Christmas 2023: London events to book now

Christmas at Kenwood

The grounds of Kenwood House on Hampstead Heath turn into a dazzling winter wonderland this Christmas with a festive light trail. Along with the twinkling lights, there are immersive soundscapes, crackling fire pits and theatrical projections. Plus there's a street food market and plenty of mulled wine and hot chocolate stops along the way. Make a day of it with a crisp walk on the heath and a cosy pub lunch.

The Royal Ballet's The Nutcracker

Combining magnificent dancing with a story sure to awaken the inner child in even the most cynical adult, stunning designs and Tchaikovsky’s miraculous score, The Royal Ballet’s The Nutcracker is an unparalleled Christmas treat. This 1984 production by Sir Peter Wright relies on Lev Ivanov’s original Russian choreography, but has been gently reworked and tweaked over the years to bring it as near to perfection as possible.

Read our 5-star review

Festive Wreath Making at Petersham Nurseries

Learn how to make a magnificent Christmas wreath at this hands-on workshop at Petersham Nurseries. Embrace the wild and dramatic Petersham aesthetic by combining foliage, mosses, woodland materials and fruits to ensure your door is the envy of the street. Light refreshments and ask the equipment required to make your wreath are included.

Santa's Grotto at Hamleys

There are a fair few Santa's doing meet and greets around London, but the most authentic of the St Nicks resides at Hamleys toy shop. Each family gets a personal experience with Father Christmas. You tell the elves family names and Christmas wish lists to make sure Santa's list is up to date and the meeting feels extra authentic. And each child leaves with a a special early Christmas present. Booking is now open and slots are filling up quickly.

Secret Cinema's Wishmas experience

The blockbuster family event of the season, Wishmas is an immersive, 60-minute walk-through experience running on the premise that you’re in the land where your wishes take flight. Characters introduced along the way include Wishkeepers, Robins and Father Christmas, and there are plenty of themed rooms to nose around too. It comes from immersive experience pedigree too: former Punchdrunk mastermind Elgiva Field and the team behind Secret Cinema are bringing it to life.

Skate West End

Hark! What's this? A new, glistening ice rink? And in central London? Yes, indeed. And it's for a good cause, supporting Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity. Located a stone's throw from Oxford Circus, it's a pretty one too, lined with trees that are a'twinkling with fairy lights. Give it a test glide and you'll be helping those behind it with their mission of raising £55,000 for the charity.

Festival of Lessons & Carols, Westminster Abbey 2023

As Londoners, we’re lucky to share a city with Westminster Abbey, which has stood on its site since the 11th century. Martyrdoms, coronations and monarchical burials have all taken place in this ancient building, yet for some of us, the Abbey is merely part of a jostling skyline. If there is a time to reclaim our most notable religious house from the tourists, it is the Christmas Service of Lessons and Carols.

Velvet Pines by Swamp Motel

Velvet Pines, the latest addition to the roster of immersive theatrical experiences from Swamp Motel, is a yuletide romp that nosedives into the beating heart of 70s kitsch. Here is the set-up: a snowstorm has descended on a ski resort forcing us, the audience/guests/diners, indoors into the shelter of a glamorous alpine hotel’s wood-panelled lodge for dinner and an impromptu dose of après-ski cabaret.

Kingdom Of Winter

No need to wrap up too warm for this one, but come with a reserve tank of energy: Kingdom of Winter is a vast, new Christmas-themed complex that sounds a little like an indoor Winter Wonderland. It boasts alpine stalls, fairground rides, an ice rink and, wait for it, an ' Instagrammable ice expedition'.

Christopher Eccleston in A Christmas Carol, Old Vic Theatre 2023

The Old Vic Theatre's production of A Christmas Carol, adapted by Jack Thorne and directed by Matthew Warchus, has become a festive tradition since it opened to glowing reviews in 2017. Each year, the production is fronted by a new, and for 2023, it's Doctor Who star Christopher Eccleston shouting 'bah humbug!' at Dickens' merrymakers.