London events in December

Of all the Broadway musicals of the twenty-first century to have not come over to London, Dave Malloy’s ‘Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812’ feels like the great one that got away. A folk opera adaptation of essentially the main romantic plot of Tolstoy’s ‘War and Peace’ (so more peace than war), a visionary production from Rachel Chavkin – whose ‘Hadestown’ is currently sitting pretty in the West End – worked its way up from the tiny Ars Nova theatre all the way to Broadway, via a walloping big tent off-Broadway. There were rumours of Chavkin’s production coming over here for years, but clearly it’s not happened – but what a show for incoming Donmar director Timothy Sheader to have in his first season at the Donmar. Directed by Sheader himself, we don’t know what to expect from the casting or even staging, but Malloy’s musical to remain a wistful, wry indie folk delight. 

Somerset House’s iconic ice rink has become a Christmas tradition for Londoners and visitors heading to the capital for some festive cheer. There’s good reason – gliding (or, at least, attempting to) around the rink, gazing upon the Georgian architecture and 40ft Christmas tree feels like you’ve skated onto a movie set, ready to be watched by families settling in for their post-turkey food coma.

There’s more to this rink than just skating, though. This year, pop-up gourmet dining spot The Chalet and rosé brand Whispering Angel’s skate lounge will return to keep you fuelled up. Skate Lates are also back, with DJ takeovers from Rinse FM, Daytimers’ Rohan Rakhit, Dankie Sounds, and Jay Jay Revlon. Shelter Boutique are bringing a pop-up shop of pre-loved clothing, homewares and gifts for you to shop til you drop at, while there’ll also be special chilled-out sessions for those who want to skate but need things to be a little quieter, and coaching for skaters of all ages at the skate school and kids’ skate club.

Find more places to go ice skating in London

Released just four months before his death from AIDS-related complications, at a time when his illness had left him partially blind and at times only able to see shades of blue, artist and filmmaker Derek Jarman’s 1993 film Blue is a powerful meditation on his impending death and the ravages of the virus on himself, his loved ones and wider society. Features a continuous shot of blue, the film is narrated from Jarman himself, alongside friends and collaborators Tilda Swinton, Nigel Terry and John Quentin. It is reimagined this December 1 by British director Neil Bartlett and actor Russell Tovey, in a special one-off performance to mark World AIDS Day. Featuring a new score by original composes Simon Fisher Turner and cellist Lucy Railton, it will star Tovey as the main narrator, alongside queer poets and performers Jay Bernard, Joelle Taylor and Travis Alabanza, and promises to be ‘a unique opportunity to reflect on the impact of the British AIDS epidemic’. 

Even if you think Christmas is a load of consumerist claptrap, you can’t deny that London looks a whole lot better when it’s hung with strings of glistening lights. And London is never in short supply of some thoroughly excellent festive light displays. From the classic angels that beam over Regent’s Street to the snazzy, themed displays over Carnaby Street, a trip to one of these gleaming streets will flutter the heart of even the most Scrooge-like of souls. 

The goods on offer at the Beautiful & Useful Craft Fair won’t just live up to the market’s name; they’ll also follow a theme. Fittingly, given the fair takes place at the Garden Museum, the gifts up for sale will be botanically inspired, so expect lots of flora, fauna and nature-adjacent designs to adorn everything from toys, decorations, homeware and keepsakes.

Opening Dates: December 1

Best For: Presents for plant lovers

Almedia associate director Rebecca Frecknall made her name with a revival of Tennessee Williams obscurity ‘Summer and Smoke’ and scored a walloping hit two Christmases back with her production of ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’. Now she moves on to her third major Williams revival with a fresh take on 1955 classic ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’, which follows a wealthy but disintegrating Southern cotton family who have gathered on the occasion of bullying patriarch Big Daddy’s birthday. He, however, is the only one there unaware of his terminal cancer diagnosis. Frecknall directs Lennie James as Big Daddy, Kingsley Ben-Adir as his sensitive alcoholic son Brick, and Daisy Edgar-Jones as Brick’s troubled wife Maggie. Guy Burgess, Clare Burt, Seb Carrington, Derek Hagen, Ukweli Roach and Ria Zmitrowicz make up the rest of the cast. 

