With (just?) 100 until Christmas, the switch-on dates for two of London's most popular illumination displays have been announced.
Carnaby Street's festive unveil is on Wednesday 4 November 2026, "inspired by the feel-good nostalgia of the 90s" — very much on trend right now, given the doomy times we live in. (How about going all out and inviting the Spice Girls to switch the lights on, as they did on Oxford Street 30 years ago?). For the last couple of Christmases, Carnaby's boxy Christmas lights — made from 60,000 energy-efficient LEDs — have been reused to reduce waste, and we expect to see them again in 2026, albeit with that 90s twist. One other thing: in 2025, Regent Street's lights were switched on the same day as Carnaby's, though there's no official confirmation that'll be the case this year.
Covent Garden lights up for Christmas on Thursday 12 November 2026, marking the return of its "Theatre of Christmas" campaign. As you can see from the top image in this article, the occasion draws QUITE the crowd, with a switch-on from the balcony of Covent Garden Market, which includes the lighting of a British-grown tree in the West Piazza — plus those oversized gold bells, mirror balls and baubles, which will be back inside the Market Building. More festive recycling, which we're all for.
In other 'don't shoot the messenger' news, London's Santa's grottos tend to sell out quickly. And now we'll let you get back to enjoying the last days of the summer.
