Visiting London in December 2014
Thursday 30th October 2014 to Sunday 4th January 2015
Category: Families
Embrace the Christmas spirit at the Natural History Museum Ice Rink, open from 30 October 2014-4 January 2015 for festive fun in front of one of the most beautiful buildings in the capital.
Address: Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, South Kensington, London, SW7 5BD Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £9!
Friday 7th November to Wednesday 24th December 2014
Category: Families
A magical experience for the children of Harrods Rewards cardholders; meeting Father Christmas at Harrods Christmas Grotto between 7 November and 24 December 2014.
Address: Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, London, SW3 1RT Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £14!
Tuesday 11th November 2014 to Sunday 4th January 2015
Category: Families
Get into the festive spirit by browsing the 70 wooden chalet stalls at lining the River Thames between the London Eye and Waterloo Bridge at the Southbank Centre Christmas Market, which will be selling beautiful decorations and gifts plus German and English food.
Address: Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, South Bank, London, SE1 8XX Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £10.01!
Tuesday 11th November 2014 to Sunday 11th January 2015
Category: Music
Get your groove on at this unusual Club Night on ice! On selected dates during the Skate at Somerset House season of 11 November 2014 to 11 January 2015, you can dance to top DJs’ tunes from the likes of Ministry of Sound, Toddla T and Chimpo. There are cocktails and mulled wine too.
Address: Somerset House, Strand, Covent Garden, London WC2R 1LA Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £12!
Friday 21st November to Sunday 7th December 2014
Category: Families
Follow the illuminated trail of floodlit winter oak trees around the 18th century lake in Syon Park at the Enchanted Woodland, from 21 November-7 December 2014.
Address: Syon Park, London Road, Brentford, TW8 8JF Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £15!
Friday 21st November 2014 to Sunday 4th January 2015
Category: Families
One of London's best Christmas attractions, Hyde Park Winter Wonderland takes place from 21 November 2014-4 January 2015, with Santa's Grotto, an ice rink, Christmas market, festive food stalls, magical ice kingdom, circus, giant wheel and fairground rides.
Address: Hyde Park, Rangers Lodge, Hyde Park, London W2 2UH Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £19!
Tuesday 25th November 2014 to Sunday 4th January 2015
Category: Families
Christmas Past at the Geffrye Museum invites visitors to discover how the festive period was celebrated in English homes over the past 400 years when its 11 period living rooms are laden with traditional greenery, decorations, music and lighting from 25 November 2014-4 January 2015.
Address: Geffrye Museum, 136 Kingsland Road, Hackney, London, E2 8EA Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £16
Tuesday 2nd to Sunday 21st December 2014
Category: Food and Drink
Immerse yourself in a Scandinavian Christmas at the Enchanted Nordic Yulefest from 2 to 21 December 2014. Held at Old Shoreditch Station, you can enjoy brunch or dinner with a cocktail and a festive four courses from restaurateurs Fika plus a Dance of Candlelight in a magical setting of silver birch trees and marzipan pigs.
Address: The Old Shoreditch Station, 1 Kingsland Road, Shoreditch, London E2 8AA Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £18.15
Tuesday 2nd December 2014 to Sunday 11th January 2015
Category: Culture
Experience Tim Burton's gothic film Edward Scissorhands in a whole new way thanks to Matthew Bourne's dance adaptation from 2 December 2014 to 11 January 2015 at Sadler’s Wells. This adaptation, which features Danny Elfman's music and Terry Davies's sets, is having its first major revival since its premiere in 2005.
Address: Sadlers Wells Theatre, Rosebery Avenue, Angel, London EC1R 4TN Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £9.99
Wednesday 3rd to Sunday 7th December 2014
Category: Sports
Past masters take to the court at what is arguably the highlight of the ATP Champions Tour, Statoil Masters Tennis at Royal Albert Hall from 3-7 December 2014.
Address: Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, South Kensington, London SW7 2AP Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £9!
Thursday 4th and Friday 5th December 2014
Category: Business and Community
The Flood Defence & Prevention Expo will see water management professionals learn about the latest advances in preventing and dealing with flooding from 4-5 December 2014 at the ExCel Exhibition Centre.
