Christmas Markets in London

Published 28 September 2026 · Updated 9 November 2026 · By the Guide to London editorial team · Editor: Terje Moy

London has one large market where traders actually sell things, on the riverside beside the Southbank Centre, and a lot of wooden huts selling mulled wine. Only one of the big sites had published its 2026 dates when we checked on 28 September: Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, 19 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, closed on Christmas Day.

That is the first useful thing to know, because it tells you when to plan. London's Christmas markets are announced late, usually in October, and several of the operators had nothing at all on their websites in late September. If you are booking a trip for early December, book the trip and check the markets in the last week of October.

The second useful thing is that these are three different kinds of thing wearing the same name. Our guides to Christmas in London and Christmas shopping in London cover the season and the shops. This page is only about the markets, and about which of them is worth an evening.

Three kinds of market, and how to tell them apart

The first kind has traders in it: makers with ceramics, prints, knitwear, candles and food, in a row of wooden chalets you walk through for nothing. The riverside market by the Southbank Centre is the only one of these at any scale.

The second kind is a drinking village. A ring of bar huts, a fire pit, bratwurst, a sound system, and perhaps six stalls selling hats. There is nothing wrong with this, and on a cold Thursday evening it is a good place to be, but you are buying an atmosphere and paying bar prices for it. Most of what London calls a Christmas market is this.

The third kind is a shopping centre or a piazza that has put up a tree, some lights and four huts, and described the result as a Christmas market. Covent Garden's festive programme is largely this: the decorations are genuinely worth seeing, the market is not.

Hyde Park Winter Wonderland: the one with published dates

Winter Wonderland runs from Thursday 19 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027, every day except Christmas Day, closing at 22:00 with last entry at 21:30. Entry is by pre-booked one-hour arrival slot between 10:00 and 20:00, and once you are inside you can stay until closing. Everyone needs an entry ticket regardless of age.

The 2026 prices on the site's own tickets guide are listed as £1.00 for off-peak slots, £5.50 standard and £8.25 peak, with booking fees now included in the price. The same page also states that off-peak slots "are always free to enter (you must still book an entry ticket)", which contradicts the £1.00 figure beside them; we have printed both rather than choosing, and off-peak pricing applies every Monday to Thursday throughout November. Opening times vary through the six weeks, with several mornings starting at 11:00 or 12:00 rather than 10:00.

As a market it is the second kind, on a large scale: the Bavarian-style bar village is the centre of gravity and the shopping is incidental. Our guide to Winter Wonderland has the full costing for a family and what is worth paying for inside, and Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens covers the rest of the park.

The free riverside markets, and a walk that links them

Two of London's Christmas markets are free to walk through and sit on the same stretch of the Thames. The Southbank Centre's winter market occupies the riverside walk between the Royal Festival Hall and the Hungerford footbridge, and it is the closest thing London has to a German-style traders' market. Christmas by the River sits further east at London Bridge City, between London Bridge and Tower Bridge, in a row of chalets facing HMS Belfast.

Neither had published 2026 dates when we checked in late September. Both normally open in mid-November and run to late December or early January, and both are free, which makes them the sensible choice if you simply want the experience without a ticket.

The walk between them is the point. From Westminster Bridge along the south bank to Tower Bridge is about 3.5 kilometres and takes an hour at a stroll, taking in both markets, the lights on the bridges and the view across to the City. Do it from about 16:00 in December, when it is dark but the crowds have not yet come out of the offices. Our guide to the South Bank covers the rest of that route.

What the food and drink actually costs

None of the big sites publishes food and drink prices in advance, which is itself worth knowing: you cannot budget from their websites. On our own estimate in September 2026, based on the way these sites have priced in recent years, expect roughly £6 to £9 for a cup of mulled wine, £8 to £12 for a bratwurst or a similar hot dish, and £4 to £6 for a hot chocolate. Treat those as a band rather than a quote, and check on the day.

Two things reliably cost more than people expect. Deposits on souvenir mugs are common and are not always refunded automatically. And ride tokens at the fairground sites are sold in bundles, which makes the marginal ride cheap and the first ride expensive. For a cheaper sweet option that does publish its prices, our guide to desserts, ice cream and chocolate in London is a better use of £6.

