Carol Concerts In London To Get You Feeling Festive
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The best festive singalongs for 2026
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas – so let’s get singing. From glorious choirs to celebrity speakers, we’ve put together a list of the best carol concerts in London for Christmas 2026, guaranteed to get you feeling festive.
London’s Best Christmas Carol Concerts 2026
Place2Be Carol Concert 2026
Place2Be’s annual charity Christmas carol concert will return on Thursday 3 December. The evening will be hosted by Place2Be ambassador Sophie Dahl, bestselling author of eight books, including the award-winning Madame Badobedah series. A longtime champion of the charity, Dahl is inviting people to ‘Raise High the Roof Beams’ for children’s mental health. Alongside her, the concert will feature a spectacular line-up of readers and performers, including acclaimed jazz musician Jamie Cullum and the Prince of Wales Primary School Choir – one of Place2Be’s very own partner schools.
Details: 6.30pm, Thursday 3 December 2026 at Holy Trinity Sloane Square (Sloane St, London SW1X 9BZ). If you can’t make it, you can still donate to Place2Be and receive a recording of the magical evening.
The Smart Works Carol Concert
Smart Works is a vital UK charity supporting unemployed women access the clothing, coaching and confidence they need to secure a job and transform their lives for the better. And their annual Christmas carol concert is a heartwarming celebration of all things festive. Hosted by Smart Works Patron Emma Barnett, and featuring The Disney Voices Choir, expect powerhouse vocals and Christmas cheer.
Details: 6pm, Tuesday 1 December 2026 at St Marylebone Parish Church (17 Marylebone Rd, London NW1 5LT). Tickets start from £22.38pp.
Kids For Kids Candlelit Christmas Concert
Join Dame Joanna Lumley in Belgravia on 3 December for the annual Kids for Kids Candlelit Christmas concert, with all profit going directly to providing urgently needed food items to children facing starvation in Darfur, Sudan. Lumley will be this year’s celebrity reader, with live music and Christmas carols perfectly kicking off the festive season. The evening will conclude with mulled wine and mince pies.
Details: 7pm, Thursday 3 December 2026 at St Peter’s Church Belgravia (119 Eaton Square, London SW1W 9AL). Adult tickets start from £39.50 and kids from £18, but you can donate more if you wish.
All Souls Carols
For free Christmas carols in the city, don’t miss All Souls Carols hidden just a snowball’s throw from Oxford Street. This year, they will be hosting more concerts than ever before, with 24 services across eight days for over 20,000 people. The most well-attended carol services in the UK, expect packed pews and 60 minutes of angelic solos and nativity readings and to belt out all the Christmas classics. Mince pies and Christmas punch will also be on offer – again, totally free of charge. You can’t book in advance, but you should manage to squeeze in if you show up 45 minutes early. Those who miss out on a spot indoors are welcome to join the singalong outside with the help of a huge projection of the inside action, with complimentary mince pies and hot punch also on offer here, too.
Details: 24 performances will take place from 12–23 December 2026 at All Souls (Langham Place, London W1B 3DA). See a full list of times and dates at carolservice.com
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Carols For Conservation
There’s a star-studded line-up of celebrity readers at the third annual Carols for Conservation. Expect a joyful mix of traditional carols with a few unexpected twists, including readers such as Ed Skrein (Deadpool, Game of Thrones), Kate Phillips (The Crown, Peaky Blinders), presenter Anita Rani and Olympic equestrian Gemma Stevens.
Details: 7.30pm, Wednesday 2 December 2025 at Crypt on the Green (St James Church, Clerkenwell Close, London EC1R 0EA). Tickets come with a minimum donation of £50pp.
Carols By Candlelight For MS Society
Westminster’s historic Central Hall is set to be transformed by festive magic on Thursday 10 December thanks to MetLife UK, raising vital funds for MS Society’s Stop MS Appeal. In between songs performed by the Soul Sanctuary Choir and St Margaret Choristers, audiences can also enjoy festive readings written by Alexander McCall Smith and read by Nicola Walker and Ledley King.
Details: Doors from 6.30pm for a 7pm start, Thursday 10 December 2025 at Central Hall Westminster (Storey’s Gate, London SW1H 9NH). Tickets start from £35pp.
(c) Raphael Tomi, Unsplash
Carols At The Royal Albert Hall
This is the big one. The carol concert at the Royal Albert Hall is a must-attend. Across six days, 15 magical performances fill the Hall with a joyful mix of traditional carols and modern festive favourites – with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, National Youth Choir, Royal Choral Society, British Imperial Military Band, presenters and soloists.
When? Various times from 19–24 December 2026 at the Royal Albert Hall (Kensington Gore, South Kensington, London SW7 2AP).
Christmas Concert At Westminster Abbey
Carol concerts here are particularly special – the Westminster Abbey choir in this historic setting is pretty remarkable. With events throughout December, many of which are free, aim to get there early to avoid the (inevitable) long and snaking queue. We’d recommend to try and get seats in the nave for the best view.
Detils: Advent services run throughout December (including on Christmas day), though the main Christmas Concert takes place on 19 December from 7pm.
St Paul’s Cathedral’s Christmas Carol Service
St Paul’s is back with a multitude of Christmas events (as usual), from ticketed celebrations to classic free and unticketed Christmas Carol Services (including on Christmas Eve) running throughout December.
Details: Throughout December at St Paul’s Cathedral (St. Paul’s Churchyard, London EC4M 8AD). See all the events at stpauls.co.uk
