Art · London
London Christmas Markets 2026: Dates for Southbank, Winter Wonderland and More
Southbank's Winter Market is expected from 2 November, Kingston from 12 November, Winter Wonderland from 19 November. Leicester Square is unconfirmed.
Most of London's Christmas markets open in the next three weeks. This guide was written on 29 October from two market guides, JustPark's of 26 October and DesignMyNight's of 17 September. Where they agree it says so; where only one gives a date, or they differ, that is stated. Several dates are marked expected rather than confirmed, so check each market's own page before you go.
Dates both guides give
- Southbank Centre Winter Market, The Queen's Walk: from 2 November. DesignMyNight lists it as free to enter and marks the run, to 4 January 2027, as expected; JustPark gives no end date.
- Kingston Christmas Market: 12 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 on both guides; DesignMyNight lists it as free to enter.
- Hyde Park Winter Wonderland: 19 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, by timed ticket. The dates and tickets are in our guide.
- Greenwich: the festive season starts in mid-November with a lantern parade and lights switch-on, JustPark says; DesignMyNight lists the Christmas market from 19 November. Neither gives an end date.
- Christmas at Borough Market: from 30 November. DesignMyNight runs it to 6 January; JustPark gives no end date.
- Covent Garden: the lights go on 12 November, and DesignMyNight lists the Christmas market from the same day, free to enter, to early January.
Where the guides differ or are silent
- Trafalgar Square: DesignMyNight lists 9 November 2026 to 2 January 2027; JustPark says early to mid-November and that listings vary. JustPark dates the tree lights to Thursday 3 December.
- Leicester Square: both guides say early November to early January and neither confirms it. JustPark says official dates are still to be confirmed.
- Old Spitalfields, 11 November to 24 December, and Granary Square, 26 November to 3 January 2027, are listed by DesignMyNight alone. It prints the King's Cross market's end year as 2027, which looks like a slip, so that market is left out.
Planning around them
The markets sit alongside the switch-ons in London Christmas lights 2026, and the wider run to Christmas is in London culture, November and December 2026. Music is dated in the EFG London Jazz Festival guide.
If you sell at one of them, the stall photographs are made in October. Our guide to Christmas product photography covers the pictures, and Studio A is one room to shoot them in.