Christmas Lights in London 2026

Angel Christmas lights strung above Regent Street in London at night, between curved stone facades

The Christmas lights in London 2026 include the angels of Regent Street from 5 November, the stars and Harry Potter designs of Oxford Street, Carnaby and Covent Garden, the light trail at Kew and Canary Wharf's Winter Lights in January.

Golden angel Christmas lights above Regent Street near Piccadilly Circus, with a red double-decker bus at night

1. Regent Street

Regent Street's 'Spirit of Christmas' lights are back for 2026 with new details to discover, hanging their glowing angels above the street from Oxford Circus down to Piccadilly Circus and on into St James's. The switch-on is on Thursday 5 November 2026, when Regent Street closes to traffic from 17:00 to 21:00. The lights are on every day from 15:00, on a timer, until 5 January 2027.

Regent Street was the first road in London to put up Christmas lights, back in 1954. In 2025 the lights also reached St James's Market, Glasshouse Street, Swallow Street and Quadrant Arcade.

The walking route on the map below follows the angels from Waterloo Place up to Piccadilly Circus and along the Quadrant towards Carnaby Street. See more on the Regent Street Christmas lights, with a map of the street, and more on the Regent Street switch-on.

2. Oxford Street

Curtains of white lights and stars hanging over Oxford Street in London at Christmas, with a red bus

2. Oxford Street

Oxford Street's Christmas 2026 brings back its star lights alongside new illuminated designs from the world of Harry Potter, displays of the four Hogwarts houses, a Harry Potter Christmas tree and a snow show every hour, on the hour. The street is now part-pedestrianised from Great Portland Street to Orchard Street, with no vehicles allowed on that stretch.

The 2026 switch-on date had not been announced by 28 October 2026; in 2025 the switch-on was on Monday 3 November. Time Out lists the lights as on daily from 16:00 to midnight. The walking route takes Oxford Street from Oxford Circus east to Tottenham Court Road. More on Christmas on Oxford Street.

The Palm House at Kew Gardens lit pink and purple at night, beside a tree lit red, during Christmas at Kew

3. Christmas at Kew

Christmas at Kew is a ticketed light trail through the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 11.9 km west of central London. The 2026 edition runs from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, open from 16:20 to 22:00, with timed tickets booked in advance; the best time slots often go early.

New for 2026 are a floral meadow with blooms programmed to music and an animated willow tree inspired by Kew's collection of over 11,000 trees. The Fire Garden with its dancing flames, the Pealight Tree decorated with thousands of twinkling lights and the light show on the Temperate House all return along the 3 km trail.

4. Canary Wharf Winter Lights

A glowing dodecahedron light sculpture at Canary Wharf Winter Lights in London at night

4. Canary Wharf Winter Lights

Canary Wharf, in Docklands 7.5 km east of central London, holds Winter Lights, a festival of light installations at different spots around the estate. The 2027 edition runs from 19 to 30 January 2027 under the theme RE(IMAGINE); the last one, on the theme Dreamscape, ran from 20 to 31 January 2026.

No Christmas lights, tree or market at Canary Wharf had been announced for 2026 by 28 October, and the Canary Wharf ice rink is not operating this winter.

Photo (Winter Lights 2018): Dazzling Dodecahedron @ Wren Landing by Loco Steve (CC BY-SA 2.0)

More Christmas lights confirmed for 2026

Colourful Christmas installation hanging over Carnaby Street in London at night

5. Carnaby Street

Carnaby Street in Soho switches on its 2026 lights on Wednesday 4 November 2026. The theme is 'Press Play on Christmas', inspired by the feel-good nostalgia of the 90s, with vibrant neon-style colours flowing through the lights. Carnaby sits just east of Regent Street, between the angels and Oxford Circus on the walking route.

6. Covent Garden

Covent Garden's 'Theatre of Christmas' lights up from Thursday 12 November 2026 for a seven-week celebration: a 50ft Norwegian Spruce Christmas tree, over 300,000 sparkling lights, and gold bells and baubles adorning the historic Market Building. Snowfall runs from 4 to 31 December. Covent Garden is the last stop of the walking route, after Seven Dials.

The facade of Harrods on Brompton Road in Knightsbridge covered in golden Christmas lights at night

7. Knightsbridge

In Knightsbridge the Christmas lights are on each evening from 10 November 2026: more than 12,000 low-energy LED bulbs, with a 14-metre animated banner across Brompton Road and lights along Hans Crescent, the pedestrian route linking Harrods with cafés, restaurants and Knightsbridge Underground station. Knightsbridge lies 2.8 km west of central London.

A tall Christmas tree covered in golden lights on Granary Square at King's Cross, London, at night

8. King's Cross

Christmas at King's Cross runs from 26 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, with twinkling Christmas trees dotted around the neighbourhood, Aardman's Cracking Christmas Tree and festive art benches along King's Boulevard. King's Cross is 3.2 km north of central London, around Granary Square and Coal Drops Yard.

Photo (December 2025): At London 2025 989 by Mike Peel (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Map and walking route of the Christmas lights in London

The eight places with lights confirmed for 2026 carry the same numbers as above. The red line is a 5.3 km walking route through the West End, about 70 minutes on foot without stops: from Bond Street station on Oxford Street, down South Molton Street and Bond Street, past Burlington Arcade and Fortnum & Mason on Piccadilly, through Jermyn Street to Waterloo Place, up Regent Street to Carnaby Street, east along Oxford Street and down through Seven Dials to Covent Garden. Kew, Canary Wharf, Knightsbridge and King's Cross sit off the edges of the map, with their distance from the centre. A red ring marks a ticketed light trail.

Open the full-size map >

The map is © 2026 Christmas Markets and can be shared and adapted under CC BY 4.0 with a credit to Christmas Markets and a link to this page. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, tiles © OpenFreeMap. Walking route calculated on OpenStreetMap data.

Christmas lights in London not yet announced for 2026

These Christmas lights in London return most years, but by 28 October 2026 no 2026 dates or designs had been published for them.

Bond Street, South Molton Street and Savile Row. The walking route starts in Mayfair, under lights still to be announced for 2026. In 2025 Bond Street switched on on Wednesday 12 November with 93,000 LEDs inspired by the crown jewels, all crowns and sparkle, and on Savile Row giant golden shears cut their way through twinkling fabric above the street.

Marylebone. The lights of Marylebone Village are made from 100% recycled plastic bottles and use 95% less energy than conventional lighting. The 2026 Merry Marylebone switch-on had not been confirmed.

The London Eye and the Southbank. The London Eye's Christmas page lists a daily light show from 14 November, when the wheel lights up in a Christmas display as night falls, but the page prints no year. The Southbank Centre had not announced its 2026 winter lights.

London Bridge. Winter by the River at London Bridge City is set against views of Tower Bridge and the Tower of London. In 2025 it ran from 13 November 2025 to 4 January 2026, daily from 11:00 to 22:00; the 2026 dates had not been published.

Trafalgar Square. The square is home to the famous Norwegian Christmas tree, but the date of its 2026 lighting had not been announced. The square's Christmas Market is in the guide to the Christmas Markets in London.

Kingston upon Thames, Hampstead and Soho. No 2026 Christmas lights switch-on had been announced in these neighbourhoods. Kingston Christmas Market runs from 12 November 2026 to 3 January 2027.