Here are the very best things to do in London this Christmas 2026

London is a magical place during the holiday season. The city’s historic streets light up with twinkling lights, Christmas markets pop up in iconic locations, and festive events draw crowds from near and far. If you’re planning to spend Christmas 2026 in London, here are some of the best things to do to make the most of your jolly holiday experience.

P.S. You may want to stay in London’s best boutique hotels or the capital’s trendiest five-star hotels during your visit, too.

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The best things to do this Christmas in London for 2026

1. Wander the markets and more at Hyde Park Winter Wonderland

The largest and most popular Christmas market in London, Winter Wonderland, returns to Hyde Park with its giant ice rink, thrilling rides, circus shows, and countless food stalls. This year, Santa Land has been revamped, and the little ones can visit a new interactive Elves Workshop. Don’t miss the chance to sip mulled wine or hot chocolate as you browse the artisan stalls selling handcrafted gifts, festive decorations, and unique souvenirs. 

Find out more about Hyde Park Winter Wonderland

2. Cuddle up with a classic film at Backyard Cinema

For full immersion on a Christmas movie, head to Backyard Cinema. The team transforms a stunning Victorian warehouse in London Bridge into an enchanted forest, with live performers, festive cabaret, and secret theatrical moments. It’s a bit like a Punchdrunk production gone Mariah. The finale features a carol-singing procession into The Forest Cinema, where your chosen film is played. Be it Home Alone, Love Actually, or The Holiday, this is the ultimate way to watch a Christmas classic.

Find out more about Backyard Cinema

3. Warm up with fondue at The Montague on the Gardens

The Montague on the Gardens’ fabulous Winter Lodge pop-up brings the après-ski to Bloomsbury…after all, it is oh-so-cold outside! Guests can warm up with decadent Swiss cheeses such as Gruyère and Vacherin, served fondue-style with crusty bread,  potatoes, gherkins and all the classics. Cosy up by the crackling fireplace with your loved one(s), and have a delightful season’s gathering in one of the city’s most charming hotels. Running all the way up until the end of the actual ski season in March. Still, get it in the diary ASAP.

Find out more about The Montague on the Gardens

4. Take the festive route in Race Across The World: The Experience London

If you’re fans of the hit BBC show, now’s your time to join the race IRL! This new festive route takes players on a 4–5 km jaunt of the West End, uncovering hidden gems, dazzling shopfronts, cosy cafés, and glittering festive displays. Expect to tackle escape room-style puzzles, interact with local characters, and strategise your way through challenges to unlock each stage of the race. No maps, no public transport. Tickets are priced from £25 per person, for 2 to 8 players a team.

Find out more about Race Across The World: The Experience London

5. Join The Great Christmas Feast at The Lost Estate

It’s Christmas Eve 1843, and you’re invited to witness A Christmas Carol like never before. This is an immersive production of the timeless Charles Dickens tale, told on stage alongside a sumptuous three-course Victorian feasting menu devised by renowned chef, Ashley Clarke. Running from November to January in West Kensington, you’ll need to be quick to snag tickets—every one of the previous Christmas series from The Lost Estate was sold out.

Find out more about The Great Christmas Feast

6. Spend Christmas Day at Charlotte Street Hotel

Don’t fancy cooking on Christmas Day? We don’t blame you! Instead, come enjoy a spread at Charlotte Street Hotel. The Oscar Bar & Restaurant will get you warmed up over festive canapés and a glass of Champagne before decadent selects; cream of parsnip soup with chestnuts and black truffle, roast bronze turkey with all the trimmings and mulled wine-poached pear with ginger cream. And that’s not all. Finish off with tea, coffee and perfect mince pies…all-in for £150 per person. A treat for you and those you spend Christmas day with.

Find out more about Charlotte Street Hotel

7. Have the office Christmas Party at Winters of the World

Winters of the World is a brand new pop-up where competitive spirit meets alpine luxury. Guests enter a huge space filled with snow-dusted cabins, alpine bars and glowing forest clearings, in districts set up as the snowy French Alps and the lantern-strewn streets of Tokyo. Basically, you get a dash of global holiday spirit right here in the City. Sign up for Eisstock (Bavarian curling) guided by Games Masters, and test the team’s skills across retro snow arcade games. Packages are ideal for big company bashes, so have a word with the boss to give your Xmas party a glow up!

Find out more about The Winters of the World

8. Dance with Santa at Humbug

If festivity to you is boozing with Santa, head to Humbug, a Christmas dive bar with a raucous atmosphere. Situated in the Waterloo Vaults, Santa’s watering hole entertains merry patrons with sing-along moments, games, immersive storytelling, and glittery live performances. There’s even a grotto dedicated to Mariah Carey. Tickets are priced from £22.

Find out more about Humbug

9. Cheers with the Christmas cocktails at Hawksmoor

Whilst those iconic roasts are all here, and some with a festive twist, we’re coming to Hawksmoor for an additional reason beyond the meat this winter: the cocktails. The restaurant group has teamed up with selected bars across both sides of the Atlantic to produce an exclusive range of festive cocktails, including the Custard Sazerac (via Dublin’s Sackville Lounge) and the Baked Alaska Martini (via NYC’s Bar Snack). They’re pretty darn delicious! Add a box of Hawkmoor Tributes to the table, aka posh Rolos, or take them to go as a stocking filler, and your Sunday roast sauce in December just got extra merry.

