London Christmas Markets 2026: Winter Wonderland, Southbank, Kew, Ice Rinks and Lights (Dates and Prices)

London is really magical in December. You can browse wooden chalets by the Thames, skate in a palace courtyard and follow a trail of lights through Kew Gardens. But which Christmas markets in London are worth your time in 2026, and which ones need a ticket?

I lived and worked in London for years, and I wrote my first Christmas in London guide back in 2017. I really enjoyed Christmas at Kew, and as a Hungarian I always send friends to the chimney cake stall. So I've checked this year's official dates, opening hours and prices for you.

Dates and opening times checked on official sites in November 2026.

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Quick answer

• Biggest: Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, 19 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 (closed Christmas Day). You need a timed entry ticket, and off-peak slots are the cheapest.
• Best free market: the Southbank Centre Winter Market, 2 November 2026 to 4 January 2027, open 11 am to 10 pm (closed 25 and 31 December).
• Best light trail: Christmas at Kew, 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. Adults pay £29.50 off-peak or £37 peak (as of 2026).
• Best ice rink: Skate at Somerset House, 11 November 2026 to 10 January 2027, from £13 for adults. The Natural History Museum rink has closed for good.
• Best free lights: Covent Garden switches on on 12 November 2026, and Oxford Street has a Harry Potter theme this year.

Dates at a glance

Times can change at short notice, so please check before you go.

Hyde Park Winter Wonderland

Winter Wonderland is the biggest Christmas event in London. It is more like a theme park than a traditional market, with roller coasters, a big wheel, circus shows, an ice rink and lots of food and gift stalls. It runs from Thursday 19 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027 and is closed on Christmas Day. The last day is a Family Fun Day.

Tickets: you now book a timed entry slot online, hourly from 10 am to 8 pm. The ticket guide lists £1 off-peak, £5.50 standard and £8.25 peak, with booking fees included (as of 2026). Confusingly, it also says off-peak slots are "always free to enter", so check the price when you book. Off-peak pricing applies every Monday to Thursday in November. Spend over £25 on rides or meal deals in one online order and entry is free.

Getting there: the nearest Tube stations are Marble Arch, Bond Street, Hyde Park Corner, Knightsbridge and Green Park. Hyde Park Corner, Knightsbridge and Marble Arch can get very busy and sometimes close. With a pushchair, use Green Park or Bond Street, as they have lifts.

Bags: only small bags up to A4 size are allowed, and there is no left luggage.

For me, a visit isn't complete without a German sausage and a mulled wine. As a Hungarian, I also must tell you to find the Hungarian stall! Try a kürtőskalács (chimney cake), a sweet dough spiral baked on a spit and rolled in cinnamon sugar, coconut or cocoa. Or have a lángos, which is fried bread with sour cream and cheese.

Southbank Centre Winter Market

If you want a free market, this is the one I'd pick. The wooden chalets line the Queen's Walk under Hungerford Bridge, between the Royal Festival Hall and Jubilee Gardens. So you get river views and the London Eye lit up behind you.

The market runs from 2 November 2026 to 4 January 2027. It is open daily from 11 am to 10 pm, and craft traders close at 9 pm. It is closed on 25 and 31 December. Expect hearty street food, Dutch pancakes, churros, mulled wine, hot cider and hot chocolate, plus stalls selling jewellery, decorations and gifts.

Combine it with a riverside walk to Westminster or Tate Modern for a lovely, cheap afternoon.

Covent Garden, Leicester Square and Greenwich

Covent Garden switches on its lights on Thursday 12 November 2026. There will be over 300,000 lights, giant baubles and mirror balls in the Market Building, and the British-grown Christmas tree is back on the West Piazza. The "Theatre of Christmas" runs for seven weeks. From 4 to 31 December 2026 there is also a snowfall on the Piazza, which kids will love.

Leicester Square has had a small market with food and gift stalls in past years, with a Santa's Grotto for children. When I checked, the official 2026 dates and hours were not published yet, so please check closer to your trip.

Greenwich Market is a covered market with crafts, food and gifts. It is open every day from 10 am to 5:30 pm and closed on Christmas Day. It is perfect for unusual presents. After your shopping, walk up through Greenwich Park to the Royal Observatory for the view over the city. Or try the Greenwich Foot Tunnel under the Thames. It is cold and not exactly pretty, but I find it quite exciting to walk under London's main river! I wrote about it in my off-the-beaten-path London bucket list.

Christmas at Kew and other light trails

I really enjoyed Christmas at Kew. We followed a 1-mile trail of lights through the gardens, with light shows and festive food stalls along the way. In 2026 it runs from 13 November to 3 January 2027. Adult tickets are £29.50 off-peak and £37 peak, and children aged 4 to 15 pay £20 or £24 (as of 2026). Book ahead, as weekend slots in December sell out.

