The festive spirit is fierce in London, with Christmas frivolity starting in November in the capital and continuing all the way through December.

There are markets, pantos and shows, ice-skating and light trails and switch ons, and if you still want more merriment, here's more of the best things to do in the capital for Christmas with family, friends or the kids. 

1 Electric Winter at South Bank

Between the Bridges' wintery, Christmassy programme of fun things to do returns this festive season. Look out for Christmas themed drag show brunches with RuPaul girls, Massaoke's Christmas Special sing-a-long and Christmas Anthems with Old Dirty Brasstards amongst the busy programme of fun stuff to do. 

Date: November 10 - December 23

Tickets: Free entre, some events ticketed, from free

Address: The Queen's Walk, South Bank SE1

Website: betweenthebridges.co.uk

2 Sky garden's festive winter terrace

Found 35 floors up, the Sky Garden will turn into a festive, wintery wonderland when its elaborate Sky Pod Bar’s winter terrace opens this month. The terrace will be decked out with snowy frosted trees, twinkling lights and classic Christmas decorations in reds, greens and golds that complement the garden’s leafy verdant foliage. Bringing the party to the sky high locale, there will be lives sets from ALR Music as well as late-night resident DJs playing festive hits from November 20 – January 8, 2024

Date: November 8 to January 8, 2024

Tickets: Entry to music nights from £21

Address:  Sky Garden Walk, City EC3M 8AF

Website: skygarden.london

3 The Nutcracker at Southbank Centre

Held at Southbank Centre's brand new venue The Tuff Nutt Jazz Club, this production of Tchaikovsky's iconic score has been re-imagined by Mercury Price nominated Cassie Kinoshi and performed by a live jazz band on stage. 

Date: October 28 - January 6, 2024

Tickets: from £15

Address: Southbank Centre Belvedere Road, South Bank SE1 8XX

Website: southbankcentre.co.uk

4 Christmas Actually, Royal Festival Hall

A variety extravaganza curated by Richard Curtis bringing the laughs and festive cheer. A star-studded cast will deliver live music, performance, comedy and festive stories to raise money for Comic Relief.  

Date: December 7-11

Tickets: £25.50

Address:  Southbank Centre Belvedere Road, South Bank SE1 8XX

Website: southbankcentre.co.uk

5 The Great Christmas Feast, West Kensington

Travel back to Christmas Eve 1843 and step inside Charles Dicken's home to let an immersive performance of A Christmas Carol wash over you. The elaborate show is staged in 5,000 feet of new set, and comes with cinematic live music and a three course Victorian meal. 

Dates: November 14 - January 14, 2024

Time: 7.15pm or 1pm matinee

Tickets: £149.50

Address: 9 Beaumont Avenue, West Kensington W14 9LP

Website: christmasfeast.thelostestate.com

6 Miracle in Leake Street Christmas Market, Waterloo

Leake Street’s Home Alone 2 inspired Christmas event will feature a screening of Home Alone 2 followed by a street party. There will also be performances, free wreath making workshops and face-painting, as well as food and drink from Lower Marsh Market traders.

Date: Thursday, December 7

Tickets: Free but register for a ticket here eventbrite.co.uk

Address: Leake Street Waterloo SE1 8SW

Website: wearewaterloo.co.uk

7 Kingdom of Winter, ExCel, Royal Victoria Docks

Covering 21,332 sqm, this brief pop up boasts to be UK’s largest indoor winter experience when it opens. It will have an ice skating rink, fairground rides, and ice trail, circus performance, alpine stalls and two food and drink villages, and it’s easily reached on the Elizabeth line.

Dates: December 8 to January 7, 2024

Opening Hours: 10am – 8pm, seven days a week, closed Christmas

Tickets: From £5.50

Address: Royal Victoria Dock, 1 Western Gateway E16 1XL

Website: kingdomofwinter.com

8 Disney on Ice

The all-singing, all-skating Disney extravaganza returns to London for a festive family night out. The Christmas season staple will see a host of talent perform world class ice skating routines and dazzling stunts to a mash up medley of all the favourite Disney stories in this ultimate feel-good production that captures the magic of Disney's immortal tales.

