Keep up date with festive happenings in the capital on our Christmas 2026 in London page.
London is hit with a flurry of festive theatre shows at Christmas. These are our picks of the best family-friendly productions, both traditional and more modern — all ideal for a day out with the family.
Looking for panto? We've got that covered over here.
Children's Christmas shows at Unicorn Theatre
Southwark's Unicorn Theatre specialises in children's theatre shows, offering two productions for different age groups this festive season.
Huddle (for ages one-four) is a 50-minute slide through Mr Penguin's Antarctic adventure as he navigates life as a new father, raising his chick from an egg upwards.
The world premiere of Santa's First Christmas (for ages four+) combines music, storytelling and dance as the elves realise that Santa's never experienced Christmas for himself (it is his busy season at work, after all), so they give him a taste of the magic of the festivities.
Santa's First Christmas, 14 November 2026-3 January 2027. Sensory performance 4, 16 and 19 December, BSL interpreted performance 15 December. Huddle, 27 November 2-26-3 January 2027.
12 Days at Chickenshed Theatre
An incredible 800-strong cast is split into five different rota groups, with one group performing in each show of 12 Days. It centres around five children who take a festive journey to discover the true meaning of love.
12 Days at Chickenshed Theatre, 18 November 2026-9 January 2027. Age five+. All performances feature integrated BSL. Captioned performances on 15, 18, 20 and 21 December. Audio described performances on 13, 19, 21, 28 and 29 December.
Gandeys K-Pop Dragon Circus at Hyde Park Winter Wonderland 2026
After several years of Zippo's, there's a new circus in town at Hyde Park Winter Wonderland 2026. Gandeys K-Pop Dragon Circus makes its London debut, combining the vibrant energy of K-Pop with the wonder of world-class circus artistry to bring a young dragon's story to life.
Gandeys K-Pop Dragon Circus at Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, 19 November 2026-3 January 2027. Suitable for all ages. Note: you'll need a Winter Wonderland admission ticket in addition to your circus ticket.
The Snowman at Peacock Theatre
You think you've seen this show before... but you haven't. After an incredible 32 years of the Birmingham Repertory Theatre's take on The Snowman, the Peacock theatre shakes things up for Christmas 2026 with a new staging. The BRT is still at the helm as puppets and a soaring score combine to bring Raymond Briggs' charming story of a Christmas Eve friendship between a boy and a snowman to life.
The Snowman at Peacock Theatre, 21 November 2026-3 January 2027. Suitable for all ages. Relaxed performance 2 December, audio described performance 12 December.
Children's Christmas shows at Little Angel Theatre
Puppet specialists Little Angel Theatre offer two festive productions, both making skilled use of puppets to bring the stories to life in front of little eyes.
The Snowflake (age five+) is based on Benji Davies' children's book of the same name, with songs telling the story of a snowflake, a little girl and her Pappie, all looking for their own place in the world. Scruff's Christmas Adventure (ages three-six) features more audience interaction, as the cute puppy spends Christmas Eve wondering what gift to get his owner.
The Snowflake, 21 November 2026-23 January 2027, and Scruff's Christmas Adventure, 28 November 2026-3 January 2027.
Dear Santa at Battersea Arts Centre
Designed as an ideal introduction to theatre for younger viewers, Dear Santa — based on the book by Rod Campbell, author of Dear Zoo — sees the big man finding the ideal Christmas present for a special little girl... with help from the elves, of course.
Even better, little ones can meet Santa himself after the show, and receive a gift to take home.
Dear Santa at Battersea Arts Centre, 28 November-24 December 2026. Age two-six.
Pinocchio at Shakespeare's Globe
After last year's successful inaugural run, Pinocchio is back at Shakespeare's Globe for the festive period. The children's fantasy novel, about a carpenter named Gepetto and a wooden puppet which comes to life, takes the form of a musical, with the characters reimagined as life-sized puppets.
Pinocchio at Shakespeare's Globe, 28 November 2026-3 January 2027. Suitable for all ages. Relaxed performance 3 and 23 December, BSL performance 17 and 27 December, audio described performance 19 December and 2 January, captioned performance 20 and 30 December.
Scrooge: Cirque Extravaganza at Excel London
It's A Christmas Carol, but not as you know it. Scrooge: Cirque Extravaganza takes the classic festive tale and puts a circus twist on it: think enchanting aerialists, fire tricks and stilt walkers to transport you from a snowy Dickensian London to Fezziwig's all-singing, all-dancing circus.
Scrooge: Cirque Extravaganza, 23-28 December 2026. Age three+.
Aliens Love Panta Claus at Artsdepot
Given how much kids love anything involving *snicker* underwear, Aliens Love Panta Claus is bound to be a hit. Based on Claire Freedman and Ben Cort's picture book, this brand new production is packed with catchy songs to draw you into the story of aliens giving away underpants to spread festive knicker cheer.
Aliens Love Panta Claus at Artsdepot, 8 December 2026-3 January 2027. Age three+. BSL performance on 15, 19 and 24 December, audio described performance on 20 December, relaxed performance on 16 and 20 December.
There's A Bear On My Chair at Southbank Centre
Don't you hate when you go to sit down, but a bear's beaten you to it? So does mouse, so he takes up residence in bear's house for a clever dose of rhyming revenge, all told through charming puppetry.
There's A Bear On My Chair at Southbank Centre, 11 December 2026-3 January 2027. Ages two-seven.
Non-festive family theatre shows in London this Christmas
Fed up of the kids talking about Christmas, asking about Christmas and singing about Christmas, all day long? Here are some family theatre shows in London this festive period which aren't themed on the 'C' word:
THE JUNGLE BOOK: Rudyard Kipling's animal adventure takes centre stage in the National Theatre's production of The Jungle Book, with puppetry telling the story of Mowgli, a human boy raised by animals in the jungle. Age seven+. 13 November 2026-6 February 2027
ROOM ON THE BROOM: If your kids are more into spooky season that sparkly season, a stage adaptation of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's Room on the Broom flies into the Lyric Theatre, as a witch and her cat pick up a few hitchhikers on their broomstick. Age three+. 27 November 2026-3 January 2027
SMARTEST GIANT: Another adaptation of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's work, The Smartest Giant In Town stomps into St Martin's Theatre. George the giant goes shopping to smarten himself up, then bumps into some animals who need his help... and his shiny new clothes. All ages. 9 December 2026-3 January 2027
DISNEY ON ICE: Discover The Magic is the theme of this winter's Disney On Ice show, which skates into The O2 between Christmas and New Year (so you could stuff some tickets into the stocking of a young Disney fan for a post-Christmas treat...). Characters from Toy Story, Moana, Coco, Frozen and Aladdin appear on skates... and a word of warning: look out for a cheeky appearance from a very mischievous Stitch. All ages. 24 December 2026-3 January 2027
PADDINGTON THE MUSICAL: Not specific to the festive season, but Paddington the Musical has received constant rave reviews and multiple awards for its charming retelling of Michael Bond's story of a Peruvian bear finding his way in London. Age six+. Currently booking until 2028
