Christmas in London

No matter which season you visit London, the famous Oxford Street is always packed full of tourists and local shoppers. But it is during the festive period when this street truly comes to life, with lots of Christmas decorations that light up at night.

Everybody wants to see the Oxford Street Christmas lights, so it does get crowded - avoid Thursday late nights if you can, particularly if you're using Oxford Circus tube station.

Tip: as you take a walk through this street, don’t forget to take a detour and stroll down some of the back lanes where you’ll come across the most elegant architectural treasures hidden from view.

ℹ️ oxfordstreet.co.uk
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The most inventive street lights in all of London can be seen in Soho’s most fashionable spot, Carnaby Street. In collaboration with ocean conservation charity, Project Zero, celebrate the festive season by switching on its ocean themed lights where visitors will be immersed into theatrical underwater scenes.

Starting from 6pm on November 7th and celebrated with an experiential shopping party!

The Christmas lights will remain switched on until early January so make sure you don’t miss a visit to Carnaby Street this Christmas – even if you just want to grab a bargain or two from the many shops it has to offer.

ℹ️ carnaby.co.uk
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Covent Garden’s architectural buildings and cobbled streets are even more appealing at this time of the year. Expect another huge tree decorated with magnificent lights on the east side of the square.

Shopaholics should visit Covent Garden on 6th, 13th, and 20th December for carol singing and late-night shopping where shops will remain open until 9pm.

Did you know: Covent Garden’s market has been running since 1656 and over 44 million visitors are attracted to this part of the city every year.

ℹ️ coventgarden.london
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Some people have never seen nor heard of Seven Dials. This area of London actually connects to Covent Garden and a network of 7 streets surrounding a small roundabout.

Seven Dials is a great place for shopping and dining, but during the festive season, its elaborately decorated streets will fascinate you for sure.

How to get there: the nearest tube stations are Holborn, Leicester Square and Covent Garden. The Christmas lights will be on until January 6th.

ℹ️ sevendials.co.uk
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One of our favourite streets to see the Christmas lights has to be Bond Street. Even its side streets and individual shops are adorned with decorations for the festive season.

The best thing about Bond Street is that it doesn’t get as crowded as Oxford Street so it allows you to take your time and shop and stroll around the place in peace and quiet away from all the craziness of Oxford Street.

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London has the best festive decorations and lights out of all the cities we’ve ever seen (only a slight bias). The lights in this beautiful city start from mid November and end by the first week of January.

One such place that is a must for anyone visiting London during Christmas is Regent Street – one of the capital's main shopping streets. This trendy street in the West End is where you can see Christmas angels and the biggest light displays that will gather the crowds for sure.

ℹ️ regentstreetonline.com
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On 2nd and 3rd December, the festive fun will spread to more than 50 shops and restaurants in Duke York Square with lots of great bargains and promotions to take advantage of.

The festivities in this historic part of London include horse and carriage rides, in-store activities, and the Gourmet Gift Market with traditional carol singing taking place throughout the streets.

There are many other surprises and offers awaiting you at Duke of York Square during the festive period so you’ll have to find out for yourself nearer to the big date.

ℹ️ dukeofyorksquare.com
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The prestigious store of Fortnum and Mason was established in Piccadilly in 1707, and it looks the part. The festive season sees it crammed full of upmarket hampers, advent calendars, tins of fancy biscuits, seasonal food and drink, special gifts and tasteful decorations.

There is even a cookery book covering three hundred and ten years of magical feasts in the store. The Christmas window displays take all year to plan, create and execute, but they're worth the wait!

ℹ️ fortnumandmason.com
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Selfridges in Oxford Street has one of the best-dressed windows in London at this time of year, and it needs to be viewed both from a distance and close-up for maximum appreciation.

Inside, it's a glittering wonderland with all the gifts you could want, in a Christmas shop that opens in mid-summer - no pressure then! The Selfridges food hall is almost as famous as its windows, and its seasonal fare is a feast for all the senses.

ℹ️ selfridges.com
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You'll find around eighty exhibitors at the annual Chelsea Christmas Gift Fair, with plenty of choice of presents. Expect to see quality homeware, clothes and toys, together with irresistible street food, warming mulled wine and steaming hot chocolate.

To get the best value from retailers on the King's Road, visit on 2-3 December for promotions and discounts, and if you're on a budget but like some style, grab a complementary horse and carriage ride. Enjoy carol singers, buskers and vintage singers, and indulge yourself at the Gourmet Gift Market.

ℹ️ kingsroadchelsea.london
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Gift-hunting in London's favourite shops is great fun, and will get you off to a flying start. Just browsing is a day out in itself, with every floor decorated to the max, and each store competing for your attention.

Oxford Street boasts Selfridges, John Lewis and Liberty (actually around the corner on Regent Street). Head to Knightsbridge for Harrods and Harvey Nicholls, or discover a whole lot more on Kensington High Street. And look out for Santa in them all!

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Founded in 1760 and located in Regent Street since 1881, Hamleys is one of the oldest and best-known toy stores in the world. With its top ten toys for the season already named, the shop is a veritable Aladdin's Cave, with stock ranging from pre-school and earlier to high-tech.

In Santa's Grotto, children can learn how to become elves, perform songs and dances, and of course, come away with a special present from the man himself.

ℹ️ hamleys.com
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