Date: December 21-31

Tickets: From £41

Address: Peninsula Square, Greenwich SE10 0DX

Website: disneyonice.com

9 Wishmas, Waterloo

Wishmas: A Fantastical Christmas Adventure is a new addition to the festive calendar, created by the Secret Cinema team and directed by Elgiva Field, former Associate Director of the trail-blazing and mind-blowing Punchdrunk theatre company. Wishmas is a fully immersive festive experience, suitable for kids and adults. An “alternative to Winter Wonderland”, Wishmas is set in a magical world which takes about 60-minutes to walk through, meeting Wishkeepers, robins, Father Christmas and magical rooms along the way.

Date: November 14 - January 7

Tickets: From £29

Address: The Old Bauble Factory, 1 Launcelot Street, Waterloo, SE1 7AD

Website: wishmas.co.uk

10 Humbug, Waterloo

A Christmas-themed dive bar in a secreted, hidden away spot within the dimly lit archways of Waterloo. It will host live performances, sing-a-longs, festivities and storytelling, as well as a weary Santa who needs cheering up. Facing the pressures of the North Pole and his bustling workshop, Santa has retreated to Humbug in the hope of restoring himself to the jolly guy that everyone love, where Christmas cheer - and sherry – will be available on tap.

Date: November 15 - January 6

Tickets: £29.50

Address: Unit 9, Leake Street Arches, Waterloo, SE1 8SW

Website: humbugchristmas.co.uk

11 Peppa Pig Live!, West End

Based on the much-loved animated TV series, Peppa Pig’s Fun Day Out! is packed with fun, games and jokes suitable for pre-schoolers. At Peppa Pig’s Fun Day Out!, families can join Peppa and her friends and family, as they go to the zoo and the beach for a special party.

Date:  November 30 - December 31

Tickets: From £10

Address: Theatre Royal Haymarket, 18 Suffolk Street SW1Y 4HT

Website: trh.co.uk

12 Curling, King’s Cross and South Bank

If skating is not your jam, King’s Cross and South Bank will both host a curling pop up. Club Curling in King’s Cross comes with 90s vibes and DJs on Thursday nights. Over at South Bank, the Curling Club is part of the Southbank Centre’s festive programme, and you’ll find it among all the frivolity and festive street food vendors filling up South Bank this festive season.

Date: November 9 – February 29/October 13 – February 11

Tickets: From £8 /from £24

Address: Coal Drops Yard N1C 4D; Queen’s Walk, South Bank  SE1 8XX

Website: kingscross.co.uk; thecurlingclub.com

13 Hyde Park Winter Wonderland

This year, The Magical Ice Kingdom comes with a Norse Mythology theme. Built with more than 500 tonnes of snow and ice, the immersive kingdom invites people to stroll through the Land of Giants, fire and Ice and admire Norse Gods and Goddesses.

Dates: November 17-January 1, 2024

Times: 10am to 10pm

Address: Hyde Park Serpentine Road W2 2UH

Website: hydeparkwinterwonderland.com

14 Southbank Winter Festival 

Combining free and ticketed things to do for both families and friends, the Southbank Winter Festival comes with cultural events, a Christmas market and light installations. Try your hand at curling, watch out for performances by local choirs, catch show or snack on mulled wine and street food as you amble along the Thames. 

Dates: October 28 - January 7, 2024

Address: Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX

Website: southbankcentre.co.uk

15 Christmas at Covent Garden  

For the first time in nearly a decade, Covent Garden has changed up its decorations, and will dress up the listed Market Building with more than 40 gigantic bells with bows, 12 giant baubles and eight spinning mirror balls bedazzled with more than 29 miles of gold leaf and 275 kilos of glitter. Look out for daily flurries of snow from December, the hand painted, reconditioned 1884 sleigh carriage, and the Christmas Sandwich Festival too.

Date: November 7 -Until January 2024

Website: coventgarden.london

16 The Gingerbread City, Belgravia 

The Museum of Architecture’s Gingerbread City returns to showcase  great design and baking minds. An utterly charming – and edible – exhibition for adults and children, the fantastical city is where imagination and innovation meet to become a canvas for future-forward city planning, that is completely edible.  

When: December 2 – January 7, 2024 

Cost: From £18.50/£12.50

Address: 6-7 Motcomb Street, SW1X 8JU 

Website: thegingerbreadcity.com