Find out more about Hawksmoor

10. Go ice skating (then hit up an ice bar!) in Canary Wharf

London’s longest-running seasonal ice rink glides back into Canary Wharf from October to February, once again transforming Canada Square Park into a spectacular winter playground. This year it’s bigger and better with an expanded 900-square-metre rink giving you more room to twirl under the twinkling lights of the city. Thanks to an illuminated transparent roof, it’s always skate weather.

Afterwards, we recommend warming up at The Winter Club on Union Square in Wood Wharf, just a short walk away. The club brings together a German-style beer hall with live entertainment, an Instagram-ready Ice Bar, and an alpine-inspired ski Chalet. Also parked here till February.

Find out more about Ice Rink Canary Wharf and The Winter Club

11. Karaoke to Last Christmas at Lucky Voice

Ring in your best singing squad and book a booth at Lucky Voice. The karaoke masters have a song list spanning over 13,000 tunes, including festive faves such as Last Christmas, All I Want for Christmas is You, and let’s not forget the Spice Girls’ Xmas Number Ones; 2 Become 1, Too Much, and Goodbye. There are outposts in Soho, Islington, Holborn, Liverpool Street and Waterloo, plus Brighton and even Dubai! Upcoming specials include Christmas karaoke brunch and a Christmas cocktail masterclass. 

These are picks for the best group activities in London, too.

Find out more about Lucky Voice

12. Brave the terrace on the Kitchen at Holmes

…Kinda. The Alpine Terrace at Kitchen at Holmes is actually heated, but still, you’ll certainly have that Lapland feeling right here in Marylebone! Book to dine on alpine-inspired dishes like the Baked Gnocchi and the Porcini Mushrooms, round up the pals for a Jameson’s whiskey cocktail night, or bring your beau upstairs for one of their rooftop cinema classics and snuggle in adorable mini-chalets. Whatever you do here, trust us, it’ll feel oh-so-festive out in the open.

Find out more about Kitchen at Holmes

13. Admire London’s best alternative hotel Christmas trees

We’re partial to a hotel lobby tree, and it’s certainly a two-way battle between The Londoner at the art’otel London Hoxton for this year’s ‘alternative’ standouts (come on, we’re all bored of the traditionals!).

The Londoner’s offering is in partnership with visionary designer Susan Fang, entitled ‘Crystal Dream Christmas Tree’. It sits proudly on the ground floor, and guests can enjoy it over festive high tea at The Stage, after a Leicester Square twirl on a Whitcombs dine and skate package, or en route up to the Japanese rooftop bar. 

For something completely unconventional, check out the MAS-X.3, a nine-foot Christmas tree sculpture by artist Shane Keeling in London’s razor-chic design-led art’otel London Hoxton. It’ll certainly turn heads. Grab a hot toddy from The Brush, then comfortably admire.

Find out more about The Londoner and art’otel London Hoxton

14. Get the kids cheering at Maddie Moate’s Very Curious Christmas

Looking for family entertainment in the West End? Maddie Moate and Jennie Dale have just the Christmas cracker. The beloved children’s TV presenters will take to the Garrick Theatre stage from 12 December to 4 January, and together with the audience, use science, curiosity, and a sprinkle of Christmas magic to fix Santa’s workshop in time for a big inspection. Full of laughs and audience participation, kids (and their parents) will have a jingle of a time at this superb family adventure.

Find out more about Maddie Moate’s Very Curious Christmas

15. Party on the Southbank with Between the Bridges

Between The Bridges is back with Electric Winter, a stampede of seasonal events spanning Christmas Drag Brunches, Barrioke, and much more. Best of all, select events are completely free to attend, meaning more money to spend at the bar with your friends. Running until 22nd December, the South Bank venue is heated and features live DJs from Thursday to Sunday each week in The Dock.

Find out more about Between the Bridges

16. Shuffleboard over festive (or New Year’s Eve) brunch at Electric Shuffle

Challenge your mates to a supercharged version of shuffleboarding, complete with vision technology to total up your scores and shoot replay footage. Festive brunch rolls every weekend through December: two hours of winter feast, bubbles, and a DJ spinning Wham!, Ed, Leona and co. And yes, the famed pizza paddles make an appearance, too. 

And if you like that, then you’ll LOVE New Year’s Eve. From 12 pm, they’re hosting five two-hour brunch sessions, so you can come pre-game, or just stay to er, game, till countdown. At least you know your NYE will be a smash hit this year. We’re obsessed.

We reviewed Electric Shuffle and had a great time.

Find out more about Electric Shuffle

17. Be dazzled by the lights at Christmas at Kew

Take a magical journey through Kew Gardens, which transforms into a winter wonderland every Christmas. The garden’s festive trail features millions of twinkling lights, illuminated trees, and stunning installations that will enchant visitors of all ages. Expect new larger-than-life installations, and each ticket sold supports Kew’s mission to protect plants and fungi for future generations.

Find out more about Christmas at Kew

But wait, there’s more…

• Planning a day out with the crew? Here are all the best group activities to try in London
• Or if you need date night ideas, we’ve got the list
• For a festive splurge, peruse the best five-star hotels in London