Free things to do in London this weekend

Every winter the Southbank Centre turns the banks of the Thames into a frosty wonderland, full of little wooden Alpine-style cabins selling gifts, warming drinks, and snacks. You’ll find huts serving up truffle burgers, duck wraps, mulled wine, Dutch pancakes, churros and many more tasty morsels to nibble on while you look through gifts, jewellery and decorations made by independent craft traders. Or, once you’re done browsing, snuggle up at pop-up king Jimmy Garcia’s riverside venue Fire And Fromage, where you can snaffle all you can eat raclette, sip on seriously decadent hot chocolates, and even toast your own marshmallows round a cosy fire pit.  When is Southbank Christmas Market open? The market opens at the start of November, and will stay open until Boxing Day, Friday, December 26, with a few pop-ups staying open slightly longer until the New Year. Do you need to buy a ticket? No, it's free to enter and have a wander. 

There's arguably nowhere in London more Christmassy than Covent Garden's Piazza in December. Every year, the shopping district aims to outdo itself for sheer festive pizzaz. In 2025, the theme is 'The Theatre of Christmas', which means that there'll be decorations taking inspiration from the nearby playhouses and the performances in them. And of course, this year will also see the return of Covent Garden's 55ft Christmas tree, decked with 30,000 lights  Meanwhile, the roof of the Market Building is adorned with 40 gigantic bells, 12 giant baubles and 8 spinning mirror balls in a reprise of its oh-so-festive annual display. There'll also be pop-ups and events to enjoy as the season unfolds, including mulled wine stations and a Santa's sleigh photo op. 

Hit up Urban Makers’ festive special for plenty of stocking-filler buying opportunities. Celebrating its tenth anniversary this Christmas, the market features 50 carefully curated, handpicked local and independent makers who will be manning stalls packed with homeware, textiles, accessories, jewellery, ceramics and original prints, all made with sustainability in mind. Once you’ve filled your bags tuck into festive street food, warming drinks and coffee. And for more information about the sellers at each event, have a look at the market’s website here.  Opening Dates: November 29-30 and December 13-14Best For: Giftds for your eco-warrior friend

Get yourself feeling ridiculously festive with an evening of carols inside Sir Christopher Wren’s architectural masterpiece, aka St Paul’s Cathedral. The legendary London landmark hosts a series of mostly free, unticketed carol concerts each year. Visit over December for a huge range of concerts, including family-friendly services, Messiaen's La Nativité du Seigneur (one of the greatest organ works of the 20th century), and traditional carols. Things kick off with an advent service on November 29. The big events to look out for are A Celebration of Christmas (Dec 9) and the Christmas Carol Services (Dec 23 and 24. The concerts are always hugely popular, so get down there early and be prepared to queue. Start practising your high notes now. You can find full information here. 

Dreaming of a kitsch Christmas? New York’s famous Miracle on Ninth Street bar is popping up in London for its seventh year, ‘50s Christmas decorations, nostalgic accessories and creative new spins on beloved cocktail favourites in tow. Past years have seen the bar slinging the likes of a Snowball Old Fashioned or a Christmapoliton, which includes cranberry sauce and absinthe mist – a take on Christmas trimmings that’s not for the faint-hearted. If you’re failing to get into the Christmas spirit, this is one great place to find it.

Escape the Oxford Street crowds with a detour into pretty Carnaby Street, which puts on memorable Christmas light displays each year. A revamp of last year’s ‘Into the Light’ display, 2025’s ‘All is Bright’ features giant cuboid Christmas crackers and stars illumin illuminated in bright neons by more than 60,000 LED lights, and apparently captures ‘the joy and optimism of the season while reflecting the creativity and vibrancy that make Soho unique’. Find more fabulous Christmas light displays in London

Christmas might be the merriest time of year, but it can also be one of the most stressful. Dashing around Oxford Circus, trying to get suitable presents for everyone while fighting the crowds of others doing the same? Nightmare. At nearby All Souls Langham Place, though, you’ll find carol services ready to soothe your shopping stress and remind you of the real magic of Christmas. A stunning choir will be performing some of the season’s best-loved songs under twinkling lights and mirrorball (not something every church boasts), while the services will wrap up with complimentary mince pies and hot Christmas punch. There’ll be three hour-long concerts a day across five dates. The cherry on top? Entry is completely free. No wonder the church advises arriving 30 minutes early to make sure you can get in.

A twinkling, woodland-themed hideaway under the arches by Goldhawk Road tube station, the Hawk’s Nest is a wonderfully atmospheric spot for some Christmas carol singing. Its popular annual carolling session features a live band promises lashings of mulled wine, spiced cider and £4 pints (a weekly occurence on Sundays) as well as a live band and lyrics sheets, just in case you can’t quite recall all nine verses of The First Noel. Head down early to check out the venue’s daytime Christmas market, or stay late for festive bites from the Italian kitchen.

The Southbank Centre is shining a light on some great artworks this winter – literally. In its annual Winter Lights exhibition, the institution will be bringing a selection of pieces to the streets surrounding the venue. Everything on display uses light and colour to dive into topics like identity, environment and tech, making it both an attention-grabbing and thought-provoking exhibit. Among the works you’ll be able to see at this free exhibition are ‘Beacon’ by Lee Broom, which invites you to pause and reflect as you examine the chandelier of light, and Jakob Kvist’s ‘Dichroic Sphere’, a geodesic dome that is illuminated by only one single energy-efficient light bulb, but is still lit up in various colours. Why not combine your visit with a trip to Southbank Centre’s Winter Market? Find out all about London’s other massive festive light shows. 

Once again you can expect to see remarkable feats of astrophotography at the Astronomy Photographer of the Year exhibition. It’s a chance to see magical views of both our own night sky and of galaxies far, far away. The winning spacey visions come from dozens of professional and amateur snappers in various categories including ‘Planets, Comets and Asteroids’, ‘Stars and Nebulae’, ‘Galaxies’ and ‘Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year’ for under-16s. Soar down to Greenwich to see the winners from 2025's competition on display.