Nothing signifies the approach of Christmas like the glow of seasonal street lights. Here's our guide to when London's festive illuminations are switched on (and the accompanying parties) in some of the capital's biggest shopping destinations — including Oxford Street, Regent Street, Covent Garden and Carnaby. We'll update this article as more lights are announced.
West End Christmas lights
Christmas in London begins on Saturday 1 November 2025, when the West End Christmas lights are switched on, encompassing Piccadilly, Leicester Square, and St Martin's Lane. On Piccadilly, lights are inspired by the Anteros statue in Piccadilly Circus, while Leicester Square will sparkle with star-shaped lights, and St Martin’s Lane will twinkle in tribute to Theatreland.
Oxford Street Christmas lights
Oxford Street is always one of the first London districts to switch on its Christmas lights, illuminating the world-famous shopping street. The magic happens on Monday 3 November 2025.
The stars are coming out again this year; 300,000 of them will dangle above Oxford Street; these LED lights are said to be 75% more energy efficient that standard lights.
A Big Day of Joy takes over Oxford Street on 7 December, with live performances, activities in the shops and festive experiences — all in aid of Oxford Street's Christmas charity partner, Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity (GOSH). Keep an eye on the Oxford Street website for further details when announced.
Regent Street and St James's Christmas lights
Regent Street gets its festive glow-up from Thursday 6 November 2025, although in the last few years the lights have been switched on without any fanfare. The neighbouring district of St James's gets lit the same night, and those 'Spirit of Christmas' angels are back, glistening above Regent Street, Regent Street St James's, Piccadilly and Jermyn Street. Glasshouse Street, Heddon Street, Quadrant Arcade, St James’s Market and Swallow Street have their own Christmas lights again too, and after its debut last year, Wishing Tree on St James's Market returns, twinkling into life when you make a donation to The Felix Project.
Overall, 300,000 lights are used in the display, all low-energy LEDs which operate on a timer, meaning they're only on for a few key hours each evening.
Carnaby Christmas lights
The lights on the Soho shopping street will shine from Thursday 6 November 2025. It'll be a reprise of last year's 'Into the Light' illuminations scheme — consisting of several six-metre-long sculptural light forms made from 60,000 energy-efficient LEDs, suspended over the pedestrianised shopping street.
The chunky, Minecraft-esque star/cracker-shaped lights debuted in 2024 as all-white decorations, but this time they'll glow in a multitude of colours — which we approve of. Their official 2025 name? 'All is Bright'. More here.
Covent Garden Christmas lights
The date of Covent Garden's 2025 Christmas lights switch-on has been announced for Wednesday 12 November 2025. The decorations — including 40 gigantic golden bells adorned with bows, 12 giant baubles, and eight spinning mirror balls — are back for a third season, adding more than a splash of festive cheer to the Market Hall building. A 55ft Christmas tree will once again take up residence inside the Piazza, illuminated by 30,000 LED lights. An additional 260,000 LED lights illuminate the Piazza and surrounding streets. The festive theme for Covent Garden in 2025 is 'The Theatre of Christmas' — apt given this is the heart of London's theatreland (plus Covent Garden is home to a toy shop that sells cardboard theatres). More here.
Marylebone Village Christmas lights
Merry Marylebone — the annual festive event in Marylebone Village culminating in a big Christmas light-up — takes place on Wednesday 12 November 2025. Marylebone High Street will be pedestrianised, with much of the action taking place across Devonshire Street too. There'll be a ferris wheel, Santa's grotto, and food, drink and gift stalls, as well as discounts and special offers in the local shops, restaurants and bars. The event runs 3pm-8pm, with the switch-on at 6pm, to be performed by a special guest (TBC).
Old Spitalfields Market Christmas lights
Christmas shopping, live festive music from the market’s gospel choir, roaming elves and festive workshops are all part of the fun at the Old Spitalfields Market Christmas light switch-on, on Wednesday 12 November 2025. Events run from 3pm, and the lights themselves are fired up at 6pm
Bond Street Christmas lights
An interesting twist on Bond Street this Christmas: those Chanel perfume bottle lights from last year are gone, replaced by the Crown Jewel-inspired illuminations from Christmas 2023. See them switched on from Wednesday 12 November 2025.
Savile Row Christmas lights
Tailoring district Savile Row once again illuminates its sky with the tools of its residents' trade: giant illuminated golden shears, cutting through a glittering swathe of 'fabrics' in the skies above the street. See them in switched on from Wednesday 12 November 2025.
Leadenhall Market Christmas lights
Traditionally, the Lord Mayor of London does the honours of switching on the Leadenhall Market Christmas lights, though that'll be a bit different for 2025, as for the first time ever, London has a Lady Mayor instead.
The festive decorations consist of an 18ft-tall central Christmas tree, and fir tree garlands, giant baubles and twinkling lights throughout the Market. Thursday 13 November 205 is the date to put in your diary — just five days after the new Lady Mayor Dame Susan Langley DBE takes the reins at the Lady Mayor's Show. Busy week.
The Churchill Arms Christmas lights
London's Christmassiest pub, the Churchill Arms in Kensington, lights up for Christmas on Thursday 13 November 2025. The exterior is absolutely buried in Christmas trees and fairy lights, with a Letters to Santa postbox beside the main entrance.
St Katharine Docks Christmas lights
Apparently London's only Christmas lights on water, the illuminations at St Katharine Docks (next to Tower Bridge) are on from Thursday 13 November 2025, with maritime-themed Christmas lights adorned with charming motif, and a towering Christmas tree outside the Dickens Inn. Expect special performances by school choirs and an appearance from St Nick.