Tickets go on sale Seprtember 27.

Did you think London already had enough picture-perfect ice-skating pop-ups over the festive season? Well you were wrong, because this spot might well be the coolest (in more ways than one.) Glide returns to the rejuvenated Battersea Power Station from Nov 8, bringing magnificent views and all the fun of the fair (literally, there’s a fairground right beside it) to the landmark. The 30ft Christmas tree that sits twinkling right in the middle of the rink only adds to the stunning scenes here, making this the perfect date night or Xmas party location.

Opening times: Mon-Fri 11am-9pm; Sun 10am-10pm

Price: From £16; child from £10.50

Dreaming of a kitsch Christmas? New York’s famous Miracle on Ninth Street bar is popping up in London for its seventh year, ‘50s Christmas decorations, nostalgic accessories and creative new spins on beloved cocktail favourites in tow. This year’s menu is still a work in progress, but past years have seen the bar slinging the likes of a Snowball Old Fashioned or a Christmapoliton, which includes cranberry sauce and absinthe mist – a take on Christmas trimmings that’s not for the faint-hearted. If you’re failing to find the Christmas spirit, this is one great place to come find it.

Curling has been growing in popularity in recent years, nudged on by its compelling showings at various Winter Olympics, and you can try your hand at it in King’s Cross this winter. This pop-up outdoor arena boasts six synthetic curling lanes, on which you can curl your heart out for 45 minutes before rewarding yourself with a tasty cocktail at the Curling Club bar. Last year’s 90s theme is being replaced by bright neons, with Walthamstow’s God’s Own Junkyard recreating their warehouse in the bar. Booking opens on October 11.

An evening of proper Christmas carols is an absolute must if you’re interested in getting entirely wrapped up in unalloyed festive cheer. Check out our comprehensive round-up of the jolliest and most moving services in the capital. Indoors and outdoors, cathedrals, churches and secular spaces, we’ll be adding to it constantly, as more events are announced. 

Sigourney Weaver was eight the last time Shakespeare was performed at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, when the late Peter Brook directed John Gielgud in ‘The Tempest’ in 1957. A lot has happened to both Weaver and the theatre since then, but at the age of 75 the star of the ‘Alien’, ‘Ghostbusters’ and ‘Avatar’ films will make her UK stage debut in the first Shakespeare play to be staged at the venerable theatre for over half a century. It’s ‘The Tempest’ (again), with Weaver taking on the role of exiled magician Prospero in Jamie Lloyd’s revival, the first of two starry Shakespeares he’s directing there (the other, ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ starring Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell, will follow next year). She’ll be joined by a cast of Jude Akuwudike (Alonso), Jason Barnett (Stephano), Selina Cadell (Gonzalo), Mathew Horne (Trinculo), Mara Huf (Miranda), Forbes Masson (Caliban), Mason Alexander Park (Ariel), James Phoon (Ferdinand), Oliver Ryan (Sebastian) and Tim Steed (Antonio). Lloyd’s last couple of shows have made heavy use of live video and found spaces throughout the theatre, of which there would seem to be many at Drury Lane, though there appears to not be any camera operators billed. Design will be from Soutra Gilmour, who designs pretty much everything Lloyd does.

Markets, eh? They’re pretty nice to wander around at nearly every time of year. But, at Christmas? Well, that’s when London’s markets really come into their own. Every year the capital fills with the kind of markets that host fairy-light-lined stalls, festive street-food sellers and community tombolas, with a playlist of Christmas songs on loop in the background. In fact, whether you’re looking for tasty treats, traditional decorations and cutting-edge arts and crafts or are just shopping for a last-minute present, the capital’s selection of Yuletide stalls are here to help. 

