Things to do this month is sponsored by Kingston First.
Generally, December in London is taken up by Christmas, Christmas, Christmas — but not everyone's into that. With that in mind, here's a mixture of festive and completely unfestive things happening in the capital in December 2024.
GINGERBREAD CITY: December kicks off on a tasty note, with the return of annual exhibition The Gingerbread City, featuring a miniature town made from gingerbread and decorated with icing and sweets. It's serious stuff, constructed by teams of engineers and architects, with a 'Recycled City' theme — but it's a lot of fun too, with model trains and gingerbread-making workshops. 30 November-29 December
GINGERBREAD GREENWICH: New for 2024 is another tasty town, Gingerbread Greenwich. This one's free to visit, on display at Woolwich Works and consisting of a mini replica of Greenwich made from gingerbread and other sweet treats by local schoolchildren. FREE, 30 November-6 January
THE NEWS AGENTS: Daily news podcast The News Agents premieres its first live show at the Royal Albert Hall, hosted by journalists Emily Maitlis, Jon Sopel and Lewis Goodall. Hear them discuss the day's biggest news and current affairs stories, with a few surprises thrown in. 1 December
CHRISTMAS CHARITY COMEDY: Jenny Eclair headlines a comedy show raising money for charity Women and Children First, which supports women through childbirth in remote and rural areas around the world. Nish Kumar, Mark Watson and Amy Gledhill are among those joining Eclair on stage at Leicester Square Theatre. 2 December
CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL: The Highgate International Chamber Music Festival brings together leading musicians from around the world to perform in unique combinations. For the first time, the festival has an evening dedicated entirely to baroque music, and a fundraiser for Haringey Young Musicians, as well as its usual mix of concerts at St Anne's Highgate. 2-8 December
MIRACLE ON LEAKE STREET: Free festive party Miracle on Leake Street is back at Waterloo for an evening of live entertainment including karaoke, grafitti workshops and dance performances. Food and drink is available from stalls, bars and restaurants, and it takes place in the Leake Street graffiti tunnel, so no need to worry about the weather. FREE, 5 December
TRAFALGAR SQUARE TREE: See London's most famous Christmas tree illuminated for the season in a special lighting ceremony in Trafalgar Square. As always, it takes place on the first Thursday in December, which this year happens to be 5 December (though you'll likely see the tree in situ a little while before that)
CANINE CAROL CONCERTS: As is tradition, Battersea Dogs Home holds its fundraising carol concerts at St Luke's in Chelsea — and brings the dogs into church to join in the fun. No confirmation yet on exactly which carols will be sung, but we'd hazard a guess at Bark! The Herald Angels Sing. 5 and 6 December
ALDGATE WINTER FESTIVAL: Watch a lantern parade move through the streets of east London at the Aldgate in Winter Festival. Live music and dance performances and stalls are also part of the festivities, and the lanterns are made by local artists, school children and community groups. FREE, 6 December
FESTIVE FAYRE: Head to the Hampton Court Palace Festive Fayre for Christmas grub galore. Wander among the courtyards and grounds perusing artisan food stalls selling everything from Christmas pudding and brownies to chocolate, cheese, biltong, coffee, cakes — plus gallons of booze. 6-8 and 13-15 December. For a thoroughly festive day out, take a twirl on the palace's winter ice rink while you're there.
THE UK’S HIGHEST SNOW GLOBE: Ready to feel ultra-festive? From 22 November to 5 January The O2's iconic roof is being transformed into something out of a fairytale. Book a Snow Globe Climb with Up at The O2 (suitable for all fitness levels and kids over eight, so perfect for anything from a date night to a family outing) and you'll get to enjoy panoramic views of the London skyline, surrounded by a magical dusting of falling snow. (sponsor)
MEDIEVALFEST: Though tickets to attend in person have sold out, online tickets for the British Library's ever-popular MedievalFest are still available. Spend the day watching talks and discussions with leading historians, writers and speakers, about the medieval history of war, literature, and much more. 7 December
EEL PIE ISLAND: The secretive Eel Pie Island in west London has one of its open weekends, inviting the public to cross the footbridge and step inside the artist studios to meet the people who work there. Browse and buy ceramics, oil paintings, jewellery, sculptures and more. Note that although the event is free as always, for the first time you need to book tickets in advance, giving you a two-hour timeslot on the island. FREE, 7-8 December
VEGAN FAYRE: Kensington Town Hall hosts the London Vegan Fayre, chock-full of more than 100 stalls selling vegan food and drink, bodycare and cosmetics, clothing and gifts — ideal if you're vegan, vegan-curious, or are looking for a vegan Christmas gift for someone in your life. 7-8 December
SANTA STAIR CLIMB: Fancy seeing the views from the top of One Canada Square, the pyramid-topped skyscraper in Canary Wharf? You can — you'll just need to climb all the steps to get there. The Santa Stair Climb is a charity event with volunteers walking up all 48 floors to raise money for London food poverty charity The Felix Project. You can sign up as an individual or as part of a team. 8 December
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Dreaming of a Kingston Christmas
Kingston has been transformed into a winter wonderland this month, with a traditional Christmas market, beautiful decorations and festive entertainment for the whole family.
