London Christmas Markets 2026: Dates for the Top 11

In December, London spreads its Christmas markets across the city rather than one big square. You can skate in the West End at lunchtime, eat your way round a food market in the afternoon and finish with mulled wine by the Thames. I’ve sorted 11 of them by what they do best, so you can match the market to the day you have in mind.

London Christmas Markets 2026

Dates

Status: Confirmed

1. Covent Garden: 12th November to 31st December 2026

2. Southbank: 2nd November to 4th January 2027

3. Hyde Park: 19th November to 3rd January 2027

4. Leicester Square: 31st October to 3rd January 2027

5. Spitalfields: 11th November to 24th December 2026

6. London Bridge: 12th November to 4th January 2027

7. Trafalgar Square: 6th November 2026 to 3rd January 2027

8. Borough Market: 30th November to 31st December 2026

9. King’s Cross: 26th November to 22nd December 2026

10. Camden: 26th November to 23rd December 2026

11. Greenwich: 18th November to 24th December 2026

Update: Dates were announced in September. Sign up for our newsletter to be notified of changes.

Plan Your Visit

Click on any of the links below to find detailed information for each event:

1. Covent Garden – Upscale crafts and gourmet food.
2. Southbank Winter Market – International food stalls and live entertainment.
3. Hyde Park Winter Wonderland – Amusement rides, ice skating and activities.
4. Leicester Square – Ice rink with a small pop-up market.
5. Spitalfields – Diverse market stalls and seasonal events in East London.
6. London Bridge – Stunning views of Tower Bridge and the Thames.
7. Trafalgar Square – Famous Norwegian Christmas tree.
8. Borough Market – Renowned for festive food shopping.
9. King’s Cross – Conveniently located near the station.
10. Camden Market – Alternative gifts and Santa’s Grotto.
11. Greenwich – Eclectic stalls and vintage items.

Before the market-by-market details, here are a few hotels and tours worth knowing about.

Convenient Hotels

London’s Tube makes it easy to get around, so location isn’t crucial.

Covent Garden: Stay near attractions and dining.
Recommended: The Henrietta.

East London: Offers better value.
Recommended: Motel One Tower Hill.

Recommended Tours

Top 20 Sights Tour: Ideal for newcomers, covering key attractions like the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, and the London Eye.

Secret Old London Tour: Perfect for repeat visitors looking for unique experiences.

East End Food Tour: Explore the culinary side of London. A popular tour I personally enjoyed.

1. Covent Garden

Covent Garden is less a chalet market than a whole neighbourhood dressed up, with giant baubles and gold bells hanging in the Market Building and a British-grown tree on the West Piazza. This year’s theme is The Theatre of Christmas, a nod to the West End on its doorstep. The Apple Market stalls lean seasonal, with gingerbread, preserves and handmade gifts, while choirs and street performers keep the piazza busy after dark.

Read our Covent Garden Christmas Market guide.

Status: Confirmed
When: 12th November to 31st December 2026
Location: Covent Garden Piazza
Opening times: 
Monday to Saturday: 10am to 9pm
Sunday: 12pm to 5pm
Christmas Day: Closed

2. Southbank Winter Market

Alpine-style chalets strung with festoon lights line the riverside walk between the London Eye and Waterloo Bridge, with Big Ben across the water. Come for the street food and pop-up bars more than the shopping, although there’s a good spread of independent craft traders. It stays open into the first days of January, so it’s an easy one to fit in after the December rush.

Read our Southbank Winter Market guide.

Status: Confirmed
When: 2nd November 2026 to 4th January 2027
Location: Queen’s Walk under Hungerford Bridge
Opening times:
Craft stalls: 11am to 9pm
Food stalls: 11am to 10pm
Bars: 11am to 11pm
Christmas Day: Closed
New Year’s Eve: Closed
New Year’s Day: Closed

3. Hyde Park Winter Wonderland

Winter Wonderland is closer to a theme park than a market, and it’s at its best as a full evening out. The UK’s largest open-air ice rink circles a Victorian bandstand, and the 70 metre Giant Wheel gives you views of the city skyline. Between the rides, the Magical Ice Kingdom and Santa Land, you’ll find over 100 wooden chalets selling gifts, decorations and festive food.

