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December is here, London looks like it’s been dumped in a vat of glitter, and it seems that everyone’s either drinking mulled wine outside a ‘cosy pub’ or watching a seven-year-old Wise Man forget his lines. But you? You’re smarter. You know there’s only so much festivity a person can take.
Avoid a frostbitten trudge through Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland, sidestep the aggressively enthusiastic choirs, and swerve the Christmas party where a colleague you barely know will inevitably shout directly into your ear. Instead, let London’s gigs thaw you out. From hyperpop chaos and country-pop firecrackers to futuristic R&B and nostalgic indie madness, these are the gigs actually worth leaving the house for. Consider this your festive survival guide – free from out-of-tune carol singers, sleigh bells and the existential dread of being trapped in a City bar with marketing bros in novelty jumpers.
Georgia is a freelance contributor to Time Out’s music section. She hates winter with a passion and is borderline emotionally attached to her heated blanket right now (yes, it’s weird, and no, we don’t bring it up). She’s only willing to peel herself away from its warm embrace for DeBasement and Snow Strippers’ gigs this month.
The best gigs in London in December 2025
1. CMAT
Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, AKA CMAT, is a firecracker blending of country-pop and emotional candour. Following her raucous, politically charged third album Euro-Country (Time Out’s second-best album of 2025) she’s turning up the showmanship at this headline date in Brixton. Expect a show that’s full of self-deprecating humour and mass line-dancing.
Good for: Queer cowboys with a flair for theatrics
Date: Monday December 1, 7pm
Venue: O2 Academy Brixton, SW9 9SL
Tickets: Buy now
2. Wolf Alice
London’s own Wolf Alice returned this year with the epically cinematic The Clearing. In December Ellie Rowsell and co. are heading to The O2 for two nights of raw energy, emotional depth and arena-sized 70s-style rock anthems. Underneath the glittering glam rock of their new LP, the band still promise moments of intimacy and candour that helped make their early records so beloved.
Good for: Over-emotional rock starlets
Date: Tuesday December 2 and Wednesday December 3, 6.30pm
Venue: The O2, SE10 0DX
Tickets: Buy now
3. Sudan Archives
If you want to witness what happens when violins meet club culture, do not miss Sudan Archives at the Roundhouse. With her new album The BPM (another Time Out album of 2025) she fuses Detroit techno, global rhythms and gliding strings into a genre-bending experience. You’ll hear dancefloor-ready beats and a futuristic soundscape that’ll keep you talking.
Good for: Cos-donning east London ladies and their Café OTO-coded boyfriends
Date: Wednesday December 3, 7pm
Venue: Roundhouse, NW1 8EH
Tickets: Buy now
4. Snow Strippers
I hope you’re ready to get wild. Snow Strippers are bringing their energetic, festival-ready brand of electronic chaos to London’s Exhibition this month. There’s going to be euphoric beats, unfiltered energy, and so many phones in the air that you probably won’t see the stage. Whether you’re there for the trancey anthems or the immersive crowd moments, it’s definitely one for just letting go.
Good for: Cool 18-year-olds and ‘creative director’ types in their 30s
Date: Thursday December 4, 7pm
Venue: Exhibition White City, W12 7SL
Tickets: Buy now
5. Stereolab
Avant-pop pioneers Stereolab are coming back to London for a highbrow evening of electronic crooning at Royal Festival Hall. Known for their blend of krautrock, 1960s French pop and headsy vocals, the group pull together an effortlessly chic live show. It’s a nice chance to catch one of dance music’s most cerebral acts in a refined setting.
Good for: Microbrewery-dwelling Walthamstow dads
Date: Saturday December 6, 7pm
Venue: Southbank Centre, SE1 8XX
Tickets: Buy now
6. The Last Dinner Party
Prepare for an evening of dark glamour and mythic storytelling as The Last Dinner Party descends on Brixton Academy. Their baroque-pop and art-rock sound is gothic, dramatic and theatrical, with a natural aesthetic that mirrors the Brontës. Fresh from releasing their second album From the Pyre the band promise a performance that blends Kate Bush and The Wicker Man. Make sure you’re dressed appropriately.
Good for: Witchtok girlies
Date: Sunday December 7, 7pm
Venue: O2 Academy Brixton, SW9 9SL
Tickets: Buy now
7. Cameron Winter
You may know him as the frontman of Geese, but Brooklyn-born Cameron Winter steps confidently into his own spotlight with his debut solo album Heavy Metal. His songwriting combines art-rock and indie-folk with warbling vocal runs and a flair for existential drama. Expect a set filled with impassioned, unpredictable moments and the now-iconic declaration, ‘God is real, God is real / I’m not kidding, God is actually real.’
Good for: Anyone who’s had an existential crisis in a vintage leather jacket
Date: Monday December 1, 7pm
Venue: Roundhouse, NW1 8EH
Tickets: Buy now
8. Frost Children
Frost Children’s hyperpop-heavy live shows are a must for emotional euphoria. The New York-based Angel and Lulu Prost mix slick EDM, glitchcore and screamo to create dancefloor chaos. This live show is sure to be as unpredictable as their latest album, Sister, which is a fast-paced, emotionally raw and wild ride through the digital sphere.
Good for: People who describe themselves as ‘chronically online’ and are proud of it
Date: Saturday December 13, 7pm
Venue: XOYO, EC2A 4AP
Tickets: Buy now
9. Babyshambles
Babyshambles are returning from decades of myth-making for a boozy pilgrimage to KOKO. Fronted by one of the noughties' greatest songwriters, Peter Doherty, the band are poised to play a show of heartfelt bangers in a venue steeped in indie lore. Prepare for scrappy moshpits and poetic vulnerability as they celebrate the messy brilliance that built their legacy.
Good for: Anyone who’s smoked a cigarette for the aesthetic
Date: Monday December 15, 7pm
Venue: KOKO, NW1 7RE
Tickets: Buy now
10. CASISDEAD
With his razor-sharp lyricism and compelling visual aesthetic, CASISDEAD blends grime, synthwave, and cloud rap to create a haunting world that’s entirely his own. He’ll be taking over The 100 Club this month for a gloomy alternative Christmas experience that feels intimate and otherworldly.
Good for: Characters from a neon-lit crime thriller
Date: Wednesday December 3, 7pm
Venue: The 100 Club, W1D 1LL
Tickets: Buy now
Big artist gig tickets available on resale
- Don your favourite oversized fluffy hat for a night with Jamiroquai
- British hip-hop legends D-Block Europe are taking over The O2
- Join banjo-twanging hipsters Mumford and Sons for a night of merrymaking
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