Head to the Ancient Market Place to get your Christmas shopping sorted with gift stalls spanning toys, jewellery — plus plenty of food and drink to indulge in while you browse (it is Christmas, after all). Throw in live music, open mic nights, a makers' market at weekends, and a free pop-up craft stall (Saturdays, 2-4pm) where families can make their own Christmas creations (it's free!) and that's quite the festive atmosphere!
New to Kingston's Christmas celebrations this year is the free Nutcracker Trail, a selection of 15 nutcracker statues dotted around the town. Pick up a trail booklet from Waterstones, Cass Art or The Rose Theatre, and hunt out each statue to find their names, and be in with a chance of winning yourself a Christmas hamper. As always, Kingston is decked out in its festive finery, with sparkling lights and twinkling decorations, including two Christmas trees, an illuminated reindeer, a walk-through present installation, and a brand new light-up Kingston sign. All perfect for festive selfies with friends and family.
Christmas in Kingston is on until 5 January 2025, and can be reached in under half an hour by train from Waterloo.
CHRISTMAS LECTURES: The Christmas Lectures are a Royal Institution tradition, dating back to 1825, aiming to introduce young people to science topics in a fun and interesting way. This year, Dr Chris van Tulleken reveals how the food we eat affects our health. Though tickets to the lectures are only available to Royal Institution members, they are shown on BBC and IPlayer at some point this month too, so do look out for them on the Christmas viewing schedule. Filmed 10-14 December
EVENING OF CHEESE: What a beautiful phrase that is. Borough Market's cheesemongers unite for a cheese-themed shopping evening where you can taste various cheeses and get expert advice on putting together your own cheeseboard in time for the festive season. Products from Britain, Ireland, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the Netherlands are all represented. 11 December
MUSICALS MAYHEM: Musical phenomenon Le Gateau Chocolat is back at Soho Theatre for the festive season, in an all new showtune spectacular, Musicals Mayhem. Think of him as a one-man musical jukebox, cramming all of the musicals you know and love into one hour of high kicks, high drag and high glamour. 11 December-11 January
CHARLOTTE JOHNSON-WAHL: The work of late artist Charlotte Johnson-Wahl (also the mother of former prime minister Boris Johnson) goes on display at Bethlem Museum of the Mind in Beckenham. Specifically, the exhibition showcases the art that she produced while she was a patient at the Maudsley Hospital in 1974, depicting hospital life, her illness and her treatment. FREE, 11 December-29 March
CHRISTMAS JUMPER DAY: Dig out your most festive knitwear for Save The Children's Christmas Jumper Day 2024 — it's on a Thursday this year, though you can do it on another day if that works better for you. The idea is that you get your whole workplace/school involved, with everyone donning a Christmas sweater, and making a donation to Save the Children. 12 December
CAROLS AND ICES: London has plenty of carol concerts at this time of year, but London Canal Museum can probably claim the most unusual venue, with Camden Town Community Choir performing inside its historic ice well, which is specially illuminated for the occasion. There's also the chance to take a short boat trip on the canal at night, plus free mince pies, ice cream-making demos and other entertainment. 12 December
REVEL PUCK'S WINTER FESTIVAL: Revel Puck’s Winter Festival takes over Walthamstow’s Fellowship Square, offering live circus entertainment for adults and children. Step into a festive Spiegeltent, home to a winter bar and local east London street food vendors, and watch one of two circus shows: THE RUCKUS is a celebratory production for everyone led by a cast of female performers, while The Ugly Duckling: A Circus Story is a reimagining of the classic coming-of-age tale with an acrobatic twist for families. 12 December-5 January
VERSAILLES: December's always a quiet month for new exhibitions opening, but one place bucking that trend is the Science Museum, which unveils Versailles: Science and Splendour. Find out how the famous French palace became a major site of scientific thinking in the 17th and 18th centuries, from mapping the moon to pioneer Madame du Coudray, who trained thousands of midwives across rural France. 12 December-21 April
THE BIG SMOKE: Enjoy a mouth-watering evening of cheese, festive entertainment and Christmas parlour games at the 2024 grand finale of The Big Smoke Variety Show, at Sacred Grounds Cafe in Soho. Emma Young (AKA @thecheeseexplorer) leads a brie-lliant cheese tasting, interspersed with festive music by Joe Atkins, and seasonal stories performed by actors Adam Cunis and Hollie Hales. It's BYOB, and ticket proceeds go to Babylon Migrants Project, supporting young people from refugee, asylum-seeking and migrant backgrounds. 13 December (sponsor)