The ice rinks, which is what most people actually want

Ask people what they liked about a London Christmas and they usually say the skating rather than the market. Three rinks have confirmed 2026 seasons: Somerset House from 11 November 2026 to 10 January 2027, with tickets on sale since 25 September 2026; Hampton Court Palace from 20 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, closed on Christmas Day; and the rink inside Winter Wonderland.

Somerset House sells out first because the courtyard is small and the setting is the best in London. Hampton Court has the finest backdrop and the longest journey. Our guide to ice skating in London compares the session lengths, which matter more than the headline price, and explains which suits nervous adults and small children.

Light trails instead of markets

If what you want is an evening outdoors looking at something beautiful, the light trails beat the markets and they publish their dates early. Christmas at Kew runs from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 through the gardens after dark, and it is ticketed and timed. Our guide to Kew at Christmas and London's light trails covers the alternatives, and London's Christmas lights covers the free street displays, which cost nothing at all and are switched on from early November.

An honest ranking

If you have one evening, take the first two together on foot. If you have children under ten, take the third. If you are shopping, see London markets by day of the week and go on a weekday morning instead.

Getting there, and the two worst times to go

The riverside markets are between Waterloo, Embankment, London Bridge and Tower Hill, all of which run late; Winter Wonderland uses Hyde Park Corner, Green Park, Marble Arch and Knightsbridge, and its exit crowd at 22:00 is substantial. Nothing here needs a car and there is no parking at any of them.

The two times to avoid are Saturday afternoon in the middle of December, when the riverside walk becomes a single slow queue of people, and the hour between 17:30 and 18:30 on any December weekday, when the offices empty into the same streets. Mid-afternoon on a weekday, or after 20:00, is a different and much better experience. London in December sets out the rest of the month, and London in winter covers the weather you will be standing in.

Frequently asked questions

When do London's Christmas markets open in 2026?

Hyde Park Winter Wonderland runs from 19 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. The other main markets, including the Southbank Centre's and Christmas by the River, had not published their 2026 dates when we checked at the end of September 2026. They normally open in mid-November and announce in October.

Are London's Christmas markets free?

The riverside ones are. The Southbank Centre market and Christmas by the River are free to walk through. Hyde Park Winter Wonderland charges for entry with a pre-booked one-hour arrival slot, listed for 2026 at £1.00 off-peak, £5.50 standard and £8.25 peak, with booking fees included.

Which London Christmas market is best for buying presents?

The Southbank Centre's riverside market has the most genuine traders, but the prices are seasonal. For the same kind of work at ordinary prices, go to a permanent market such as Greenwich or Old Spitalfields on a weekday. Most of the other Christmas markets are bars and food stalls with a few gift huts attached.

How much is mulled wine at a London Christmas market?

None of the sites publishes drink prices in advance. Our own estimate in September 2026 is roughly £6 to £9 a cup, with hot chocolate at £4 to £6 and a hot dish at £8 to £12, and a refundable deposit is often charged on the mug. Check on arrival rather than budgeting from a website.

Are the Christmas markets open on Christmas Day?

No. Winter Wonderland is explicitly closed on Christmas Day and the Hampton Court rink is too. Most other sites close on Christmas Eve or earlier. The last fully normal evening is usually 23 December, and public transport is reduced from the afternoon of Christmas Eve.

Sources

• Hyde Park Winter Wonderland - Tickets guide, 2026 dates, opening hours and prices (checked September 2026)
• Hyde Park Winter Wonderland - 2026 season (checked September 2026)
• London Bridge City - estate events listings, no 2026 Christmas dates published (checked September 2026)
• Leicester Square - events listings, no 2026 Christmas dates published (checked September 2026)
• Greenwich Market - traders and opening days (checked September 2026)
• Covent Garden - estate listings, no 2026 Christmas programme published (checked September 2026)
• GOV.UK - UK bank holidays, for the Christmas and New Year closures (checked September 2026)