Knightsbridge Christmas lights
We're promised a new festive lights scheme around Brompton Road and the surrounding streets, with 12,000 bulbs making up "subtle nods to Knightsbridge’s equestrian past", including a 14-metre cross-street animated motif on Brompton Road, and wall-mounted displays on Hans Crescent and Sloane Street. Swing by from Thursday 13 November 2025 to get a glimpse.
Chelsea Christmas lights
The Chelsea Christmas lights switch-on takes place on Saturday 15 November 2025, when King’s Road will be partly pedestrianised from Sloane Square to Walpole Street for a festive market and day of family fun. Several local businesses run special events and offers, including reindeer makeovers for children at Trotters, pop-up bars from The Cadogan Arms, The Chelsea Grocer and new opening, The Trafalgar, as well as Christmas card making workshops from Saatchi, and a lucky dip with prizes from Whole Foods Market.
Father Christmas has the all-important job of switching on the lights at 5pm, aided by a local helper.
For the first time, Sloane Street - looking fresh from a major refurb - joins in the area's celebrations too, offering pop-up hot chocolate carts from Diptyque, Brunello Cucinelli and La Maison Ani and a candy cane cart from Boodles, among other celebrations. And of course, the Ever After Garden relocates to Duke of York Square this year, open every day from 13 November, giving the area an extra glow.
Belgravia Christmas lights
Motcomb Street, Elizabeth Street, Pimlico Road, Eccleston Yards and Halkin Arcade are illuminated by a single scheme of Christmas lights. They're switched on in a special ceremony on Elizabeth Street on Sunday 16 November 2025, which also includes live performances by London Gay Men's Chorus and the Fulham Brass Band, and a Christmas market in Eccleston Yards, as well as other events and activities.
Soho Kids' Christmas lights
Once again Soho's streets will be illuminated with Christmas lights designed by local schoolchildren, with six new lights added this year to the 55 from previous years. Lord Mayor of Westminster Cllr Paul Dimoldenberg joins the young artists who created them for an official switch-on event on Wednesday 19 November 2025.
Fleet Street Quarter Christmas lights
Ludgate Circus is the place to head on Wednesday 19 November 2025 to see the Fleet Street Quarter Christmas lights switched on. Also unveiled in the area on 19 November is the free Snoopy sculpture trail, which brings 12 individually-decorated sculptures of the beloved canine to the area for the Christmas period.
Cutty Sark and Greenwich Christmas lights
We have it on good authority that the rigging of the Cutty Sark will once again be illuminated in the shape of a Christmas tree this year. It switches on on 19 November 2025 — keep an eye on the Cutty Sark website for further information.
That coincides with the lantern parade and Christmas light switch-on happening in nearby Greenwich Market on the same day.
Hammersmith Christmas lights
The Christmas tree in Lyric Square, Hammersmith, forms the centre of the area's Christmas light switch-on, on Wednesday 19 November 2025. The Mayor of Hammersmith and a special guest from the Lyric Hammersmith do the honours, with live music and entertainment throughout the evening.
Fulham Pier Christmas lights
New riverside foodie venue Fulham Pier kicks off its first festive season with a Christmas light switch-on party headlined by Primary School Bangers’ James B Partridge on Thursday 20 November 2025, so you can sing along with tunes such as Ding Dong Merrily On High and Hark The Herald Angels. The family-friendly event sees the space transform into enchanted ‘Into the Woods’ winter oasis, with plenty of festive events scheduled in the coming weeks.
London's tallest Christmas tree at Pan Pacific London
For several years now, Pan Pacific London hotel in the City has claimed to have London's tallest Christmas tree (though we admit, we haven't whipped out our yardstick to check). This year, TV presenter Dermot O'Leary has the honours of switching on the tree's lights on Thursday 20 November 2025, between 5.30pm and 6.30pm. The 67ft tall spruce has a Let It Snow theme for 2025, covered in hundreds of 'snowflakes', and is backed by "what may be London's, if not the world’s, largest festive wreath, spanning 10 metres across the hotel’s plaza façade". Size is everything in the City, it seems.
The Shard's Christmas lights
London's highest Christmas lights are rather special this year, as they've been designed by a member of the housekeeping team looking after the skyscraper. An illuminated take on paintings by Colombian-born amateur artist Gustavo Zuluaga Villegas will be joined by other festive motifs, suggested by other members of the Shard's team. See the Shard's Christmas lights every night from Tuesday 25 November 2025.
Castle Square/Elephant & Castle Christmas lights
This year’s Castle Square Christmas light switch-on in Elephant & Castle takes place on Saturday 29 November 2025. It's a whole afternoon of run, running 12pm-7pm with a Santa’s Grotto, carol singing, live performances from local music and dance groups, and giant Christmas tree and Castle Square lights switched on at 5.45pm.
Strand Christmas lights
2025 dates TBC - they were illuminated on 12 November last year, so expect similar this year.
Strand got new lights for Christmas 2024, the old 'Northbank' branded ones gone, presumably because the Northbank itself has joined forces with other local areas for a bit of rebrand, replaced by fairies. Why fairies? It's festive nod to the first ever fairy lights, which were worn by performers at the nearby Savoy Theatre in 1882. The same lighting scheme took over Villiers Street, running from Strand down to Embankment station, too.
Trafalgar Square Christmas tree
The Mayor of Westminster, Norwegian Ambassador and governing Mayor of Oslo usually switch on the lights of the Trafalgar Square tree on the first Thursday in December. Though the date hasn't been officially announced for 2025, we'd be very surprised if it's not Thursday 4 December. Keep an eye on this website for updates. The tree is an annual gift from Norway.
