Leicester Square Christmas Market 2026: Skate the West End

Think of the Leicester Square Christmas Market as part of a West End night out, not a shopping trip. An hour on the ice before dinner or a show is about right, with a mulled wine at the bar to finish. There aren’t many stalls, but skating under all those cinema lights is something you won’t find anywhere else in central London.

Leicester Square Christmas Market 2026

Dates

Status: Confirmed
Leicester Square: 31st October 2026 to 3rd January 2027
Last checked: October 2026

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

Source: Verified by Ultimate Christmas Markets via Skate Leicester Square.

Plan Your Visit

Location and Times

Location: Leicester Square
Opening times: 10am to 10pm
Christmas Day: Closed

Travel and Accommodation

Recommended tour: London walking tour.
Public transport: Leicester Square Underground Station (Northern & Piccadilly lines) 1-minute walk away. Piccadilly Circus Station is about a 4-minute walk.
Parking: Please take public transport to help limit congestion.
Where to stay: The Londoner is on Leicester Square.

Amenities and Attractions

Admission: Free
Ice skating: Ticketed, with skate hire included. Sessions last 45 minutes and start every 15 minutes.
Reason to visit: Skating around the Shakespeare statue in the middle of the West End, with a small market and bar beside the ice.

Dietary Options

Vegetarian: Plenty of options.
Vegan: Some options.
Gluten-free: Limited.
Food specialities: Mulled wine, hot chocolate, mince pies and bratwurst.

Accessibility

Accessible: Yes
Pet-friendly: No

Nearby Hotels

Covent Garden and the streets around the square make an easy base, with the theatres, Chinatown and Soho all on foot. I recommend The Londoner for your stay, given its excellent ratings and its spot right on the square.

Read my picks for the best London Christmas Markets this year.

Plan your visit to one of these Christmas markets in the UK.

Visitor Feedback

What Visitors Loved

• Skating a loop around Shakespeare’s statue feels nothing like a standard rectangular rink, and the statue is back on show instead of hidden behind market huts.
• The market is free to wander and small enough to see in a few minutes before or after a session.
• Walk-in slots are kept back each day, so a skate can be a spur-of-the-moment decision on a night out.
• Early in the season and on weekday daytimes it’s calmer than you’d expect for one of London’s busiest squares.

Common Complaints

• Food and drink prices are steep, even by West End standards, so a sausage and a hot chocolate add up quickly.
• December evening and weekend sessions sell out, and the boot hire area backs up when it’s busy.
• The square around it is loud and packed after dark, so the West End crush carries right up to the rink fence.

The Bottom Line

It’s the most central ice in London and a fun hour between dinner and a show, as long as you don’t expect a market to browse for long. For a proper meal, Chinatown is a couple of minutes’ walk away and much better value than the stalls.

What to Expect

Leicester Square no longer has a standalone Christmas market. The old Christmas in Leicester Square, with its wooden huts and cabaret tent, has been replaced by Skate Leicester Square, run by the same team, Underbelly. The middle of the square is now a circular ice rink that loops around the statue of William Shakespeare, which used to be hidden behind the huts.

A small pop-up market of food, drink and gift stalls sits around the edge, along with an Alpine-style bar serving hot chocolate, mulled wine and something sparkling. With the cinema fronts lit up and the crowds heading out for dinner and a show, it’s a place to skate and people-watch rather than to shop.

At the Market Stalls

• Mulled wine: From the bar beside the rink, the obvious thing to hold while you watch friends wobble past.
• Hot chocolate: What most skaters head for as soon as they’re off the ice.
• Mince pies: Britain’s Christmas staple of spiced dried fruit in shortcrust pastry.
• Bratwurst: German-style sausage in a roll, one of the more filling things on offer.
• Chips: Hot and easy to eat standing up between sessions.

What to Buy

Gift stalls make up only part of the small market, so expect to pick up a decoration or two here rather than your whole Christmas list.

• Glass baubles: Blown glass decorations, one of the better finds on the stalls.
• Beaded ornaments: Hand-beaded hanging decorations, light and small enough to pack.
• LEGO Store and M&M’s World: Both sit on the edge of the square if you’re shopping for children.
• Covent Garden’s Apple Market: A few minutes’ walk east, with craft and maker stalls under the market roof for gifts the square doesn’t cover.

Sustainability Tips

• Walk from Covent Garden: Covent Garden and Leicester Square stations are less than 300 yards apart, the shortest hop on the Tube, so walk it in about four minutes instead.
• Ride a Santander Cycle: London’s red hire bikes dock all over the West End. Leave one at a nearby dock and walk the last stretch, as the square itself is pedestrianised.
• Leave the car: Leicester Square sits inside both the Congestion Charge zone and the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), and there’s nowhere convenient to park.
• Walk to Trafalgar Square: The Norwegian Christmas tree, a gift from Oslo every year, is a five-minute walk south via St Martin’s Place.