WOLF HALL LIVE: Seen the new Wolf Hall series yet? Rough Trade East celebrates the release of the soundtrack to Wolf Hall: The Mirror and The Light, with a live performance of music from the series, comducted by composer Debbie Wiseman and performed by The Locrian Ensemble. Wiseman also takes part in a Q&A session, talking about her experience working on the series. 13 December
SANTACON LONDON: Hundreds of Santas descend on London for Santacon, which sees members of the public "dress up in Santa suits, run around, give gifts, sing songs, have strangers sit on our laps and decide who is naughty or nice". Festive chaos in the best possible way — and a bit of a mad one if you stumble across it unexpectedly. 14 December
MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL + SCIENCE: The Muppet Christmas Carol is screened at the Science Museum's IMAX cinema, followed by a talk by Professor Alan Heavens, Chair in Astrostatistics at Imperial College about the science of time travel, and whether what happens to Scrooge in the film is actually possible. 18 December
LONDON HORSE SHOW: The London International Horse Show returns to ExCeL, with equestrian sport and seriously impressive displays across two arenas, as well as three FEI World Cup competitions – in Show Jumping, Dressage and Driving. 18-22 December
CHRISTMAS AT THE MUSEUM: The Natural History Museum offers an adults-only festive evening. Explore the galleries while a harpist fills the Museum with the sounds of Christmas. Visit the current exhibitions after hours, join a drop-in workshop to create your own nature-themed Christmas card, or learn about the natural cause of Rudolph’s nose being red, or the Christmas meteorite, among plenty of other activities and entertainment. 20 December
MEAT AUCTION: Every Christmas Eve, as the meat suppliers of Smithfield Market close down for the holidays, their surplus meats are sold off to the public during a raucous meat auction. Even if you're not looking to score a hunk of bargain meat, it's a chance to witness a quirky London ritual dating back more than 100 years. 24 December
PETER PAN CUP: If you do one thing on Christmas Day in London, head to Hyde Park to watch the Peter Pan Cup. A group of hardy swimmers from Serpentine Swimming Club take to the chilly waters; you can't take part unless you're a member, but you can watch them from the comfort of dry land. FREE, 25 December
HANNUKAH: The Jewish holiday of Chanukah (or Hannukah) this year takes place 25 December-2 January. Keep an eye out for details of menorah lightings and other events closer to the time.
DISNEY ON ICE: Don't know about you, but Disney On Ice was a staple of our childhood, and it's back at The O2. This year's theme is Road Trip Adventures, and we're promised "a wild ride to favourite Disney destinations while visiting the world from the rooftops of London, travelling to the sun soaked Motunui, joining a safari to the Pride Lands, and playing at a larger-than-life carnival with Woody and Forky". Minnie, Mickey, Donald, Goofy and characters from Moana, Frozen, The Lion King and other parts of the Disney universe are scheduled to appear. 26 December-5 January
NEW YEAR'S EVE: The biggest party night of the year is approaching. Whether you want to go full-on drinking and dancing on the last night of 2024, or see in 2025 in a more sedate manner, take a look at our curated list of things to do in London on New Year's Eve. Oh, and here's the lowdown on seeing London's New Year's fireworks. 31 December
Ongoing Christmas events in London in December 2024
By the time December rolls around, it feels like Christmas has already been in full swing in London for several months. Here's a reminder of some of the festivities taking place around town (though do check opening times around Christmas Day itself, as they may vary):
EVER AFTER GARDEN: Mayfair's Grosvenor Square is aglow with 30,000 illuminated roses, forming the Ever After Garden. The installation is a fundraiser for the Royal Marsden Hospital Cancer Charity, and though it's free to visit, you're invited to dedicate a rose to a loved one (suggested minimum donation £10). 14 November-18 December, 3pm-9pm
WINTER WONDERLAND: Once again, the huge festive funfair has taken over Hyde Park, with rollercoasters and fairground rides, theatre and circus shows, an ice kingdom, food and drink stalls, a Christmas market, ice rink and plenty more. Be aware that you still need to book your entry in advance this year. 21 November-5 January
CHRISTMAS LIGHTS: The Oxford Street and Regent Street Christmas lights are world-famous — and with good reason. Glowing stars dangle elegantly over the former this festive season, with those twinkling angels back over the latter, and with Christmas light displays in Covent Garden, Carnaby, Bond Street and elsewhere in the capital to see as well, you'll be needing our guide to London's Christmas light displays 2024. You can also see them by bus, if that's more your speed.
