Christmas is officially on its way to London, folks. It may still only be September, but with less than 100 days to go until the big day, we’re already receiving news of the return of London’s many dazzling Christmas activations. There truly is nothing like spending the festive season in our fair city, which becomes overtaken with Christmas joy. And we’ve been alerted to the return of one of the highlights of the Christmas calendar: the Covent Garden Christmas lights.
Wander around London during November and December, and you’ll come across everything from Christmas light displays to Santa’s grottos, ice rinks, and more. Oh, and don’t forget the festive Christmas shopping! The city truly leans into the holidays. And you’ll also find all manner of displays celebrating London’s many other religious and cultural celebrations.
But standing head and shoulders above them all (thanks to a whopping 55-foot tree) is the always stunning Covent Garden Christmas lights display.
When will the Covent Garden Christmas lights turn on?
The Covent Garden Christmas lights will be switched on at a special ceremony on Wednesday, November 12.
Each year, a special celebrity guest is tasked with flicking the switch (or pressing a comically large button, rather) and illuminating the Christmas lights. This year is sure to be no different, but we don’t know yet who the mystery guest could be.
The switch-on event will mark the start of Covent Garden’s 2025 Christmas season. This year, they’re theming the decor and event around ‘The Theatre of Christmas’. This will fill the area with festivity, with “a seven-week celebration, inviting visitors to step behind the curtain of Christmas and into an immersive world of festive magic.”
The Covent Garden lights switch-on follows another similarly dazzling display being turned on over at Carnaby Street. Their lights will illuminate the area from Thursday, November 6, onwards.
Last year’s Christmas lights display
Based on previous years, Covent Garden is sure to be a dazzling, must-visit Christmassy spot this festive season. An enormous British-grown Christmas tree towers over the square, and hundreds of thousands of sparkling lights fill the neighbourhood.
Last year also saw the Market Building filled with golden bells as part of the holiday decorations. These proved such a hit that they’re bringing them back again for 2025! The area will positively ring out with Christmas cheer.
More details will be announced in October. We’ll be sure to let you know more as we find out more. But for now, we’re marking our calendar and counting down the days until the city is full of holiday cheer!
The Covent Garden Christmas lights will turn on on Wednesday, November 12, 2025.