Read our guide to Hyde Park Christmas Market.

Status: Confirmed
When: 19th November 2026 to 3rd January 2027
Location: Hyde Park (near Hyde Park Corner)
Opening times: 10am to 10pm (some exceptions)
Christmas Day: Closed
Boxing Day: 10am to 10pm
New Year’s Day: 11am to 10pm
3rd January: Family Fun Day

4. Leicester Square

Leicester Square is now Skate Leicester Square, a circular ice rink built around the Shakespeare statue, with a seasonal bar and a smaller pop-up market of gift and treat stalls alongside. Come for a skate and a hot chocolate, not the shopping. It’s handy before or after a West End show, with the cinemas and theatres all around you.

Read the guide to Skate Leicester Square.

Status: Confirmed
When: 31st October 2026 to 3rd January 2027
Location: Leicester Square
Opening times: 10am to 10pm
Christmas Day: Closed

5. Spitalfields

Spitalfields is the place for gifts you won’t find on the high street, with independent makers, designers and vintage traders under the old market roof. Look out for homewares, retro decorations, live gospel singers and wreath-making classes. Then warm up at the pop-up bars with mulled wine, hot cider or a spiced chai.

Status: Confirmed
When: 11th November to 24th December 2026
Location: Bishop’s Square and Old Spitalfields Market
Opening times:
Monday to Friday: 8am to 11pm
Saturday and Sunday: 9am to 11pm
Lights switch-on: 11th November. Plan your visit.

6. London Bridge

Winter by the River is all about the setting, with Tower Bridge lit up on one side and the City skyline across the water. The huts sell gifts, food and drinks, many from local producers. The glass-walled bar is a good place to sit out a cold evening with a view of the river.

Read more about Winter by the River.

Status: Confirmed
When: 10th November 2026 to 3rd January 2027
Location: The Glasshouse at London Bridge
Opening times: 11am to 10pm
Christmas Eve: 11am to 5pm
Christmas Day: Closed
New Year’s Eve: 11am to 9pm

7. Trafalgar Square

The star at Trafalgar Square is the Norwegian spruce, sent by Oslo every year as a thank you for Britain’s support during the Second World War. Londoners love to tease it for looking a bit sparse, and they still turn out for the lighting and the carols beneath it. The market itself is small, so it’s an easy stop between the National Gallery and Charing Cross.

Read our Trafalgar Square Christmas Market guide.

Status: Confirmed
When: 6th November 2026 to 3rd January 2027
Location: Trafalgar Square
Opening times: 10am to 10pm
Christmas Day: Closed

8. Borough Market

Borough Market doesn’t reinvent itself for December, it just gets more festive. London’s oldest food market fills up with hampers, seasonal produce, fine British cheeses and handmade chocolates alongside the regulars. Graze your way round with a mince pie, hot spiced cider and a Christmas pudding to take home.

Read more about Christmas at Borough Market.

Status: Confirmed
When: 30th November to 31st December 2026
Location: 8 Southwark Street, near London Bridge Station
Opening times:
Monday to Friday: 10am to 5pm
Saturday: 9am to 5pm
Sunday: 10am to 4pm

23rd December: 10am to 6pm
Christmas Eve: 8am to 3pm
Christmas Day: Closed
Boxing Day: Closed
27th December: Closed
New Year’s Eve: 10am to 3pm
New Year’s Day: Closed

9. King’s Cross

The Canopy Market sits under a Victorian glass and steel roof that once sheltered a potato and fish market, a short walk from the station. In the run-up to Christmas it’s a good place for handmade ceramics, jewellery and stationery from independent designers, with street food stalls to keep you going. It’s a smart stop if you’re arriving or leaving by train.

Status: Confirmed
When: 26th November to 22nd December 2026
Location: Granary Square
Opening times:
Sunday to Thursday: 11am to 10pm
Friday and Saturday: 11am to 11pm

10. Camden Market

Camden does December its own way: grittier and more eclectic than the polished markets in the West End. Expect vintage clothing, handmade jewellery, local art and retro toys, plus plenty of vegan street food. Children can meet Santa at the grotto, which is about as Camden as a grotto gets.