SANTA'S GROTTOS: The man in red makes multiple appearances in London at this time of year, at grottos and meet-and-greets all over town. You'll need to book way in advance for most of them — here's the lowdown on Santa's grottos in London this year.
LIGHT FESTIVALS: London gets LIT at this time of year, and not just with Christmas lights (above). Illumination festivals take over botanical gardens, parks and the like, with light tunnels, illuminated animal sculptures, fire gardens and other installations to ogle — get booking for London's best light festivals this year.
CHRISTMAS MARKETS: Stock up on Christmas gifts (or treat yourself) at London's best Christmas markets, which feature independent makers, wooden chalets, twinkling lights, and plenty of food and drink to enjoy as you shop.
ICE SKATING: A festive staple, skating rinks pop up all over town for the Christmas season, so you can take to the ice outside palaces, skyscrapers, and all manner of other backdrops. These are London's best ice rinks for Christmas 2024.
CAROL CONCERTS: You can barely move in London in December without stumbling across a carol concert or two. The best-known ones such as St Paul's and Westminster Abbey are notoriously difficult to get into, but why not see what's on at your local church?
FESTIVE DRINKING: 'Tis the season for warming your cockles at cosy pop-up bars — and London is absolutely covered in them. These are our picks for winter drinking pop-ups to sink a drink or two. Miracle at Henrietta is a particularly favourite, just because it's SO DAMN CHRISTMASSY.
IGLOO DINING: London's replete with igloos and snow globes popping up all over town, inviting you inside to drink, dine and be merry. It's not a cheap way to eat out, and for some, you'll need to book way in advance, but it does make for a cosy and photogenic night out.
FESTIVE FILMS: From posh hotels to independent and pop-up cinemas, plenty of places offer screenings of Christmas films (think Elf, Home Alone, Love Actually, The Holiday, It's A Wonderful Life, and plenty more), with varying levels of festive bonhomie thrown in. Take a look at this year's festive film screenings.
PANTO AND CHRISTMAS THEATRE: As if there's not enough drama in an average December, the London theatre scene really comes into its own with ample pantomimes (some which are family-friendly, and others which are strictly for adults), as well as festive theatre, dance and comedy shows, and family-friendly Christmas productions. There's even a whole programme of renditions of A Christmas Carol, if that's what you're after.
Current exhibitions in London: December 2024
Though not many new exhibitions open in December, plenty of others are still running — including the below, which close early next year. Note that museum and gallery opening times are likely to change around the Christmas and New Year period, so do check before you set off.
BIRDS: BRILLIANT AND BIZARRE: The Natural History Museum's current exhibition gives us a closer look at the only surviving dinosaurs. Birds: Brilliant and Bizarre delves into the world of birds, looking at how different species have evolved to survive, and how the way we live is affecting them. Until 5 January
ELTON JOHN'S PHOTOGRAPHS: Photographs from the Sir Elton John and David Furnish Collection are currently on display at the V&A Museum. Subjects such as fashion, celebrity, reportage and the male body are tackled in the images. Until 5 January
FRANCIS BACON: The National Portrait Gallery's display, Francis Bacon: Human Presence, showcases more than 55 works from the 1950s onwards which show how Bacon challenged the traditional definitions of the portraiture genre. Until 19 January
MONET AND LONDON: The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House houses Monet and London: Views of the Thames. See paintings of Charing Cross Bridge, Waterloo Bridge and the Houses of Parliament, which were put on display in Paris in 1904, but have never been shown in London until now. Until 19 January
SILK ROADS: The British Museum's Silk Roads exhibition highlights the fact that there was more than one such route, joining places as far apart at Scandinavia, Madagascar, Britain and Japan, and delves into how the silk roads shaped history and cultures. Until 23 February. The British Library also has a Silk Roads exhibition, which also runs until 23 February.
