All weekend
ICE SKATING: All of London's seasonal ice rinks are now open for business. Take to the ice in magnificent venues such as Somerset House, Hampton Court Palace and Battersea Power Station. Many have food and drink options, or viewing areas for members of the family who don't fancy slipping and sliding themselves. Here's our full guide to ice skating in London this Christmas.
LIGHT TRAILS: Few things warm the winter cockles like a light festival. Strolling along enchantingly illuminated trails through gardens and forests after dark, wrapped in your winter woollies, hot chocolate (or mulled wine) in hand, is a fine way to spend a winter evening. Here's our pick of light and illumination festivals in London right now — including some which are free, and two which are new for 2024.
FESTIVE THEATRE: Fancy a trip to the theatre? There's loads to choose from at this time of year — and we've got the lowdown on each to help you choose. Pick from pantomimes (both family affairs, and those which are strictly for adults), family-friendly festive shows, musical performances to get your feet tapping, and the best of the rest spanning theatre, dance and comedy.
HIDDEN LONDON: Go behind the scenes at Baker Street, access all areas of Charing Cross station, or visit abandoned Aldwych, with London Transport Museum. These thrilling guided tours — which take you to parts of the Tube network usually off-limits to the public — run throughout December, including this weekend! What’s more, kids aged 10 and over can now get in on the fun. (sponsor)
CHRISTMAS ON THE CHEAP: Feeling the financial weight of Christmas? It can be an expensive time of year, which is why we've pulled together a guide of free festive things to do in London, so you can enjoy the magic of the season without having to part with a penny. Merry Thriftmas!
CHRISTMAS TREE FARMS: Not got your Christmas tree up yet? Why not pick your own — and even dig it up yourself? Plenty of Christmas tree farms near London let you do just that, and some have other festive events and activities going on too.
DODGE CHRISTMAS ALTOGETHER: Christmas is EVERYWHERE at this time of year (see above), but that doesn't mean it's for everyone. Whether you need a temporary break, don't celebrate Christmas, or just aren't in the mood this year, we've put together a guide to non-Christmassy things to do this month.
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 a quiet month for new exhibitions, but one place bucking that trend is the Science Museum, which unveils Versailles: Science and Splendour. Find out how the 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
WREATH MAKING: Two opportunities to make your own macramé Christmas wreath at Vauxhall City Farm, with an expert instructor running workshops for adults on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets include all materials, plus mulled wine, a mince pie and entry to the farm and winter light trail. 14 and 15 December
CHRISTMAS CLASSICS: Seasonal songs and carols are on the programme at Southbank Centre, which holds two Christmas Classics concerts. London Philharmonic Orchestra with the London Philharmonic Choir perform on Saturday, and it's the turn of the Philharmonia Orchestra with the Philharmonia Chorus on Sunday. 14 and 15 December
THE LITTLE MERMAID: It's panto season, and Wandsworth Council's festive offering promises great value fun for the whole family. See Hans Christian Andersen's beloved tale brought to life with music and laughs aplenty, as the eponymous hero explores the human world on a quest to find true love. 14-15 and 19-22 December (sponsor)
ROYAL ALBERT HALL CAROLS: A staple of Christmas in London, Carols at the Royal Albert Hall begins on Saturday, offering festive performances by the Royal Choral Society, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and National Youth Choir, with the audience very much encouraged to sing along. 14-24 December
Saturday 14 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
FESTIVE GLOW LANTERNS: Take the family along the Foundling Museum for a festive workshop where you can make your own glow lanterns. Artist Laura X Carlé shows you how to create a twinkly Christmas lantern, which you can then show off in a procession through the museum galleries (and take home, of course). Aimed at 5-12 year olds. 11am
AFRICAN REMEMBRANCE: London Museum Docklands offers a free talk about African Remembrance Day. Speakers Onyekachi Wambu and Esther Xosei discuss how ARD came about 30 years ago, and why it took so long for victims of slavery to be acknowledged and remembered in this way in the UK. FREE, 2pm
COWBOY BRUNCH: Don your stetson, ready for a rootin'-tootin' hoe-down/chow-down at Fable in the City. The Ride A Cowboy Brunch features country DJs, line dancing... and glitter fried chicken. From 12pm
