Free things to do in London this week

Head to Seven Dials to see the Christmas lights sparkle into action. As part of this year’s  installation (which will have an interactive ‘Starry Night’ design) Seven Dials have partnered with homless charity Shelter. Londoners can visit a special charity ‘tap’ point at Earlham Street and tap their bank cards to give £3 to Shelter. Each donation will make the Seven Dials stars twinkle.  The official switch on will take place Thursday November 14 from 5pm-9pm (switch on is at 6.30pm) with an ‘immersive shopping evening’ of free festive activities and live music from the House Gospel Choir. Tickets are free, but you’ll need to register in advance.  Find more Christmas lights in London

Carnaby Street’s Christmas lights are always some of the most fabulous in town and this year is no different. Not only will they make the shopping street look even prettier for the festive season, the new installations are also spotlighting (ahem) one of the pressing issues of our times. This year Carnaby has collaborated with ocean conservation charity Project 0 for this sustainable display. Expect dazzling underwater scenes representing areas of the ocean in need of conservation, from floating kelp ‘forest’ and bright pink coral to the deep sea featuring 5-metre long whale that blows bubbles, giant clusters of jellyfish and 200 illuminated vampire squid. What’s more, it’s all been made using recycled and reusable materials including repurposed fishing nets, 500m of post-use bubble wrap and over 1,500 recycled plastic bottles.  The big switch-on will happen at 6pm on Thursday November 7, head along to be the first to see the sparkles and grab some bargains at their celebratory shopping party. // (function(c,d,h){function f(){return Math.random().toString(36).substr(2,9)}var i="16:9";var a={"1:1":"100%","16:9":"56.25%","4:3":"75%","3:2":"66.66%","8:5":"62.5%","9:16":"177.77%"};var e=f();var j=a[h];document.write('

The annual Christmas by the River market is set to return to London Bridge City once again in 2019. Expect an ace combination of homemade gifts, delicious food from German-style chalets and amazing views of the London landmarks the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. A selection of 60 independent traders will be on hand with stalls full of stocking fillers for even the most difficult person to buy for, while a handful of bars will be serving up Christmas cocktails, mulled wine, hot cider and craft beers. Find more Christmas markets and fairs in London Find more festive fun with our guide to Christmas in London

A huge Christmas tree heralds the arrival of the festive season (someone ought to tell the supermarkets they started early) when it is lit by the Mayor of Oslo, the Mayor of Westminster and the British ambassador to Norway at 6pm on Thusday December 5 in London's living room, Trafalgar Square. Carols from the Salvation Army and St Martin-in-the-Fields choir will add to the atmosphere. Watch this space for the date to be released for the torch-lit procession with the choir and clergy of St Martin-in-the-Fields church as they bless a specially commissioned Christmas crib.  Carols will be sung beneath the Christmas tree for four hours every day from Dec 9 until Dec 24, with more than 50 carol groups taking part. Performances take place from 4pm-8pm on weekdays and 2pm-6pm on weekends. The tree itself is a kind of charity: it's an annual gift from the Norwegians to the British. During WWII, German troops besieged Norway and in 1940 the neutral country was forced to surrender to the Nazis. Its royal family, government and defence chiefs fled to London, where they established a government-in-exile. For almost five years they were given refuge here while Norwegian soldiers fought alongside the Allies. London came to represent hope and freedom for millions in occupied Norway, for whom British radio broadcasts provided news and information vital to the resistance. That's why the people of Oslo still each year give London a tree described by woodsmen as 'the queen of the forest'. Ov

Kingston is getting a merry makeover with the return of its town centre’s Christmas market. Stalls will be selling handmade gifts and festive food and drink from a row of wooden cabins, bringing a Nordic feel to this south west corner of London.

You know Christmas is coming when Oxford Street is transformed by sparkly, glowing lights. This year, for the first time in six years, the lights are having a complete overhaul. The area will be lit with 27 LED ‘light curtains’ which will be draped down the length of the street and made up of a total of 222,000 lights.  The arrival of the new designs coincides with the sixtieth edition of the official Christmas lights switch-on, scheduled for the evening of Thursday November 21. Expect a series of instore gigs co-organised with Capital XTRA, with the acts soon to be announced.   For more info, visit the Oxford Street website. Find more Christmas lights in London Find more festive fun with our guide to Christmas in London

The grand shopping sweep gets its usual festive makeover with garlands of lights down the length of the road. See those glorious golden angels make their comeback soaring high above Regent Street. The big switch-on is on Thursday November 14 and, if previous years are anything to go by, it will involve loads of festive events and activities. Doing the honours this year are Heart Breakfast presenters Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden, Irish band The Script and singer songwriter Maisie Peters. Maybe they’ll be fighting it out for who gets to push the button... Find more Christmas lights in London Find more festive fun with our guide to Christmas in London

Cider cocktails made to order (hot, cold, and some made with Rekorderlig's new spiced plum cider), fire pits, Swedish food and a photo booth make the Cider Lodge a neat riverside drinking hole on the Southbank this Christmas. Skål!  

The Southbank Centre Winter Festival is back for 2019 with another sparkling programme of festive shows and performances, family fun and music. The riverside venue will celebrate the coldest season with a fistful of fun pop-ups and activities. The annual Winter Market will be back with mulled wine and seasonal treats galore, while other highlights include a musical puppet version of ‘Black Beauty’ (Dec 14-Jan 5), retro circus show (Dec 19-Jan 5), Christmas-themed concerts from the Philharmonia Orchestra (Dec 15), seasonal gigs from Rufus & Martha Wainwright's (Dec 6), Ian Shaw & Claire Martin (Dec 8) and Kate Rusby (Dec 10). See Nadiya Hussain celebrates the publication of her memoir (Dec 1) and join in a series of brilliant LGBTQ+ events including ‘Burgerz’  by Travis Alabanza (Nov 29 – Dec 1), ‘A Very Polari Xmas’ (Dec 9), Drag Syndrome at Christmas (Dec 15).  Find out more with our guide to the Southbank Centre Winter Festival

The Belgravia spot will be hosting a light installation by the artist collective Squidsoup this Christmas, which will see 500 individually orbs suspended in the space for visitors to immerse themselves in. Eagle-eyed readers will recognise the group's work from their collaboration with DJ and producer Four Tet at his recent live shows, and you can expect more of the same from their free festive show at the west London hub.