The nights are drawing in, but look on the bright side — with winter comes a plethora of light trails, lantern festivals and Christmas illuminations to explore in London.
From blockbuster displays in sprawling botanical gardens to themed lantern trails, and a trip to Neverland by night, the capital radiates with seasonal light festivals. A couple of these events are free, and we've even thrown in a very high-tech drone display.
Looking specifically for Christmas lights in London? Here's a guide to which area is switching on the Christmas lights when for 2025 — they start early November. Once they're illuminated, we'll bring you our top tips for when, where and how to see them at their best. In the mean time, make do with this lovely lot:
Two light installations in Greenwich
Illuminations season gets under way in Greenwich, which hosts two light shows this autumn-winter.
Peter Walker's Connection and Identity takes over the Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College from Halloween, consisting of two large-scale light and sound installations which contemplate what it means to be human. Connection is inspired by Michelangelo's hands from the Creation of Adam, while Identity features eight illuminated columns suspended within the Painted Hall, evoking DNA structures.
Later on, renowned projection company Luxmuralis bring their critically acclaimed show Time to the ORNC, for a glowing display of worm holes, clock mechanisms and H.G. Wells references. See it projected onto various sections of the complex, including the Ripley Tunnel, and Queen Mary Undercroft and Chapel, before spilling outside across the Colonnades and into the Courtyard.
Connection and Identity, Painted Hall, 31 October 2025-25 January 2026. Time, Greenwich Royal Naval College, 12-16 November 2025.
Winter Light at Southbank Centre
Southbank Centre's free public art trail Winter Lights returns, with six new installations by international artists to add light and colour to the dark winter nights. Liz West’s multicoloured Hymn To The Big Wheel blends and casts strobes of multicolour depending on the time of day; Two neon works by France-Lise McGurn pay homage to fashion adverts from the 1990s; and Samia Halaby and Rafaël Rozendaal offer vibrant computer-generated art.
While you're there, visit the Southbank Centre Winter Market for festive food, drink and gifts (until 4 January).
Winter Light 2025 at Southbank Centre, FREE, 3 November 2025-18 January 2026.
Alice and the Queen's Beasts at Hall Place and Gardens
New for 2025, Hall Place and Gardens in Bexley offers a family-friendly immersive lantern light show experience based on the Alice in Wonderland stories. Parts of the house and gardens, including its famous topiary bushes, take you down the rabbit hole through a blend of light projections and sound recordings, with costumed actors bringing the stories to life. This one's only one for a few dates, so make sure you're not late for this very important date!
Alice and the Queen's Beasts. 13-16 November 2025.
The Ever After Garden
A festive favourite for a few years now, the Ever After Garden is more than just a photogenic spot to tick off on your Christmas tour around the capital (though it is that too). The garden of 30,000 glowing white roses is for a wonderful cause: each of the flowers can be sponsored (minimum donation £15) in memory of a loved one, raising money for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.
Though it's previously taken over Mayfair's Grosvenor Square, the Ever After Garden moves to Duke of York Square in Chelsea for Christmas 2025. It's still free to visit, though charity donations are of course welcome.
The Ever After Garden 2025. Free (donations welcome), 13 November-16 December 2025.
Christmas at Kew light trail
Needs no introduction really, does it? Christmas at Kew is the daddy of London's festive light trails, and is one of our favourite annual events in the capital. After dark, an illuminated trail wends its way through the famous botanical gardens, consisting of various glowing attractions including the ever-popular "Cathedral of Light" tunnel (pictured above). Exact installations vary each year and we can't wait to see what they come up with this time.
Note, Christmas at Kew tends to get very booked up, with many dates selling out months in advance. If you miss out this year, get yourself on the mailing list for the next one. You won't have long to wait — the earliest tickets for this year went on sale back in January, when the bulbs from last year had barely cooled down 😱
Christmas at Kew. 14 November 2025-4 January 2026.
Epping Ongar Lights Express
Choo choo! Form an orderly queue behind us. What if we told you that you could take a festive ride on a steam train covered in twinkling fairy lights this Christmas? That's right, the Epping Ongar Lights Express returns to the London-Essex border, taking festive sightseers on an illuminated train ride through woodland. The carriages themselves are illuminated on the outside, making for an impressive sight as they pull into the station but beyond that line-side displays designed specially for Lights Express passengers are visible only from the train. Oh, and you'll be given an LED wristband as you board so you too can light up and be part of the fun.
