We’re big fans of London all year round. But there’s something particularly magical about our city at Christmas. Lights hang over market-filled streets, decorated fir trees adorn shops, theatres become home to pantomimes, restaurants start serving up indulgent roast feasts, streets are filled with jangling tunes and everything just feels so much merrier.
Oh yes, it really is the most wonderful time of the year. And next time you aren’t quite sure where to find your nearest ice skating rinks, seasonal cinema or alpine-inspired market, we’ve just the thing: Time Out has launched a very handy new interactive map of the capital’s best festive activities.
We’ve put our heads together to collate some of our finest festive lists into one visual representation of London at Christmas. The sprawling map we’ve created really does show just how much there is to do throughout the festive season, including Liberty’s legendary top-floor Christmas shop, the Instagram-famous Fire and Fromage heated igloos, and the brilliantly fun Club Curling in Kings Cross.
Of course, you can’t talk about Christmas without mentioning ice rinks, and my goodness do we have some crackers on there. Hampton Court Palace, Skate at Somerset House, and of course, Hyde Park Winter Wonderland. You’ve also got theatre shows, pantos, cinemas, marketplaces, festive pubs, pop-up food experiences – all sorts.
Throw aside the hot water bottle, lace up your boots and get ready to marvel at the lights of The Churchill Arms, catch a classic at Christmas at the Prince Charles Cinema, laugh out loud at non-traditional pantos like Napoleon: Un Petit Pantomime and sip festive concoctions under the twinkling lights of Miracle.
Better yet, it comes as part of a larger collection of maps we’ve launched in major cities around the world. Have a snoop to see how Montreal’s Christmas lights compare to ours. Get planning a Christmas market-inspired holiday to Marseille. You can even check out Down Under to see how the hell they’re feasting on Christmas dinners in Sydney when it’s peak summertime.
You can find our map of London’s festive experiences and events by clicking here.