See the city at its most sparkly with London’s 2024 Christmas lights at full beam
Even if you’re the biggest Scrooge in the game, you can’t deny that London looks pretty magical once the Christmas lights have been turned on and tinsel-covered trees greet you at every turn. Luckily, the city is never in short supply of festive light displays, whether you’re looking for something classic – like Regent Street’s trumpet-playing angels, or a themed display, like those found on Carnaby Street. Each string beams bright enough to warm the coldest of hearts quicker than you can say ‘Bah, humbug’. Here are the best London illuminations to check out to get you in the Christmas spirit this year.
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London starts to fill up with Christmas light displays in early November each year, with Oxford Street's decorations leading the charge, followed by countless local displays across the city as December hits full swing.
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Oxford Street is one of the most iconic areas for London’s Christmas lights and for good reason – the ultimate combination of festive illuminations lighting your way as you do battle for Yuletide gifts. As is now tradition, the lights this year will be once again made with cost-friendly materials, including 300,000 LED light bulbs and recycled plastic. The big switch on takes place on November 5 and there’ll be a ‘Big Day Of Joy’ on December 7.
One of central London’s biggest and fanciest shopping destinations, Regent Street was the very first road in London to feature Christmas lights back in 1954, and still boasts one of the most impressive displays each winter.
Featuring 45 large-scale positioned as if playing trumpets, the ‘Spirits of Christmas’ light display covers Regent’s Street and St James and is made up of hundreds of thousands of individual LED lights.
The big switch-on takes place on Thursday November 9, with the lights shining from 3pm to 11pm throughout the festive period.
Find more Christmas lights in London
Find more festive fun with our guide to Christmas in London
Christmas at Kew has become a key date in London’s festive calendar, with a humongous light trail taking over the 300-acre botanic garden. See the space lit up with larger-than-life illuminations, with both the venue’s glass houses and the trees that cover its grounds drenched in different hues. The whole thing is stunning, but don’t miss the lake, where you’ll catch reflections of the vibrant bulbs dancing on the water, taking the magical feeling to another level. Keep yourself toasty along the way with warming winter snacks and make sure you pop by the grotto to say hi to Father Christmas himself.
As the UK’s original light trail, this illuminated adventure sells out fast. So you’ll have to look sharp to secure your place. Keep an eye on Kew Garden’s booking page, which tells you what dates and times at each of the different entrances are available. If your desired dates are booked up, keep refreshing the page to track returns. Keep refreshing the page to track returns.
Tickets for non-members start at £25.50 for off-peak slots and £32 at peak times. Members can get discounted tickets with prices starting at £21.50 and going to £26 for peak times. Family and child tickets are also available.
Christmas at Kew is open from 4.20pm to 10pm. Each visitor is given a specific time slot, with the last entry at 8pm.
That’s really down to you. The glittering trail is 3km long so, depending on your speed and how long you spend taking in refreshments, visiting the fairground, toasting marshmallows and stopping by to see Father C, it can take up to two hours to walk around.
Marylebone, being one of the bougier areas of London, is having a fittingly extravagant party to kick off the Christmas season. For an evening in November, Marylebone Village with be doused in a snow-machine-induced haze, through which will be wreath making, a Santa’s grotto, a Ferris wheel and, of course, the annual turning on of the Christmas lights.
Proceedings will be conducted by BBC broadcaster and Marylebone resident Jo Good and while the eye-catching moment might be the big switch-on, equally dazzling is the fact that all the new lights are made from recycled plastic.
This year, the evening is raising money for Mind Brent Wandsworth and Westminster.
The charming cobbles of Belgravia will become a winter wonderland once again. Belgravia will be illuminated with beautiful Christmas displays for festive season with spectacular white lights spread across Motcomb Street, Elizabeth Street, Pimlico Road, Eccleston Yards and Halkin Arcade. Don’t miss the switch-on event on November 9, which will feature live music and mince pies.
From December 3, at the Museum of Architecture, you’ll also find The Gingerbread City. Put together with input from more than 100 architects, designers and engineers, this is a whole bloody city made from gingerbread. Wow. You’ll also get to take part in gingerbread house workshops.
The impressive City of London Victorian shopping arcade bolsters its reputation as being one of the most charming places in London by decking its resplendent halls in festive garlands, mini Christmas trees and twinkling lights for the season. Its glistening transformation begins at 6pm on November 16 when the actual Lord Mayor of London will switch on Leadenhall Market’s Christmas lights. There will be music to sing along to before and after the switch-on too, and the lights will shine on until Twelfth Night.
Always one to go all out for the season, throughout December it’ll host a number of Christmas workshops, from wine tasting to wreath making, as well as guided festive walks full of tales of a Leadenhall Christmas past and present, plus late-night shopping.
Guided walks: Every Wed Nov 22-Dec 13. 6.30pm to 8pm.
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