Ice skating in London

Somerset House is the classic. Skating in the courtyard of this 18th-century palace, next to a 40 ft Christmas tree, is very special. Skate runs from 11 November 2026 to 10 January 2027. Adult tickets cost £13 to £28.50 and children's £11 to £15, plus a £1.50 fee per ticket (as of 2026).

Programme highlights at Somerset House:

• Skate Lates with DJs from 8 pm on 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26 and 27 November 2026.
• K-Pop Party on Monday 23 November 2026 from 7 pm.
• Skate School lessons start on 14 November 2026.

Hampton Court Palace has an ice rink in front of the Tudor palace from 20 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. It is a lovely option if you live in south-west London or Surrey.

Please note that the Natural History Museum ice rink has closed, so don't plan a trip around it.

Christmas lights and the Trafalgar Square tree

The best way to see the lights is from the front row on the top deck of a double-decker bus. It is the best view you can get!

• Oxford Street: the 2026 lights have a Harry Potter theme with the four Hogwarts houses. There is also a Harry Potter Christmas tree in Hanover Square, a short detour away, with a snow show every hour on the hour. The official site did not list the switch-on date when I checked.
• Trafalgar Square: the Norwegian Christmas tree is a gift from Oslo every year. The Mayor of London says it is lit in December and stays up until just before Twelfth Night. Carol singing takes place by the tree throughout December.

What to eat, drink and buy

Look out for these British and German classics:

• Mulled wine (or Glühwein at German-style stalls): hot red wine with spices. Mulled cider is a good alternative.
• Bratwurst: a grilled German sausage in a bread roll, often with fried onions.
• Kürtőskalács: the Hungarian chimney cake. Watch it being baked over hot coals.
• Mince pies and roasted chestnuts: the British classics.

For gifts, look for handmade jewellery, ceramics, candles and Christmas decorations. I couldn't find any official information on mug deposits for 2026. If you have a reusable cup, ask if the stall can fill it. It saves a lot of plastic.

Winter walks nearby

When you have had enough of the crowds, go for a walk. Richmond Park, Hampstead Heath and the Thames Path from Richmond to Kingston are all easy to reach by public transport. They are in my nature walks in London guide. Kew is right next to Richmond, so you can combine a morning walk with an evening light trail.

For a day out of the city, see my 17 places to go hiking near London by train, or my festive winter walks guide for Boxing Day ideas.

Practical tips

Getting there and around

Everything here is easy to reach by Tube or bus, and you can tap in with a contactless card or phone. Coming from outside London, the train is much easier than driving.

According to National Rail, there are no trains at all on Christmas Day 2026, and most train companies do not run on Boxing Day. Many routes also finish early on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.

Best time to visit

Weekday mornings and early afternoons are the quietest. Weekend evenings in December are the busiest, especially the last two weekends before Christmas. At Winter Wonderland, off-peak slots on weekdays in November are cheaper and calmer.

Cash, toilets, accessibility and dogs

• Payment: most stalls take cards, but carry a little cash.
• Toilets: the big ticketed events have toilets on site. At the Southbank, the Royal Festival Hall is right next to the market.
• Pushchairs: the Southbank and Covent Garden are flat and easy. Winter Wonderland gets crowded in the evenings, so go early with little ones.
• Dogs: dogs are not on Winter Wonderland's banned list, but it is very busy and noisy. I would leave them at home.

If you visit with a baby or toddler, a warm footmuff for the pushchair makes evenings so much easier. I use the Out n About one with our Nipper.

I also use the Out n About hand muffs, so I can push the pram without freezing fingers.

A weekend budget

A rough plan per adult, using the 2026 prices above:

• Free: the Southbank market, Covent Garden, Greenwich Market, the lights and the Trafalgar Square tree.
• Winter Wonderland entry: £1 to £8.25, plus rides.
• Christmas at Kew: £29.50 to £37.
• Somerset House skating: £13 to £28.50, plus the £1.50 fee.
• Food and drink: my rough estimate is £20 to £30 a day at the stalls.

So one ticketed event plus food can stay well under £100 per person, before travel and a hotel. If you'd like to go further, my Christmas market breaks by train guide covers Bruges, Cologne and Strasbourg from St Pancras.

FAQ

Is Hyde Park Winter Wonderland free in 2026?

Not quite. You need to book a timed entry ticket. The ticket guide lists £1 off-peak, £5.50 standard and £8.25 peak (as of 2026), but also says off-peak slots are free to enter. If you spend over £25 online on rides or meal deals, entry is free.

Are London Christmas markets open on Christmas Day?

No. Winter Wonderland, the Southbank market and Greenwich Market are all closed on 25 December. The Southbank market is also closed on New Year's Eve.

Is the Natural History Museum ice rink open in 2026?

No. The museum says the rink has closed, and the garden is now a wildlife space. Try Somerset House or Hampton Court Palace instead.

Which one would you choose? Let me know in the comments, and save this guide for your December plans!