The Prettiest Christmas Trees In London 2023
By Olivia Emily
5 months ago
The city's most magnificent trees
© Steven Joyce
Mulled wine cupped between mittened hands, the scent of chestnuts and gingerbread wafting through the air, pretty lights, and endless pop-ups and Christmas markets to enjoy: London is a great place to be during the festive season. It might feel strange to start celebrating so soon, but magnificent Christmas trees are popping up all across the city already. Here are our favourites.
Pretty Christmas Trees in London 2023
Native Places, Bankside
Created in partnership with visual artist and television personality Christopher Mills, the ‘Nostalgic Tapestry of the Thames’ Christmas tree at Native Bankside is adorned with second-hand ornaments that celebrate the rich history of Bankside, Borough Market. The sustainable sculpture stands at 12 feet tall and is crowned by a Victorian streetlamp salvaged from the Southbank. Meticulously selected second-hand ornaments and cherished heirlooms passed down through generations create a time capsule of the past, paying homage to the rich history and allure of Bankside and Borough Market whilst evoking feelings of enchantment straight from Dickensensian London.
© Rebecca Hope Photography
Spitalfields
Created by Habitat, this bauble-tastic tree is filled with life-sized products, and is accompanied by cheery festive giveaways for shoppers passing by between now and Christmas Day, with prizes raging from candles to chopping boards.
© Christina Bull Nielson
The Ned
A 21-foot Christmas tree has arrived at London’s cool city spot, The Ned, a British-grown Premier Nordman Fir tree dressed with more than 6,000 traditional fairy lights and over 1,600 decorations in this year’s colour scheme of plum, burgundy and gold.
See It: 27 Poultry, London EC2R 8AJ
Brown’s Hotel
The exterior of Brown’s is a festive delight, but step inside to experience the epitome of cosy Christmas. Created in partnership with Britain’s first chocolatier, Charbonnel et Walker, the festive wonderland is also a chocolate-lover’s heaven, with red ribbons and twinkling lights all inspired by the brand and accompanied by special offerings like a chocolate trolley, chocolate cocktails, a special afternoon tea, and special sweet treatments in the spa.
See It: 33 Albemarle St, London W1S 4BP
© Perry Graham/Rocco Forte Hotels
The Londoner
Leicester Square’s super-boutique hotel is home to a super-chic Christmas tree this season, designed in collaboration with renowned London-based luxury designer Huishan Zhang. Black and white roses adorn the classic tree, first seen in Zhang’s Resort 2024 collection, which in turn drew on Eileen Chang’s 1944 novella ‘Red Rose, White Rose’ and its evocative imagery around love, passion and femininity.
See It: 38 Leicester Square, London WC2H 7DX
The London EDITION
Partnering with Campbell-Rey this festive season, The London EDITION has unveiled its show-stopping Christmas tree, reimagining the fantastical impressions, enormous scale and childlike joy felt on Christmas Eve. With a nod to Karl Friedrich Schinkel’s 1816 Romantic set design for Mozart’s The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflöte), hand blown Murano glass baubles in colour and mirror finishes combine with hand-painted decorations in materials of faux stones like lapis, onyx, marble and malachite create a mystical sense of wonder and celebration.
See It: 10 Berners St, London W1T 3NP
45 Park Lane
This year, the Christmas tree at the Dorchester Collection’s 45 Park Lane is inspired by musicians, singers and artists. Designed by Hormazd Narielwella, the tree is adorned with bespoke decorations featuring British musical icons including David Bowie and Elton John. These quirky ornaments will be available to purchase in January 2024, with proceeds donated to charity.
See It: 45 Park Ln, London W1K 1PN
Pan Pacific London
In its first collaboration with EC (Business Improvement District) and MTArt Agency, the Pan Pacific London has unveiled MOSAIC, a striking, modern reimagination of the Christmas tree (designed by award-winning artist Arnaud Lapierre) made with entirely recycled emerald-green glass and mirrored cubes. See it on One Bishopsgate Plaza, backgrounded by the luxury hotel’s festive ‘orchard of light’ installation.
See It: On display until 6 January 2024 at One Bishopsgate Plaza, 80 Houndsditch, London EC3A 7AB
St Pancras International
The internet is (rightly) obsessed with this train station tree, once again rethinking the parametres of what a Christmas tree really needs to be. (According to St Pancras in recent years, a ‘tree’ merely needs to be a tall pyramid-ish shape.)
On 1 November, St Pancras International kicked off the festive season with their bookish tree. A haven for bookworms – and ‘inspired by the magical ability of both books and train travel to transport people to exciting new places’ – the tree is a result of a collaboration with iconic bookseller Hatchards and publishing house Penguin. Standing 12 metres tall, the ‘tree’ is a library of books, featuring 270 shelves, more than 3,800 books, a winding staircase climbing to the top, plus eight cubby holes that visitors can sit inside. In those booths are speakers, and customers can listen to a five minute excerpt from an audiobook or reading provided exclusively by Penguin Books, featuring authors including Charles Dickens, Beatrix Potter, Zadie Smith, Robin Stevens, Gabrielle Zevin, Alice Winn, Rick Riordan, Michael Morpurgo, Richard Osman and Tom Fletcher.
See It: St Pancras Station, Euston Rd., London N1C 4QL
sketch London
When is a Christmas tree not just a Christmas tree? When it’s at sketch, of course. The legendary Mayfair destination has unveiled its breathtaking Christmas exhibition encompassing an enormous snow globe, a whimsical snowstorm installation and this sparkling, surrealist tree.