‘Yokimono’ means ‘good things’ in Japanese and you’ll find plenty of stuff that falls under that category at this Dalston market. Head here for a wide variety of Nippon-themed goodies, including ceramics, stationary, clothing, jewellery and more. Everything on sale here is either made in Japan or produced by Japanese artists in London, so you know it's authentic. While you shop, you can enjoy live performances by Japanese musicians and demonstrations in everything from bonsai making to a traditional tea ceremony. Need sustenance to keep you going? There’ll be tons of yummy Japanese treats to enjoy, from onigiri to wagashi.

Opening Dates: December 6-8

Best For: Picking up Japanese goodies without the expensive flight prices

What’s more Christmassy than visiting Santa’s grotto? Going for a pint or two with the man in red in his favourite boozer, of course. Humbug, an immersive Christmas dive bar, allows you to do just that – and join Mr Claus in rounds of games, sing-a-longs, live performances, storytelling and more. It’s all threaded together with a mission to cheer a weary Santa up and help him rekindle his Christmas spirit. Humbug’s 2024 return will include a shrine to the queen of Christmas Mariah Carey, a beer can bowling alley, a grotto and cabaret from the venue’s regular cast. Saving the festive season never sounded so fun.

New Year’s Eve in London means you’re faced with some choices. Sometimes there’s so much choice, in fact, that you end up spending the night indoors with a few loved ones and plenty of booze. We’ve all been there, but London boasts loads of great New Year’s Eve events that should coax even the most reluctant NYE fan out of the house this year. 

The Julian Clary show – aka the Palladium panto – rolls back into town for another Christmas, with the smutty comedy legend and firmly established star of the whole thing taking on the role of the eponymous moralist bandit, opposite national treasure Jane MacDonald as Maid Marion. Elsewhere, regulars Paul Zerdin, Nigel Havers, Charlie Stemp and Rob Madge return, plus there’s some new blood in the shape of West End stars Marisha Wallace and Tosh Wanogho-Maud. The show tends to feel a lot more like a series of turns than a coherent story, but that kind of befits the Palladium, and Clary’s astonishingly near-to-the-knuckle humour really is something to behold.

If you’re struggling to find the perfect, unique present for a loved one, the Christmas Independent Ceramics Market is bound to have the answer. The annual fair brings together over 150 ceramics makers, from students to established artists, all selling their distinctive wares in one space. Browse stall after stall of cups, sculptures and more and keep your eyes peeled for that special treasure. The market will make things more festive with a sound system to soundtrack your shopping, plus mulled wine and seasonal food to keep you refreshed on your search.

The sport of curling – the one you watch on telly during the Olympics and find curiously engaging – is coming to London. The Curling Club will be taking up residence in both the Southbank Centre and The Shack in Twickenham, bringing ‘epic apres nightlife’ along with it. Both venues will be given a proper apres-ski makeover with wintry cocktails, Alpine-inspired street food and entertainment on hand, alongside an opportunity to try your hand at the ‘short form’ version of the game under the expert tutelage of Team GB Skip and four-time Olympian Eva Muirhead OBE.  

Dame Maureen Lipman and comedy magician Pete Firman are the big draws in this year’s Richmond panto, a glossy affair that this year turns to the story of Beauty and the Beast – which some would argue isn’t technically a pantomime plot – for this year’s seasonal family show.

Had more than enough festive goodwill and cheer as you can stomach? The Satanic Flea Market’s (anti) Christmas special is the perfect antidote. As always, there’ll be a whole range of traders selling stuff from the darker side of life, like taxidermy, occult trinkets and even human skulls, plus other slightly more unusual goods than you might find at your typical Christmas market. It might not be the kind of place where you can get all your gifts sorted under one roof, but at least you won’t hear ‘Last Christmas’ or any other saccharine festive hits as you’re making your way around.

Opening Dates: December 8

Best For: Pressies for the witchy people in your life.