London Christmas To Do List {2016}

My London Christmas To Do List last year was a really successful blog post and for some reason continued to be all year long. I have decided to do another one a little bit earlier than last year’s as I wanted to help you all plan your Christmas outings and festivities before you get booked up. I have broken it up into categories of lights, theatre, cinema, markets etc. I hope you enjoy it and please do share with all of your friends and family so that we can all have the most wonderful and fun Christmas ever.

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MARKETS

{Photo credit : Timeout}

Leicester Square
Well this seems to be a new event that I am not sure has happened before. The whole of Leicester Square is being transformed into a Christmas market along with a theatre. You can buy tickets in advance for the theatre and Santa’s Grotto but you can also head along to visit the market stalls for free. Find out more here.
11 November – 8 January

Southbank
The Southbank holds an annual Christmas market which is sprawled out for miles. Full of all kinds of market stalls and being free to attend you would be silly not to wander down.
11 November – 25 January

Winter Wonderland
10 years on and Winter Wonderland has turned into quite the tradition for many Londoners. A chance to have a fun time, go on lots of rides, eat festive food and drink lots of mulled wine or spiced rum.
Book your tickets in advance for the main attractions here.
18 November – 2 January

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THEATRE

{Photo credit : Entertainment enquirer}

La Soiree
This show has been around for quite a while now and I have to admit I have been to see it twice. It is a sort of variety show/human circus full of such incredible acts that are truly breathtaking. Each season they change up a few of their acts so you will never see the same thing twice. If you are lucky enough to see ‘Bath Boy’ you are in for a treat.
Buy your tickets here.
11 November – 8 January

Red Shoes
My aunty booked our family tickets to this show back at the beginning of the year and I can’t wait to see it. Matthew Bourne transformed the Nutcracker and Swan Lake into such different modern versions of themselves and I can’t wait to see what he has done with Red Shoes.
Book your tickets here.
6 December – 29 January

Nutcracker
A classic Christmas theatre trip is to see Nutcracker and who better to perform than the English National Ballet. I have seen this performed approximately 6 times and will probably go again.
Book your tickets here.
14 December – 7 January

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LIGHTS

{Picture credit : Jones International}

Kew Gardens
This Christmas you can visit Kew Gardens at night time and experience more than 60,000 twinkly lights with beautiful Christmas music and yummy food. It looks like it will be a more chilled out version of Winter Wonderland. Book your tickets here.
23 November – 2 January

Carnaby Street
The most wacky of the Christmas lights in London tends to be in Carnaby Street. They are always on trend and very relevant.

Covent Garden
The lights in Covent Garden are always beautiful but it is the huge lit up raindeer which draws in the crowds. Tag me in any reindeer selfies you take.

Sloane Square / Kings Road
Sloane Square tends to be my favourite place to visit the Christmas lights in London because they are more delicate and traditional than others. There is often a beautiful tree outside the Saatchi Gallery which you should check out.

Regent Street & Oxford Street
The most commercial lights to visit are those in Regent Street and Oxford Street. They are always turned on by a celebrity and in turn now even coincide with the closing of the street to signify the start of Christmas shopping.
Oxford Street : 6th November
Regent Street : 17th November

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ICE SKATING

{Picture credit : Time Out}

Hampton Court
Not quite London but near to home for me so I have been here a couple of times. If you haven’t seen Hampton Court Palace before then you must book a 5pm ice skating time slot and view the palace at dusk with the twinkly lights.
Book your tickets here.
25 November – 8 January

Somerset House
This is my favourite ice skating rink because it is big and quite frankly a little bit warmer than the other more open rinks, although I am not sure if it is just in my mind because you are surrounded by the enclosed Somerset House? To me, this is the classiest of the rinks.
Book your tickets here.
17 November – 15 January

Natural History Museum
The sight of the history museum at Christmas is spectacular. The museum itself is such a beautiful building but when surrounded by twinkly Christmas fairy lights it is delightful.
Book your tickets here.
27 October – 8 January

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I wish you all a wonderful couple of months full of lovely Christmas spirit xx

{Featured image photo credit : LSC London}