The Epping Ongar Lights Express. 15 November 2025-4 January 2026.
Decades at St Mary-le-Strand
We're promised a "shimmering, curtain-like image" on the exterior of St Mary-le-Strand, the church which used to be, well, stranded on a traffic island until the recent pedestrianisation. 'Decades' marks the building's 300th anniversary, and while it may not be as all-singing, all-dancing as some of the other light shows in this roundup, it sounds like it'll be worth a look if you're in the area — perhaps for the Christmas ice rink at Somerset House.
Decades at St Mary-le-Strand. Free, 19 November 2025-18 January 2026.
Neverland light festival at Kenwood House
Take the second star to the right and straight on till morning... or simply make your way to Kenwood House on Hampstead Heath, where Neverland comes to life in the form of a lights trail this Christmas.
Neverland at Kenwood recreates the Lost Boys' secret hideout, Skull Rock and Captain Hook's pirate ship through dramatic lighting, immersive storytelling and an atmospheric soundscape. The whole family is invited to "follow Tinker Bell's fairy dust path from the rooftops of London to the heart of Neverland — soaring through the Darling family home, past a glowing Big Ben, and into a wondrous world where magic and adventure capture the imagination"... Sounds like a charming festive night out to us.
£1 from every ticket sale goes to Great Ormond Street Hospital, in line with Peter Pan author J.M. Barrie's support of the hospital.
Neverland at Kenwood, 21 November 2025-3 January 2026.
Luxmuralis: The Angels Are Coming! at Southwark Cathedral
As well as working their magic in Greenwich (above), light wizards Luxmuralis take over Southwark Cathedral for three nights in November.
Described as a "magical, modern celebration of Christmas" in the run up to Advent, The Angels Are Coming! fills the magnificent cathedral building with projections, light displays and music, culminating in the story of the first Christmas playing out in front of you.
The Angels Are Coming!. 24-26 November 2025.
Chelsea Winter Illuminations
The grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea host Chelsea Winter Village, an abundance of festive entertainment, including Chelsea Winter Illuminations. The light trail has plenty of Instagrammable installations, including a shooting star archway, a sea of light pulsating to music, glowing reindeer, a stargazers' path and a bauble booth. Keep the kids entertained with lights you can control by touch and play — think interactive orbs and neon trees.
Live music and food and drink stalls are available at the Winter Village nearby.
Chelsea Winter Illuminations. 26 November-28 December 2025.
Winter Light Trail at Vauxhall City Farm
After a successful debut last year, Vauxhall City Farm brings back its Winter Light Trail. Wander through the farm after dark to see it illuminated in a whole new light.
The switch-on event on Saturday 29 November is free to attend (booking required), with live music, a pop-up bar, and a special guest pressing the all-important button. It's then open selected dates throughout December, with tickets a bargain £5 per adult (under-10s free).
Winter Light Trail at Vauxhall City Farm, 30 November-21 December 2025.
Rudolph Drone Light Show
How's this for high-tech? This Christmas, Copthall Fields in Mill Hall hosts the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Light Drone Show for one night only. Eyes to the skies as 600 LED drones tell the story of Santa's most famous ungulate helper, accompanied by a specially-composed score. Fairground rides, festive stalls and a Santa's grotto also pitch up (on the ground) as part of the experience.
Rudolph Drone Light Show. 13 December 2025.
Canary Wharf Winter Lights
London's illuminated fun doesn't end at Christmas; the annual (free!) Canary Wharf Winter Lights takes place at the end of January as usual, and it's a special 10th anniversary one. Full details of participating artists and installations are due to be announced in December 2025, but we already know that it will have the theme of 'DREAMSCAPE', with a promise of "interactivity, movement, projection, playfulness and colour".
As it's free and unticketed, it tends to get VERY busy, especially at weekends (though from our experience, the weekdays were busy last year too). Our tip: make an evening of it by taking a twirl on the Canary Wharf Ice Rink (it's open until February) while you're there.
Canary Wharf Winter Lights. Free, 20-31 January 2026.