Address: One Western Gateway, Royal Victoria Dock, E16 1XL Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £9.99!
Thursday 4th to Sunday 7th December 2014
Category: Culture
Christmas shopping with a contemporary twist is what's on offer at the 100 stalls at the East London Design Show at The Old Truman Brewery from 4-7 December 2014, with independent jewellery, product and interior designers selling their funky wares.
Address: The Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, Spitalfields, London E1 6QL Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £16!
Friday 5th to Sunday 7th December 2014
Category: Business and Community
Join top yoga teachers and celebrities at the British Yoga Festival to discover more about yoga through activities, stalls and classes at the Business Design Centre from 5-7 December 2014.
Address: 52 Upper Street, Islington, London, N1 0QH Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £9.99!
Friday 5th to Tuesday 16th December 2014
Category: Music
Warm the winter evenings with music new and old at the Spitalfields Winter Festival from 5-16 December 2014 at hidden and iconic venues across Spitalfields.
Address: Commercial Street, Spitalfields, London, E1 6LY Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £16!
Friday 5th to Sunday 21st December 2014
Category: Music
Wagner's epic Tristan und Isolde returns to the Royal Opera House from 5-21 December 2014 in Christof Loy's award-winning production.
Address: Royal Opera House, Bow Street, Covent Garden, London WC2E 9DD Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £13!
Friday 5th December 2014 to Sunday 11th January 2015
Category: Families
She's behind you! Get into the panto spirit this festive season at Richmond Theatre Pantomime Snow White from 5 December 2014 to 11 January 2015, with Jerry Hall as the Wicked Queen.
Address: The Green, Richmond, Surrey, London, TW9 1QJ Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £15!
Friday 5th December 2014 to Sunday 11th January 2015
Category: Families
Oh no he didn't! It's panto time at the Home of London Pantomime, New Wimbledon Theatre which is putting on Cinderella this festive season starring Matthew Kelly and Matthew Rixon from 5 December 2014 to 11 January 2015.
Address: New Wimbledon Theatre, The Broadway, London, SW19 1QG Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £12!
Saturday 6th December 2014
Category: Families
Giggle at the festive version of the egg and spoon race as 150 competitors in fancy dress take to an obstacle course whilst holding a Christmas pudding on a plate in the Great Christmas Pudding Race at Covent Garden Piazza to raise funds for Cancer Research on 6 December 2014.
Address: Great Christmas Pudding Race, Covent Garden, Covent Garden, London WC2E 9DD Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £13!
Saturday 13th December 2014
Category: Sports
The Outdoor Swimming Society's OSS December Dip takes place on 13 December 2014 and sees brave souls take a plunge into the freezing cold Parliament Hill Lido.
Address: Parliament Hill Lido, Parliament Hill Fields, Camden, Gordon House Road, London NW5 1LP Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £12.50!
Saturday 6th December 2014
Category: Families
What a festive sight: 2,000 runners dressed as Father Christmas taking part in the London Santa Run in Battersea Park on 6 December 2014, a 6K charity fun run that raises funds for Disability Snowsport UK.
Address: Battersea Park, Wandsworth, London, SW11 4NJ Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £19.80!
Saturday 6th, Saturday 13th and Saturday 20th December 2014
Category: Music
Feel free to embrace your love of cheesy music at Sean Rowley's club night Guilty Pleasures in the Spiegeltent at Winterville in Victoria Park on 6, 13 and 20 December 2014. These Saturday night parties are full of fun, fun, fun!
Address: Victoria Park Road, Tower Hamlets, London E3 5SN Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £15.48!
Saturday 6th December 2014 to Friday 16th January 2015
Category: Culture
The Lewis Carroll classic comes to life courtesy of Christopher Wheeldon's elaborate production of The Royal Ballet: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland from 6 December 2014 to 16 January 2015 at the Royal Opera House.
Address: Royal Opera House, Bow Street, Covent Garden, London WC2E 9DD Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £13!
