Best Festive Things To Do In London (That Aren’t Just Christmas Markets)
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6 days ago
Wrap up and head out to these Christmassy affairs
December has landed, and while the super-long shopping list probably should be the top priority, we know you’re more interested in absorbing the festive vibes rippling across London right now. The obvious pick? The capital is home to a plethora of festive markets, spanning modern to wood-clad German huts, with mulled wine wafting through the air and cosy vibes galore. But they can also be busy, chilly and a nightmare to drag little ones through. If you’re looking for a little something different, we’ve got you covered. Here’s the C&TH guide to the very best Christmas things to do in London in 2025.
MORE: Cool Things To Do With The Kids This Christmas
Christmas Things To Do In London 2025
Sea of Light at Christmas at Kew 2024. (© Oliver Dixon)
Christmas At Kew
This annual winter light festival is a real show-stopper, blending Christmas cheer with contemporary festivities across the idyllic Kew Gardens in south west London. This verdant space by day is transformed into a blank canvas by night, with an expert lighting team scattering playful and surprising installations across a two-hour trail. Think festive music, free-standing lights, huge projections and bedazzled trees around every corner, with a fun fairground in the middle too.
Details: 14 November 2025 to 4 January 2026 at Kew Gardens (Kew Rd, Richmond TW9 3AB). Tickets start from £27.50pp.
David Alwyn as Charles Dickens in The Great Christmas Feast. (© Hanson Leatherby)
See The Great Christmas Feast
Running for eight years now, this annual sell-out is a must for anyone seeking a blow-out Christmas affair blending tasty food with fabulous entertainment. Presented by immersive masters The Lost Estate, The Great Christmas Feast transports guests back to Victorian London where Charles Dickens is hosting a large dinner in his parlour. It’s Christmas Eve, 1848, and he’s ready and raring to deliver a live reading from his new work, A Christmas Carol. Expect spine-tingling live music, lavish in-character hospitality, a delicious three-course dinner and atmospheric lighting, all anchored by a truly remarkable performance by David Alwyn as Dickens.
Celebrating five sold-out years, The Lost Estate’s iconic Great Christmas Feast returns for 2023, transporting guests back to 1843 inside the enchanted home of Charles Dickens. Expect an incredible immersive production of A Christmas Carol featuring cinematic live music and a mouthwatering Dickensian feasting menu.
Details: 14 November 2025 to 4 January 2026 at The Lost Estate (9 Beaumont Ave, London W14 9LP).
MORE: London’s Christmas Theatre Shows To Book Now
All Souls Carols
If you missed out on London’s charity and ticketed Christmas carol concerts, all hope is not lost. All Souls Carols is an annual series of free, 60-minute carol sessions featuring singalongs, angelic solos and nativity readings as well as mince pies and Christmas punch. It’s all unticketed – just show up 30 minutes before the performance and keep your fingers crossed. If you don’t make it inside, you will be invited to join the singalong outside with a huge projection of the inside action and complimentary mince pies and hot punch also on offer here, too. Hidden just down the road from Oxford Circus, it’s the perfect Christmas shopping break.
Details: 13 performances will take place from 13–21 December 2025 at All Souls (Langham Place, London W1B 3DA). See a full list of times and dates at carolservice.com
Eat Fondue
Whether you have a ski adventure planned or you just love alpine vibes, the festive season is the perfect time to indulge in a spot of fondue. Our top pick this season is Montague on the Gardens’ Winter Lodge pop-up: a super-cosy log cabin complete with tactile furs and blankets, twinkling lights, skiing paraphernalia, tasty seasonal cocktails and, of course, that all important fondue, a decadent blend of Gruyère and Vacherin, complete with a banquet of crusty bread, potatoes, gherkins and all the classics ready for dipping.
Details: Available on weekends until 31 December, and then daily until 31 March 2026 at The Montague on the Gardens (15 Montague St, London WC1B 5BJ).
The Winter Townhouse
If Christmas is when your gin intake rises exponentially, you’re in good company. This festive season we will be beelining to The Winter Townhouse, an intimate, countryside inspied townhouse from Silent Pool Gin featuring a curated collection of luxury gifts and a special gin bar with ambient lighting, aromatic garlands and cosy throws. There’s also an intimate speakeasy home to a twice daily Martini Masterclass, with Martini Hour kicking off every evening from 6 to 8pm. Downstairs the bonefide best Christmas film (The Holiday, of course) plays daily at 3pm and 6pm. We may never leave…
Details: Open daily from 10 to 17 December 2025 at 15 Bateman Street (Soho, London W1D 3AQ).
Skate At Somerset House
For a Christmas market vibe with a difference, head to Somerset House. The neoclassical courtyard is transformed into a festive wonderland every year: think hot toddies, festive music, tasty food and a cosy lounge, complete with outdoor ice skating rink and a showstopping 40 ft Christmas tree. It’s one of our favourite festive outdoor skating rinks, but there are plenty across the city to enjoy, too.
Details: 12 November 2025 to 11 January 2026 at Somerset House (Strand, London WC2R 1LA). Adult tickets start from £15 and children from £10, with a one-off transaction fee of £2.95.
Christmas At Backyard Cinema
Blending cinema with West End style, this annual Christmas pop-up comprises a festive film screening with live music and performance, all set across a Victorian warehouse transformed into an enchanted forest. Think towering trees, bark underfoot and a cabin/bar hidden amongst it all.
Details: Five daily screenings until 31 December 2025, excluding Christmas Day and Boxing Day at Backyard Cinema (49 Tanner St, London SE1 3PL). Tickets from £26.50pp.
Cosy Up At The Fire Garden
Usually reserved for guests, Ham Yard Hotel opens up its rooftop for all come Christmas to host its annual Fire Garden pop-up – one of our favourite winter pop-ups. Expect a campfire vibe with festive cocktails and seasonal dishes like pigs in blankets, flatbreads and s’mores.
Details: Open Tuesday to Saturday, 29 November to 31 December at Ham Yard Hotel (1 Ham Yard, London W1D 7DT). Tickets are £28pp (£24 non alcoholic).
Hogwarts In The Snow
Harry Potter is one of our favourite cosy Christmas watches. A short hop out of London in Watford, Warner Bros. Studio’s Harry Potter tour has had a wintery makeover. The spectacular Great Hall is dressed with festive decorations you’ll recognise from Goblet of Fire‘s Yule Ball, where a banquet of festive food awaits. Plus wander through the snowy Forbidden Forest, stroll down Diagon Alley and stop by the Christmas shop for all the festive souvenirs you could dream of.
Details: 15 November 2025 to 18 January 2026 at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London (Studio Tour Dr, Leavesden, Watford WD25 7LR).
See The Christmas Lights
The London lights are once again lighting up the gloomy streets this Christmas. Here are the best places to see them in all their glory. And if you fancy a warm up, why not stop by one of these gorgeous Christmas trees?
Festive afternoon tea at The Lanesborough 2022
Christmas Afternoon Tea
Time to get quintessentially British this Christmas, with festive afternoon tea galore across London. From sweet treats designed to look like little Christmas trees to a festive tipple, check out our guide to the best.
