Confirmed 2026 dates for Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, the Southbank Centre Winter Market, Covent Garden, Somerset House and Kew, plus which ones close on Christmas Day.
London's Christmas markets aren't one big old-town square like Vienna's or Nuremberg's. The city has a spread instead: one huge ticketed festival in Hyde Park, a riverside chalet market on the South Bank, and festive neighborhoods and ice rinks where the market is part of the scenery. Here's what's confirmed for 2026, where each one is, and how to fit them into a short trip.
Every date below comes from the organizer's own website, checked on October 19, 2026. Where an organizer hadn't published 2026 details yet, we say so rather than guess.
2026 dates at a glance
- Southbank Centre Winter Market: November 2, 2026 to January 4, 2027 (closed December 25 and 31)
- Skate at Somerset House: November 11, 2026 to January 10, 2027 (closed December 25)
- Covent Garden lights switch-on: Thursday, November 12, 2026
- Christmas at Kew light trail: selected dates, November 13, 2026 to January 3, 2027
- Hyde Park Winter Wonderland: November 19, 2026 to January 3, 2027 (closed December 25)
- Trafalgar Square tree and Leicester Square: 2026 details not yet published
Hyde Park Winter Wonderland
The biggest and busiest: a full festival with rides and roller coasters, shows, sculptures carved from ice and snow, food and drink, and what the organizers call the UK's largest open-air ice rink. It runs November 19, 2026 to January 3, 2027 and opens every day except Christmas Day, though opening times vary by day.
Entry is ticketed. Booking online in advance saves up to 25%, booking fees are now included in the ticket price, and popular dates sell out. Weekday daytime visits are typically calmer than weekend evenings. Budget for rides and food on top of entry.
Southbank Centre Winter Market
Our pick for the classic market feel. Alpine-style wooden chalets line the Queen's Walk along the Thames, under Hungerford Bridge between the Royal Festival Hall and Jubilee Gardens. Expect winter street food, sweet stalls (Dutch pancakes, churros, cookies), pop-up bars pouring mulled wine, hot cider and hot chocolate, and gift stalls selling jewelry, decorations and fashion.
It's listed for November 2, 2026 to January 4, 2027, open daily 11am–10pm, with craft traders closing at 9pm. It's closed December 25 and 31. The riverside promenade is open to all, and the London Eye is just along the river, so it pairs well with an evening on the South Bank.
Covent Garden
Covent Garden isn't a market in the chalet sense, but it's the most festive neighborhood in central London. The 2026 theme is "Theatre of Christmas," a seven-week celebration inspired by the West End, with more than 300,000 lights, the gold bells, mirror balls and baubles on the Market Building and a British-grown tree on the West Piazza. The lights switch on Thursday, November 12, 2026.
It's also where our favorite lights-and-markets walking tour starts, with a mulled wine included and groups capped at 10. It's rated 5.00 from 72 reviews.
Skate at Somerset House
Skating in an 18th-century courtyard under a 40-foot Christmas tree is one of London's best winter nights out. The 2026 season runs November 11, 2026 to January 10, 2027. Around the rink you'll find seasonal shopping, raclette and alpine-style dishes at The Chalet by Jimmy Garcia, and hot chocolate from the courtyard huts.
Tickets run £13–£28.50 for adults and £11–£15 for children, plus a £1.50 fee per ticket, and prices vary through the run, so book early. The rink is closed on Christmas Day and closes early on December 24 and 31.
Christmas at Kew
Kew's after-dark light trail isn't a market, but it's the best festive evening outside the center. It runs on selected dates from November 13, 2026 to January 3, 2027 (closed November 16, 23 and 28 and on Christmas Day), with new installations and adult-only evenings on December 3 and 9. Entry is timed and advance booking is essential.
Trafalgar Square and Leicester Square
The Trafalgar Square tree is Norway's gift to London, sent every year since 1947 and lit at a ceremony in December; carol groups sing at its base through the month. The 2026 lighting date hadn't been published when we checked. Leicester Square's official site hadn't announced 2026 Christmas plans either, so check it before you build an evening around a market there.
Tips for doing the markets right
- Go early in the week and early in the evening. The lights are on from dusk, and you'll beat the after-work rush.
- Book anything with a timed ticket now: Winter Wonderland, Somerset House and Kew. The same goes for Hogwarts in the Snow at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour (November 14, 2026 to January 17, 2027); our studio tour tips cover how to get there.
- Plan around Christmas Day. Winter Wonderland, the Southbank market, Somerset House and Kew all close on December 25, and TfL runs no service on most public transport that day.
- Cover the lights in one go. A 90-minute guided bus tour hits Regent Street, Oxford Street and Trafalgar Square from $41, with 2,049 reviews behind it.
For every lights tour compared side by side, see our Christmas in London guide. Warming up with something more civilized? Our afternoon tea guide covers festive hotel teas and tea buses, and the dress code guide tells you what to wear. Staying central makes late nights easier; see where to stay in London.