Sunday 7th December 2014
Category: Families
Buy unique and interesting gifts this year at The Intrigue Emporium Christmas Market Showcase at Shoreditch Town Hall on 7 December 2014, with 70 stands packed full of cutting-edge British manufactured and designed jewellery, home-wares, fashion, stationery and art, with free craft workshops and talks from many of the designers and makers too!
Address: Shoreditch Town Hall, 380 Old Street, Shoreditch, London, EC1V 9LT Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £16.50!
Monday 8th to Wednesday 10th December 2014
Category: Business and Community
Intensive Care Professionals will take part in interactive sessions, listen to international keynote speakers and celebrate research awards at The State of the Art Meeting from 8-10 December 2014 at ExCel Exhibition Centre.
Address: One Western Gateway, Royal Victoria Dock, E16 1XL Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £15!
Monday 8th to Sunday 21st December 2014
Category: Families
Feast on yummy festive food, sort out your Christmas shopping with homemade gifts, and if you’re lucky even hear choirs sing at the More London Christmas Market at the Scoop from 8 to 21 December 2014.
Address: The Scoop, Queens Walk, Southwark, London SE1 2DB Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £18.15!
Wednesday 10th and Thursday 11th December 2014
Category: Music
Get into the festive spirit with The Royal British Legion's Christmas Celebration 2014 at the Guildhall on 10-11 December 2014, with carols to sing along to and music from the Bach Choir and The Central Band of The Royal British Legion plus readings.
Address: Guildhall, Gresham Street, City of London, London, EC2V 7HH Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £11!
Wednesday 10th to Saturday 13th December 2014
Category: Culture
Riverdance is 20! The show that catapulted Irish dancing into the spotlight celebrates its 20th anniversary with a tour that stops at the Hammersmith Apollo from 10-13 December 2014.
Address: Hammersmith Apollo, 45 Queen Caroline Street, W6 9QH Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £17!
Wednesday 10th and Tuesday 23rd December 2014
Category: Culture
Charles Dickens captured the spirit of Christmas perfectly in his works, so how fitting for visitors to enjoy a Dickensian Christmas by Candlelight at the Dickens Museum, with its decorations and late openings on 10 December 2014 and 23 December 2014 (advance booking recommended).
Address: Dickens Museum, 48 Doughty Street, Russell Square, London WC1N 2LX Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £9.99!
Thursday 11th December 2014
Category: Music
Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe AKA Basement Jaxx bring their Brixton-based dance and house music to the O2 Arena on 11 December 2014 alongside flamboyant performers and guest vocalists.
Address: The O2 Arena, Peninsula Square, Covent Garden, London SE10 0BB Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £9.99!
Friday 12th December 2014
Category: Music
Alfie Boe will perform tracks from his new album Trust at the O2 Arena on 12 December 2014, with 'The Nation's Tenor' taking his opera skills to gospel, folk, country and blues music.
Address: The O2 Arena, Peninsula Square, SE10 0BB Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £9.99!
Friday 12th December 2014
Category: Music
Listen to the live orchestra as the director's drawings and storyboards blaze on the big screen at Danny Elfman's Music from the Films of Tim Burton on 12 December 2014 at the Royal Albert Hall.
Address: Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, South Kensington, London SW7 2AP Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £9!
Friday 12th to Sunday 14th December 2014
Category: Families
Chocolate lovers will flock to the London Chocolate Festival from 12-14 December 2014 at the Business Design Centre to sample goodies and buy from the best artisan chocolatiers in the UK.
Address: Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, South Bank, London, N1 0QH Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £10.99!
Friday 12th to Sunday 21st December 2014
Category: Families
Visit the Barbican Centre between 12 and 21 December 2014 and you can enjoy some festive shopping in the foyers thanks to the Barbican Christmas Market. Over the 10 days, 35 independent makers will be selling their unique and interesting gifts, with clothing, jewellery, toys, arts and crafts available, plus mince pies, mulled wine and hot chocolate to warm the cockles.
Address: Silk Street, Barbican, London EC2Y 8DS Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £18.15!
