When does Hyde Park Winter Wonderland open in 2026?
Hyde Park Winter Wonderland 2026 opens on 19 November
Hyde Park Winter Wonderland starts on Thursday 19 November 2026 and runs until Sunday 3 January 2027. It is open every day of the season except Christmas Day, Friday 25 December 2026, when the whole site is closed.
On the opening day the gates open at 12:00, and the season lasts six weeks. It is the 19th anniversary edition, and it ends with a Family Fun Day on 3 January 2027, when arts and crafts, face painting and a children's comedy show are included in that day's entry. Entry that day works as on every other date at the Winter Wonderland Christmas Market, with a ticket for a booked arrival slot.
Key dates of Hyde Park Winter Wonderland 2026
The season, date by date:
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| Thu 19 Nov 2026 | Opening day, from 12:00 |
| Tue 1 Dec 2026 | Winter Wishes morning for charities, hospitals and schools; open to the public from 14:00 |
| Sat 5 Dec 2026 | First of six evenings of Christmas by Candlelight in the Big Top |
| Wed 23 Dec 2026 | Last Christmas by Candlelight evening |
| Thu 24 Dec 2026 | Christmas Eve, open |
| Fri 25 Dec 2026 | Christmas Day, closed |
| Sat 26 Dec 2026 | Boxing Day, open |
| Thu 31 Dec 2026 | New Year's Eve, open |
| Fri 1 Jan 2027 | New Year's Day, open |
| Sun 3 Jan 2027 | Last day and Family Fun Day |
The organiser lists the 2026/27 dates on its About page.
When did Winter Wonderland start in Hyde Park?
Hyde Park Winter Wonderland has run since 2007. The first edition was an open-air Christmas Market with a few funfair rides, the Ice Rink and the Giant Wheel. In 2008 it added Santa's Train and the House of St. Nicolas from Hamburg, and in 2009 a circus made it its Christmas home and Santaland arrived. The 2020 edition was cancelled because of COVID-19, and the event returned in 2021 with ticketed entry times, the system of booked arrival slots it still uses.
Quieter and busier days at Hyde Park Winter Wonderland
The organiser names Thursday and Friday evenings, weekends and the school-holiday weeks around Christmas as the busiest times. The quieter ones are Monday to Wednesday during the day and Thursday to Sunday mornings before 12:00, and late November and early December are quieter than the final festive weeks. At busy times there can be queues to get in, and the organiser advises leaving extra time for queuing and for getting between pre-booked attractions, as the site is large.
Book Winter Wonderland for a 2026 date
Every date of the season can be chosen in the booking calendar, for the entry ticket or for one of the packages.