London's fantastic at Christmas, but Christmas isn't for everyone. Fed up of the relentless festivities? Want to escape the C Word for a few hours (or longer)? Maybe you don't celebrate Christmas, or perhaps you're just not in the mood this year. To avoid Christmas in London, head to these events without a bauble or carol singer in sight.
Do a Twilight all-nighter at the Prince Charles Cinema
Shut yourself in a dark room away from Christmas lights and immerse yourself in approximately 11 hours of vampire action. The legendary Prince Charles Cinema screens all five Twilight films back-to-back through the night, in mid-December. Acquaint yourself with the rules and etiquette before signing up. Can't guarantee you won't encounter people going to other Christmas film screenings — including daily showings of A Muppet Christmas Carol — in the cinema lobby, but once you're ensconced in your seat, you should be safe from the festivities.
14 December 2024.
Go to the Satanic Flea Market Anti-Christmas Fayre
A market in December that's not full of t. artificial trees and Michael Bublé records? That'd be the Satanic Flea Market Anti-Christmas Fayre, the December version of the regular dark arts and crafts event. Intrigued? We went along in October 2022 to find out what it's all about.
Browse 100+ stalls bristling with oddities, including collectibles, underground fashion, original art, cultural relics, vintage clothing, unusual toys, occult trinkets, obscure records, bric-a-brac, human skulls and taxidermy. Safe to say, you won't find a lavender candle and box of fudge for Aunt Doris here.
8 December 2024.
Kick back and watch a non-festive theatre show
It feels you can barely move in London at the moment without seeing an advert for a panto, Christmas concert or festive kids' show — but there are still plenty of thoroughly unfestive shows out there, if you know where to look:
- The Mousetrap: Famously London's longest running show, which has just celebrated its 72nd anniversary.
- Witness for the Prosecution: Another one from the prolific pen of Agatha Christie.
- The Merchant of Venice 1936: Stars Tracy-Ann Oberman in Shakespeare's play, transplanted to 1930s Britain.
- Waiting for Godot: Samuel Beckett's tragicomedy, once voted the "most significant English-language play of the 20th century".
- The Lehman Trilogy: Because there's nothing festive about triggering the largest financial crisis in history (read our review)
Just because you're not feeling festive, it doesn't have to be all doom and gloom. Perhaps we can tempt you with a musical, such as:
- Wicked
- Mean Girls
- The Book Of Mormon
- Back To The Future
- Tina - The Tina Turner Musical
- Six
- Mrs Doubtfire
- The Choir of Man
... or one of these other choices.
Catch one of London's top exhibitions right now
December tends to be a fairly quiet month for new exhibition openings, but there are plenty of top-notch displays running throughout the month (some closing early next year). If you're planning to visit during Christmas week, do check opening hours before you go as they'll likely vary from normal. Choose from:
- Versailles: Science and Splendour at the Science Museum (12 December-21 April)
- Birds: Brilliant and Bizarre at the Natural History Museum (until 5 January)
- Fragile Beauty: Photographs from the Sir Elton John and David Furnish Collection at the V&A (until 5 January)
- Van Gogh: Poets and Lovers at the National Gallery (until 19 January)
- Silk Roads at the British Museum (until 23 February)
- A Silk Road Oasis at the British Library (until 23 February)
- F1 The Exhibition at ExCeL (until 2 March)
- NAOMI In Fashion at the V&A (until 6 April)
- Turn It Up: The Power of Music at Science Museum (until 6 May)
- Astronomy Photographer of the Year at National Maritime Museum (FREE, until July 2025)
