From Christmas markets to festive shopping, from ice skating rinks to carol singing in the streets, London is packed with magical things to do and see in the Yuletide season. Not surprisingly, Covent Garden is one of the most important locations for festive activities.
A million plants
Visitors to the city’s most famous market will arrive to see hundreds of thousands of glittering lights illuminating the three daily markets which are bursting with clothes, antiques and arts and crafts goods. The highlight is The Winter Warmer Festival, with warming food and mulled wine. In 2023, the authorities launched a new decoration scheme, which returns this year, with forty gigantic balls with bows, twelve giant baubles, and eight spinning mirror balls, all in the iconic Market Building. The Christmas tree, twenty metres high, is decorated with thirty thousand lights.
Outdoor Markets City-Wide
There are outdoor markets all over the city, filled with stalls and chalets overflowing with Christmas presents, stocking fillers and souvenirs. Two to look out for are in Trafalgar Square and Hyde Park. The former has one of the most famous trees in the world, an annual gift from Norway. Carol singers perform festive songs beside the twenty-metre-high tree. Hyde Park has its Winter Wonderland, with one hundred cabins selling all kinds of gifts. It is also home to Britain’s biggest outdoor ice rink, as well as a giant observation wheel.
Christmas Tours
For those interested in seeing the seasonal sights of the city, there are numerous bus tours taking in the Xmas lights (most notably the festival in Kew Gardens), stopping for ice skating rinks and shops such as Harrods, Hamleys toy shop (complete with Santa’s Grotto), and Fortnum & Mason, and even offering the chance to go to Midnight Mass in Trafalgar Square’s St. Martins-in-the-Fields Church on Christmas Eve. There are also cruises on the Thames, with roast turkey and all the trimmings included.
London’s West End
No trip to London at this time would be complete without a visit to the theatre in the West End. As well as ballets, dance shows and regular plays and musicals, there are also fun-packed pantomimes — a British Xmas tradition — for children and adults alike, often starring TV and film celebrities. With so much on offer, a visit to London at Christmastime is always an unforgettable experience!