Friday 12th December 2014 to Monday 31st August 2015
Category: Music
It’s time to get All Shook Up as the Elvis at The O2 Exhibition comes to The O2 Arena from 12 December 2014 to 31 August 2015, with more than 300 artefacts on display. Elvis Presley fans will adore the viewing exhibits on loan from the Presley family's Graceland Archives.
Address: The O2, Peninsula Square, Greenwich, London SE10 0DX Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £15!
Saturday 13th December 2014
Category: Music
Brian McFadden and Jason Donovan star in the live version of the HG Wells novel as Jeff Wayne's The War Of The Worlds Final Arena Tour comes to the O2 Arena on 13 December 2014.
Address: The O2 Arena, Peninsula Square, SE10 0BB Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £9.99!
Sunday 14th December 2014
Category: Families
Glamour is coming to ExCel Exhibition Centre in the lead up to Christmas, when 130 contestants will battle it out to be crowned Miss World 2014 on 14 December 2014.
Address: One Western Gateway, Royal Victoria Dock, London E16 1XL Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £15!
Monday 15th December 2014
Category: Food and Drink
Calling all competitive eaters: who can eat the most mince pies in three minutes? The answer will be found at the Man vs Santa charity event at The Hand in Hand on 15 December 2014. The winner will gain a place on the pub wall of fame, go on a local brewery tour, and have a full minute behind the bar to pour as much draught as possible.
Address: The Hand in Hand, 6 Crooked Billet, Wimbledon Common, London SW19 4RQ Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £17.40!
Tuesday 16th to Monday 22nd December 2014
Category: Sports
London International Horse Show features show-jumping competitions, equestrian shopping and the UK's only World Cup dressage qualifier from 16-22 December 2014 at Olympia.
Address: Olympia London, Hammersmith Road, Kensington, London W14 8UX Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £17!
Wednesday 17th December 2014
Category: Culture
Be blown away for a full scale re-enactment of Jesus’ birth at the Wintershall Nativity on 17 December 2014. Live sheep and donkeys join the cast of more than 50. Watch part one for free at the piazza outside BBC Broadcasting House, then part two is at All Souls Church for those with tickets booked in advance. You can also watch it on The Wintershall Estate from 18 to 21 December 2014.
Address: 2 All Souls Place, Langham Place, Fitzrovia, London W1B 3DA Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £13!
Friday 12th December 2014 to Wednesday 8th April 2015
Category: Families
The Robert Louis Stevenson tale is adapted for the stage for 10+ year olds when Treasure Island is performed at the Olivier Theatre in the National Theatre from 12 December 2014 to 8 April 2015.
Address: National Theatre: Olivier Theatre, South Bank, South Bank, London SE1 8XZ Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £10.01!
Wednesday 24th December 2014 to Sunday 4th January 2015
Category: Families
Disney On Ice presents 100 Years of Magic is coming to the O2 Arena from 24 December 2014 to 4 January 2015, with more than 60 Disney characters entertaining crowds young and old alike with fun sing-along songs, choreography, sets and costumes.
Address: The O2 Arena, Peninsula Square, Covent Garden, London SE10 0BB Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £9.99!
Wednesday 31st December 2014
Category: Music
Where will you be when Big Ben strikes midnight on 31st December 2014? Parties will be taking place across London on New Year's Eve, but the most iconic place to celebrate the arrival of the New Year is by the River Thames at the Mayor of London's New Year's Eve Fireworks Display by the London Eye. This year you must buy a ticket in advance for £10 if you want to attend this event.
Address: Westminster Bridge Road, Lambeth, London, SE1 7PB Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £10.01!
Monday 8th December 2014 to Monday 5th January 2015
Category: Families
Crowds will gather in front of the huge Norwegian Christmas Tree in Trafalgar Square (an annual gift from Oslo since 1947) to listen to choirs singing carols each evening in the fortnight leading up to Christmas, from 8-23 December 2014, while the Christmas tree lighting takes place on 4 December 2014 from 6pm. It is then illuminated from midday until midnight daily until Twelfth Night on 5 January 2015.
Address: Trafalgar Square, Central London, Westminster, London WC2N 5DS Map View
Hotels: Stay nearby from only £10.01!