THE SNOW QUEEN: Storytelling duo Vanessa and George of London Dreamtime offer a free, family-friendly retelling of seasonal fairytale the Snow Queen, at St John the Baptist in Shepherd's Bush. Dress warmly, and bring a blanket (and fairy lights, if you like) to settle down and watch. FREE (donations encouraged if you can afford it), 2pm-4pm
RAT PACK AT CHRISTMAS: Annual show The Rat Pack at Christmas swings back into Cadogan Hall. The Definitive Rat Pack cover festive classics, including White Christmas, Baby It's Cold Outside, and Let It Snow, as well as other well-known crooning hits. At time of writing, there's a handful of tickets left. 2.30pm/7.30pm
FESTIVE THROWBACK FEST: Have a retro Christmas at Boxpark Wembley, where the Festive Throwback Party offers performances by Lemar, Blazin' Squad and others from the early 2000s. Age 18+. 4pm-11pm
COUNTRY HITS LIVE: Experience Christmas, Nashville style, at Union Chapel in Islington. Country Hits Live Christmas Special brings together musicians and singers to perform Christmas songs with a Country twist, headlined by singer Jade Helliwell. 7pm
CANDLELIGHT CLUB: Secret speakeasy event The Candlelight Club is back at a south London ballroom for a 1920s-themed Christmas party, proving that a little thing like Prohibition needn't ruin the festivities. Don your best flapper outfit and dance the night away to live jazz music and DJs, with burlesque, tarot reading and other entertainment thrown in. 7pm
CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT: For a traditional Christmas carol concert, head to Ealing Abbey, where the resident choir and orchestra perform a selection of festive music, accompanied by readings. 7.30pm-9.30pm
Sunday 15 December
TRACING THE TUDORS: Join Footprints of London guide Mark Rowland to follow in the footsteps of the Tudors in central London. Meet at Blackfriars and track down the real-life locations linked to the events of Wolf Hall and other turbulent periods in Tudor history. 11am-1pm
RIVERSIDE MARKET: Still got some Christmas shopping to do? Swing by the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park for the Big Xmas Market, bringing together 25+ traders representing small local businesses. Stock up on products including plants, ceramics and vintage clothing, with DJs, film screenings and other entertainment on hand. 12pm-6pm
SHERLOCK HOLMES: Hammersmith's Riverside Studios teams up with the BFI and the Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes Podcast to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Granada’s Sherlock Holmes TV series, which starred Jeremy Brett. Take a deep-dive into two episodes, The Solitary Cyclist and The Devil's Foot, including a screening of the latter, followed by a Q&A session. 1.30pm
FAMILY RAVE: One of the legendary Big Fish Little Fish family raves takes over Fire & Lightbox in Vauxhall, offering a dance floor for all generations of the family to get down to electronic and rave music together. Craft tables, bubbles, balloons and glitter are provided to keep younger ravers happy, and there's a Jingle Bell Ball theme, so festive dress is optional but encouraged. 2pm-4pm
CINDERELLA: Barbican Cinema screens the Royal Ballet and Opera's current production of Cinderella. It's an Encore screening, meaning it was filmed at a performance earlier this week, but it's a fantastic opportunity to see the family-friendly ballet production of Cinderella, which is currently on at the Royal Opera House. 2pm
ROCK XMAS: Youth Anthems hosts a loud Xmas party at the Fighting Cocks in Kingston, with Irish party punks The Lagan, pop and rock cover band The Four Rehearsals, and 'history loving punk rockers' WeGrowBeards. Kids are welcome. 2pm-5pm
SILENT SUNDAYS: This month's Silent Sundays at Brentford's Musical Museum is a screening of a silent film version of Cinderella, with live musical accompaniment on the museum's Mighty Wurlitzer organ by Silent Film artist-in-residence, Donald MacKenzie. 2.30pm-5pm
ROGER MOORE: The Chiswick Cinema screens From Roger Moore With Love — a documentary about the late Bond actor — followed by a Q&A with its director, Jack Cocker. 3.30pm
PRECARIOUS LANDSCAPES: Barbican Cinema screens a selection of experimental and narrative short films from Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. Precarious Landscapes 02 showcases stories of myth, fantasy and growing up in a time of crisis and change, and is preceded by a sound performance by Zhao Jiajing. 5.25pm
PIANO QUARTET: Spend your Sunday evening enjoying a live performance by the Primrose Piano Quartet, who close this season of Sunday Concerts at Conway Hall. Hear works by Mozart, Schubert and Brahms. 6.30pm-8.30pm
QUIZMAS: Pictures, music and mystery voices are among the trivia rounds at Quizmas, a festive quiz evening at Woolwich Works. Prizes include £50, or a bottle of wine. Note: although there's no limit on team sizes, there are penalties for teams with more than seven people. Serves you right for having so many friends. 7pm