Read our Camden Christmas Market guide.

Status: Confirmed
When: 26th November to 23rd December 2026
Location: Camden Lock and Stables
North Yard Festive Night Markets: Every Thursday until 9pm
Opening hours: Visit Camden
Christmas Day: Closed

11. Greenwich

Greenwich Market sits in the middle of the maritime World Heritage area, a few minutes from the Cutty Sark. It’s strongest for handmade crafts and jewellery, with antiques and collectables on set days, including vintage books and old toys. On opening day, children from local schools carry handmade lanterns through the Old Royal Naval College to the market for the lights switch-on.

Read our Greenwich Christmas Market guide.

Status: Confirmed
When: 18th November to 24th December 2026
Lantern Parade: Opening day, 4pm to 6pm
Lights Switch-on: Opening day, 5pm
Location: Greenwich Market, London
Opening hours: 10am to 5:30pm
Christmas Day: Closed

What to Expect

Find more destinations with my curated list of the best UK Christmas Markets.

If you’d prefer to travel abroad, visit one of these Christmas Markets in Europe.

Food Stalls

• Mince pies: A British Christmas isn’t complete without them. Small, round pies filled with dried fruit and spices, sometimes with a splash of brandy, and dusted with icing sugar.
• Mulled wine: Red wine warmed with cinnamon, cloves and orange, and the drink you’ll see at almost every stall on a cold London evening.
• Hot Pimm’s: A winter take on the summer favourite, served warm with apple juice, orange slices and spices.
• Hot spiced cider: A lighter alternative to mulled wine, often made with English apples.
• Pigs in blankets: Small sausages wrapped in bacon, a Christmas dinner classic sold by the cone or in a roll.
• Roasted chestnuts: Sold hot in paper cones from street vendors around the West End.
• Raclette and cheese toasties: Melted British cheese scraped over potatoes or pressed into sourdough, with Borough Market the best place for both.
• Fish and chips: Not festive, but you really can’t beat it.
• Christmas pudding: Rich, dark and heavy with dried fruit, sold whole to take home or by the slice with brandy butter.
• Oysters and champagne: High-end stalls in Covent Garden and Borough Market shuck oysters to order and pour champagne by the glass or in mini bottles.

Gifts and Stocking Fillers

• British tea: At least one stall always leans into Britain’s tea habit, with Earl Grey, English breakfast blends and herbal infusions in tins that make an easy gift.
• Custom illustrations: Some artists draw portraits or London landmarks to order, a personal gift that’s easy to pack.
• Handmade ceramics: The Canopy Market at King’s Cross is good for mugs, plates and jewellery dishes straight from the potter.
• Vintage finds: Old maps, secondhand books and antique jewellery, with Greenwich and Spitalfields the best places to look.
• Food hampers: Borough Market’s producers sell cheeses, chutneys and preserves that travel well, either loose or made up into a hamper.
• London gin and craft beer: Small London distilleries and breweries sell single bottles and gift sets.

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Sustainability Tips

• Refill at Borough Market: The market has stopped selling single-use plastic water bottles and now has free drinking fountains, so bring your own bottle.
• Surplus food at Borough Market: Traders donate unsold food to the redistribution charity Plan Zheroes several times a week, so what’s left at closing goes to community groups rather than the bin.
• Winter Wonderland’s waste and fuel: Hyde Park’s event says none of its waste goes to landfill and runs its power on HVO, a renewable diesel made from waste vegetable oil. Every trader has to offer a plant-based dish, and the tea, coffee and hot chocolate are fair trade.
• Walk the river: Southbank, Winter by the River and Borough Market sit along the same stretch of the Thames, linked by the riverside path, so you can see all three on foot.
• Take the river bus: Uber Boat by Thames Clippers stops at Embankment, London Bridge City and Greenwich, and takes Oyster and contactless, with a discount for Oyster.
• Hire a Santander Cycle: London’s red docking-station bikes can be hired by the ride or for the day, with docks across central London from the West End to the riverside markets.