London’s Christmas lights come on over about three weeks, from the very start of November to the third week, and as of 10 October only some of the dates are known. Most guides blur the two together. This one separates what’s been announced from what’s only a guess based on last year, so you can plan around the ones you can rely on.
A note on where the dates come from: apart from Carnaby’s, which matches the street’s own announcement on our Carnaby Street page, the dates below are as reported in Londonist’s switch-on roundup, last updated on 9 October 2026. They’re the organisers’ announcements as that publication reports them, not something we’ve checked street by street, so confirm the evening you’re building a trip around.
Not announced yet: the first ones on
The West End (Piccadilly, Leicester Square and St Martin’s Lane) was the first to light up last year, from 1 November. No 2026 date is out, so expect it around the start of November.
Oxford Street has no date yet either. Last year it was officially 3 November, although the lights were seen a couple of nights earlier. In recent years there’s been no formal switch-on ceremony. Londonist reports that Oxford Street is going traffic-free from autumn 2026 and that some of this year’s illuminations will have a Harry Potter theme, which may change that.
Bond Street was switched on from 12 November last year. There are no 2026 details yet, so around 11 November is a guess.
The dates that are out
Wednesday 4 November: Carnaby Street. The earliest confirmed date, “inspired by the feel-good nostalgia of the 90s”. The street’s boxy lights, made from 60,000 LEDs, have been reused for a couple of Christmases to cut waste.
Thursday 5 November: Regent Street and St James’s. The “Spirit of Christmas” angels are back for a tenth year, with new additions, and Regent Street’s own Christmas page confirms both the anniversary and the new surprises, although it doesn’t print a date. Londonist gives 5 November, with a free switch-on event from 5pm to 9pm when the street goes traffic-free.
Tuesday 10 November: Knightsbridge. More than 12,000 bulbs along Brompton Road and the surrounding streets, with a 14-metre animated motif across the road and nods to the area’s equestrian past. See our Knightsbridge guide and Harrods for the rest of the area.
Wednesday 11 November: Marylebone and Spitalfields. Merry Marylebone takes over Marylebone High Street and Devonshire Street from 3pm to 8pm, with a ferris wheel, Santa’s grotto and stalls, and the switch-on at 6pm. The same evening, Old Spitalfields Market has events from 3pm, a gospel choir and live music, and lights it up at 6pm. See Marylebone for the area.
Thursday 12 November: Covent Garden and Fulham Pier. Covent Garden’s “Theatre of Christmas” returns with a towering tree in the West Piazza and baubles and mirror balls in the market hall. The switch-on draws a crowd. Fulham Pier, new this year, is holding a switch-on party the same evening, with details being kept secret. Covent Garden is covered on our Covent Garden page.
Wednesday 18 November: Fleet Street Quarter. Ludgate Circus has its lights switched on, and a free trail of twelve decorated Dennis and Gnasher sculptures from the Beano opens the same day.
Thursday 19 November: Leadenhall Market and Walworth Road. Leadenhall Market has a 26-foot tree, a light tunnel, live music and a snow flurry, with the switch-on at 6pm. Walworth Road’s lights are designed by children from the local primary school and switched on outside Walworth Town Hall.
Trafalgar Square’s tree
The tree from Norway in Trafalgar Square is traditionally lit on the first Thursday in December, which would make it 3 December this year. That’s a pattern and not an announcement: the date we found is marked as expected rather than confirmed, and the city of Oslo normally announces the tree in early November.
How to see them without the crowd
Go on a weekday after the shops shut, when the lights are on and the pavements aren’t full of shopping bags. Avoid the switch-on evenings themselves, which draw a crowd that can make a street impossible to walk. The best trick is to go early: Carnaby and the West End are on before the middle of November, which means the first weeks of November are the quiet window. Our Christmas markets guide and things to do in London at Christmas cover what else is on, and Winter Wonderland and Christmas at Kew are the ticketed ones.
London Christmas lights 2026
- Address
- Streets across central London, including Carnaby Street, Regent Street, Knightsbridge, Covent Garden, Leadenhall Market and Trafalgar Square
- Nearest
- Varies by street; Oxford Circus for Carnaby and Regent Street, Knightsbridge for Brompton Road, Covent Garden for the West Piazza and Bank or Monument for Leadenhall Market
- Hours
- Switch-ons run from around the start of November: Carnaby Street 4 November, Regent Street 5 November, Knightsbridge 10 November, Marylebone and Spitalfields 11 November, Covent Garden 12 November, Fleet Street 18 November and Leadenhall Market 19 November. Oxford Street, Bond Street and the West End had not announced dates when we checked on 10 October 2026
- Booking
- None needed
- Price
- Free to walk. Some switch-on events, such as Regent Street’s, are free but crowded
- Standing
- Each shopping district and market switches on its own lights on its own evening, from around 1 November to the third week of November, with the Trafalgar Square tree expected on 3 December
How to get in
Only Carnaby Street’s date is checked against the organiser, and the other dates come from Londonist’s switch-on roundup updated on 9 October 2026. Oxford Street, Bond Street and the West End are unannounced and the dates given for them are last year’s. The Trafalgar Square date is expected rather than confirmed.
Where to go next
London Christmas markets and things to do in London at Christmas cover the rest of the season, and Winter Wonderland is the biggest ticketed one.
Carnaby Street is the first to switch on, and Oxford Street is the one to watch for an announcement.
Questions we get asked
When do the Christmas lights go on in London in 2026?
From the start of November. Carnaby Street is on Wednesday 4 November, Regent Street on 5 November, Knightsbridge on 10 November, Marylebone and Old Spitalfields on 11 November, Covent Garden on 12 November, Fleet Street on 18 November and Leadenhall Market on 19 November, as reported on 9 October. Oxford Street, Bond Street and the West End had not announced their dates.
When do the Oxford Street Christmas lights go on in 2026?
No date had been announced when we checked on 10 October. Last year the lights were officially switched on on 3 November, though they were seen a couple of nights earlier, so early November is the likely window. Londonist reports that Oxford Street goes traffic-free from autumn 2026 and that some illuminations will be Harry Potter themed.
When do the Regent Street Christmas lights go on in 2026?
Londonist reports Thursday 5 November, with a free traffic-free switch-on event from 5pm to 9pm. Regent Street's own Christmas page confirms the Spirit of Christmas angels return for a tenth year with new additions, but does not print a date.
When is the Trafalgar Square Christmas tree lit in 2026?
The tree is traditionally lit on the first Thursday in December, which would be 3 December 2026, but we found that date listed only as expected, not confirmed. The tree is a gift from Oslo and is normally announced in early November.
When do the Covent Garden Christmas lights go on in 2026?
Thursday 12 November, marking the return of the Theatre of Christmas campaign, with a towering tree in the West Piazza and decorations in the market hall. The switch-on draws a big crowd.
Are the London Christmas lights free?
Yes. The street lights are free to see and need no ticket. Some switch-on events, such as Regent Street's traffic-free evening, are free but busy, and ticketed attractions such as Winter Wonderland and Christmas at Kew cost extra.
What is the best time to see the London Christmas lights?
A weekday evening after the shops shut, and ideally in the first weeks of November, before the December crowds. Switch-on evenings themselves are the busiest, so avoid them unless you want the event.
Written by Robert J Wills, no. 416 in the guide.
Last checked 10 October 2026 against the venues' own published information. Nobody pays to appear here and we take no bookings.