See It: 9 Conduit St, London W1S 2XG
(Photo by Ed Reeve)
Claridge’s
Every year, Claridge’s unveils a jaw-dropping Christmas tree in collaboration with a renowned designer – and this Christmas, we’ve been treated to a magnificent sculptural tree created in partnership with Louis Vuitton. The Art Deco silhouette of the tree is formed by a stack of 15 chrome boxes, all surrounded by two classic Malles Vestiaire or ‘wardrobe trunks’.
See It: Claridge’s, Brook Street, Mayfair, London W1K 4HR
One Aldwych
Down the road, this gorgeous hotel in the heart of theatreland has had an enchanted forest makeover especially for Christmas. One Aldwych’s longstanding resident florist, Mark Siredzuk, has created a wild and natural display with a unique tree at the centre of the hotel’s iconic Lobby Bar, its branches covered in lichen and adorned with woodland creatures. The theme stretches across the hotel, with woven willow creatures and gingerbread houses waiting to be discovered. Launched in collaboration with climate-positive British spirit brand, Sapling, visitors can admire it all while sipping on gin and vodka cocktails from a special festive menu (plus, continuing the woodland theme, Sapling will plant a tree for every bottle of spirit purchased).
See It: 1 Aldwych, London WC2B 4BZ
Covent Garden
This could well be London’s most festive district for 2023. Until 7 January 2024, the Piazza will be a wonderland of lights, bells, baubles, glitter balls, sleighs, snow, wreaths, trees and red ribbons. There’s a huge tree at the centre of it all, but smaller trees scattered all around too. Plus, visit for exclusive pop-ups and to sit in the Insta-worthy swing seat.
See It: The Piazza, London WC2E 8RF
Kimpton Fitzroy London
Bloomsbury’s chic Kimpton Fitzroy London hotel has unveiled its stunning 16-feet-tall Christmas tree for 2023. Designed by Steven Duggan Events, the masterpiece has a traditional feel, blending in gorgeously with the hotel’s luxurious surroundings because it is adorned with decorations inspired by the hotel itself, from architecture to interiors.
See It: 1-8 Russell Sq, London WC1B 5BE
© Rebecca Hope Photography
Rosewood London
Inspired by its newest fine jewellery collection, Wings Rising, Garrard has collaborated with Rosewood London on its 2023 Christmas tree, concluding the hotel’s 10th anniversary celebrations in glimmering style. Taking centre stage in the Rosewood’s iconic courtyard, the 24 ft tall tree is adorned with Garrard’s abstract Wings baubles in gold and midnight blue with touches of green. It is best viewed from the courtyard terrace – where Ruinart has transformed the space with harmonious decorations – with festive bites and a crisp glass of Ruinart Champagne in hand.
See It: Rosewood London, 252 High Holborn, London WC1V 7EN
(Photo by Dave Benett/Getty Images for Rosewood London)
Shangri-La The Shard
Elsewhere in London’s tallest skyscraper, Shangri-La The Shard is inviting guests to step into a world of wonder this festive season, unveiling a scent-inspired Christmas tree in collaboration with Jo Loves and Warner House. Beside the 14 ft tall tree – which is adorned with twinkling lights, whimsical red and white bows, and an array of mini bottles of Jo by Jo Loves – sits a life-size perfume bottle for guests to step inside and strike a pose, all the while captivated by a mesmerising kaleidoscope of mirrors, lights, and clouds of the captivating scent of Jo by Jo Loves. Beneath the tree, find a snowy scene brimming with gifts wrapped in Warner House’s Starlight and Knotted Sash prints which are a hallmark of the exclusive Jo Loves x Warner House collection.
See It: 31 St Thomas St, London SE1 9QU
Aqua Shard
Supporting Great Ormond Street Hospital for another year, Aqua Shard has revealed its beautiful ‘Giving Tree’, towering seven metres tall and decorated head to toe in wooden toys, fluffy teddy bears and hot air balloons. The decorations emulate the gifts Aqua Shard will be donating to children at GOSH this Christmas, and restaurant diners will have the option of making a £1 donation to GOSH Charity’s Christmas Appeal to help get children one step closer to home this Christmas. Plus, under the tree, visitors will notice stockings filled with food goods and ‘sheltersuits’, all of which will be donated to local food banks and The Shelter Foundation.
See It: Level 31, The Shard, 31 St Thomas St, London SE1 9RY
© Steven Joyce
Battersea Power Station
Is this London’s most unique Christmas tree? Perhaps. Designed by David Hockney and inspired by his recently-finished Lightroom exhibition, Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away), two giant trees (called the ‘Bigger Christmas Trees’) are being projected onto Battersea Power Station’s washtowers on the north facade right up until Christmas day from 5–10.30pm. Drawn on an iPad Pro using Apple Pencil, a 10 minute animation created by Hockney playfully reimagines the iconic 100-metre-high chimneys.
‘Battersea Power Station is such a beautiful building, I wanted to decorate it in a way that I hoped would bring joy and hope to Londoners,’ said Hockney.
See It: Circus Rd W, Nine Elms, London SW11 8DD
The Trafalgar Square Tree
Now, we admit this is notoriously one of London’s ugliest Christmas trees – but the Trafalgar Square tree is a classic for a reason. The tree arrived in the UK capital on 4 December 2023, making the journey to the UK from Norway as per tradition (now in its 76th year). The lights don’t go on until Thursday 7 December, but you can take a look at the tree being set up below:
THE QUEEN OF THE FOREST HAS ARRIVED 🎄
Come and join me on Thursday 7 December at 6pm to see my #ChristmasLights get switched on✨#Christmas2023 #TrafalgarTree pic.twitter.com/vAHiQWBUR2
— Trafalgar Square Tree (@trafalgartree) December 4, 2023
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