7 Things to Do in London on Christmas Eve

In London and all around the UK, Christmas Eve is usually spent out and about with loved ones. Whether that’s by heading to the local pub to drink yourself silly until midnight or leaning into nostalgia by attending a pantomime based on your favourite children’s story, we Londoners rarely stay at home on Christmas Eve. Here are the top things to do in London on Christmas Eve.

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*This post has been updated for the 2024 season.

(WA = Wheelchair Accessible)

This is an image of a London pub adorned with flowers and greenery.

Image Courtesy of Fuller’s via Facebook

Head to a local boozer

If there’s one thing Brits love to do on Christmas Eve, it’s going to the pub. Now, Londoners love a pub regardless of the time of year but come Christmas Eve; you want to bet that pubs will be chock full of those waiting for the clock to strike twelve. It’s basically a British rite to go to the pub on Christmas Eve, and a lot of the time, they’ll be decked out in festive decorations, fairy lights, and Christmas trees, and many will be serving hot mulled wine. If you do fancy joining in with the UK tradition, it might be worth booking ahead; they get swamped this time of the year, especially if you plan on having a bite to eat.

This is an image of midnight mass at St Paul's cathedral with all the congregation watching the choir sing.

Image Courtesy of St. Paul’s Cathedral

Go to midnight mass at church

If you want to keep things traditional, attend one of the many midnight mass services around the city (and all over the world if you’re not in London). It’s believed that this western tradition started in 430 AD and became widely popular by the twelfth century. The service occurs in a church and generally starts just before midnight and is a way to honour Jesus’ birth and dedicate the festive season to God. The most famous places to attend midnight mass are the grand Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s. While St Paul’s is free and unticketed, you can only attend Westminster Abbey with a secured free ticket, so be sure to get one as soon as they come out in mid-November.

If you prefer an alternative approach, you can book this tour that includes a panoramic bus ride to see the main sights, such as Big Ben and St. Paul’s Cathedral, followed by a delicious three-course meal with Prosecco. The tour wraps up with midnight mass at St. Martin-in-the-Fields church.

This is an image of a roast dinner on a plate with meats, potatoes, greens and more.

Enjoy a Christmas Eve dinner

Many families and friends in the UK like to go for a special dinner on Christmas Eve, and there are plenty of places around London to do so. There will be many pubs and restaurants with a dedicated Christmas menu, but the legendary Dishoom will be serving a menu featuring Indian twists on festive classics, like chilli Brussels sprouts, turkey raan and cranberry chutney. If you want to keep it a little more traditional, then The Washington in Hampstead is a winner with a set festive menu for £40 including hand-carved turkey, pan-fried cod and a decadent black forest roulade.

Christmas Feast at Dishoom | Various Locations | WA | 18th November – 24th December 2024

The Washington | Hampstead | WA

This is an image of Somerset House's large iceskating rink with a Christmas tree lit up in the background.

Glide around one of London’s ice rinks

Ice skating is definitely one of the things to do in London on Christmas Eve, and there’s nothing more festive than gliding around an ice rink lit by fairy lights and listening to classic Christmas tunes. When November sneaks up on us, ice rinks start to pop up around the city, the most famous being at the iconic Somerset House (tickets and dates are still yet to be announced). Others include Battersea Power Station and Hyde Park Winter Wonderland.

*Glide Battersea runs accessible sessions across selected dates.

This is an image of Regent Street's wonderful Christmas angels lit up between buildings.

Wander through the city and see the Christmas lights

One of the top things to do in London on Christmas Eve is to take a stroll around the city to see all of the city lights, from Regent Street’s incredible lit-up angels and Oxford Street’s epic 5000 light display to Kew Gardens’s Winter Light Trail.

Another one on our radar is Christmas at Kenwood’s. While it’s yet to be confirmed for this year, we’re hopeful this breathtaking light trail, complete with epic installations, multisensory displays of light and sound and spectacular city views from the grounds of Kenwood will run again, so keep an eye out.

This is an image of Backyard Cinema's festive set-up.

Image Courtesy of Backyard Cinema via Facebook

Go to the cinema and see a festive flick

There are a few pop-up cinemas around the city showing Christmas classics, but usually Backyard Cinema has several screenings throughout the day and evening on Christmas Eve, like Home Alone and It’s a Wonderful Life. They had taken it up a notch last year and decorated the space in a classic winter wonderland style. It’s definitely one of the things to do in London on Christmas Eve.

Backyard Cinema | Wandsworth | WA | Tickets and dates yet to be released

Actors at the pantomime of Jack and the Beanstalk, a holiday classic.

Image Courtesy of The Palladium

Embrace pantomime season

Lastly, on our list of things to do in London on Christmas Eve is embracing the pantomime season, which means one thing: Christmas is right around the corner. This year you can expect everything from Peter Pan at Rose Theatre Kingston to Aladdin at Lyric Hammersmith. There’s a panto for everyone in London, and it’s a wonderfully nostalgic way to spend Christmas Eve that doesn’t involve sinking ten pints down the local pub.

How will you be celebrating Christmas Eve this year? Don’t forget to tag us in your pictures and videos @loveandlondon!

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