

'Tis the season of indulgence, and a traditional afternoon tea is one of the most indulgent experiences you can have in London. During the festive season, lots of the afternoon teas on offer across London undergo a Christmas-themed makeover. Whether it's carefully sculpted Christmassy treats or the introduction of traditional festive flavours – or both – Christmas afternoon tea is sure to add a bit of unforgettable culinary magic to the holiday season.

For many, Christmas brings peace and joy, but that's not the case for everyone. Many Londoners feel the most lonely when Christmas comes around or might be grappling with challenges such as homelessness, hunger, or isolation. If you fancy helping someone else this Christmas, our guide to charity at Christmas is a good place to start. From volunteering at a food bank to fundraising to help tackle homelessness, our guide lists a few things you can do this festive season to help someone else.