Best London Christmas Markets and Winter Festivals

by Nienke Krook November 6, 2015

In the dark days of the year, we all crave for a little light and warmth.  And to get into the festive mood a bit quicker, many London Christmas markets and winter festivals are organised from about half of October to the start of January.

Here you can enjoy sparkling shows and activities, but also spoil yourself from the inside. Whether it s hot cider, roasted chestnuts or traditional meat pies let s bring on Winter!! In this article you ll find our best tips to celebrate Christmas in London, or at least get into the merry holiday mood!.

Best London Christmas Markets and Winter Festivals

Being from The Netherlands, our Christmas season doesn t really start yet, as we have another national holiday on December 5th: Sinterklaas (St. Nicholas). It s more of a children s fest (here s a funny post about all the weird rituals this holiday involves), but most families will celebrate it before they get wild about Christmas decorations.

But hey, being an expat means to adjust yourself to where you re living and so we made a start by visiting our first Christmas market in London. There will be many Winter festivals organised in London in the coming months, and we re hoping to see a lot of them.

We started the fun at the South Bank, where you ll find many traditionally decorated wooden chalets that sell food, drinks and crafts all along the river Thames. Let s have a look at other great spots for a brilliant Christmas in London:

Southbank Centre Winter Festival

A great starting point for your winter adventures in London is the South Bank of the river Thames. From half October, they set up the Christmas markets with food and handmade products and light up the trees with fairy lights. Here you can enjoy theatre shows and a variety of other (free) events, fun for both young as old. Don t miss the cider lodge, great place to warm up!

Address:  Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd, SE1 8XX London

Hyde Park Winter Wonderland

Winterville Alternative Winter Festival

The Enchanted Christmas House

Skating at the Natural History Museum