Pop Up
Do Some Late Night Shopping on Columbia Road
The indie shops on Columbia Road and Ezra Street are opening late (from 5pm – 9pm) on four Wednesdays leading up to Christmas for all your gifting needs and you’ll be able to pick up trees from the market too. There’ll be mince pies and mulled wine to keep you going but no carolling or entertainment after last year got too overcrowded.
By Rotation Is Running the Largest Ever Fashion Rental Pop-Up
Fashion rental biz By Rotation is back for another pop-up and this one is the largest ever fashion rental pop-up to open globally. Taking over a five-storey Mayfair townhouse, the pop-up will feature a range of brands available to rent, including Self-Portrait, 16Arlington, Terry De Havilland and Khanums. You’ll also be able to borrow from celeb wardrobes too, with pieces from Dame Helen Mirren, Sophie Hermann, Chrissy Rutherford, Matilde Mourinho and Abisola Omole in store. And with luxury menswear from the Huntsman Archive, there’s something for the guys too. As well as stopping to by to rent clothes, you can also get involved in a range of workshops and events.
Shop for Christmas Gifts at Leadenhall Market
Leadenhall Market is welcoming stalls back this winter, following the Christmas lights switch-on on 14th November, so you can shop for gifts under the twinkling lights and baubles. There’ll be two festive editions of the SoLo Craft Fair (on Sat 16th November and Sat 7th December), featuring hand-crafted art, jewellery, homeware, toys and more, plus a Christmas edition of the Vintage Furniture & Flea Market (on Sun 24th November) with mid-century furniture and retro fashion on offer.
Feast on Fire-Cooked Dishes & Beer With Whole Beast at Exale Tap
Enjoy a winter of fire-cooked food and BBQ at Exale Tap as the Walthamstow taproom plays host to Whole Beast, known for its big, bold cooking. The menu will feature dishes like the award-winning aged cheeseburger, pig’s head al pastor sausage tacos with smoked pineapple hot sauce, hash browns with trotter & smoked eel parsley liquor, pickled eggs in fermented red chilli sauce, and snakebite ice cream. Get your fix Thurs – Sun.
Pick Up Presents at the Lower Stable Street Christmas Market
The Lower Stable Street Market is back in Coal Drops Yard this Christmas with a rotating selection of traders across food, drinks, homeware, art, books and clothing.
Christmas Under the Canopy Returns to King's Cross
The special Christmas Under the Canopy market has you covered for all things festive with stalls selling crafts, cheese, clothing, skincare, and more, with street food, craft beer, gin and natural wine to keep you fuelled. There’ll also be a special vegan market takeover across 6th – 8th December.
A Winter Market Is Popping Up on the Southbank
Southbank is one of the most magical places to visit at Christmas, and they are spreading the cheer this year with a winter market featuring festive pop-ups and alpine-style chalets. As well as shopping, there’ll be street food on offer, including raclette, truffle burgers, duck wraps, and dutch pancakes, and hot bevvies to sip on.
Shop From a Curated Market at Battersea Power Station
Three Curated Makers Markets will be taking over Battersea Power Station’s Turbine B this winter, running from 6th – 10th, 11th – 15th and 16th – 22nd December. Each edition will feature 20 different small businesses at a time, selling everything from hand-poured candles to locally baked treats, so you’re sure to find a bunch of great gifts.
Feast Off-Piste at The Berkeley
The Berkeley’s rooftop is getting a winter makeover, transforming into an alpine winter wonderland this festive season. Cosy up inside one of the ski gondolas amongst the snow-dusted trees and twinkling lights, and tuck into a menu of raclette, tartiflette with fresh truffle, milk chocolate fondue, and gingerbread s’mores. You can toast to Christmas with winter cocktails like Black Forest Espresso Martinis and Aperol Negroni Sours, and there are even ‘ring from Champagne’ bells inside each gondola.
Hyde Park Is Hosting the Ultimate Winter Wonderland
It’s not Christmas in London without Winter Wonderland and it’s back in Hyde Park once again. You can slip n’ slide your way around the UK’s largest outdoor ice rink; immerse yourself in the Magical Ice Kingdom; hang onto the edge of your seat at Zippos Christmas Circus, the Edelweiss Funhouse and Cirque Beserk; take a spin on the big wheel; or spend the day strolling through the Bavarian Village with hot ciders in hand.
Head to London Bridge for Winter by the River
Winter by the River does exactly what it says on the tin: brings riverside Christmas fun to London Bridge. Not only are there a bunch of festive stalls all glowing with Christmas lights and selling boutique accessories and artisan gifts, street food and pop-up bars. Eat, drink and be merry and don’t skip the glühwein.
Head Down to Electric Winter for Festive Fun
Between The Bridges on the South Bank is being transformed into Electric Winter, with the heated and covered areas, plus street food from the likes of Krapow, Bang Bang Burger, Bait and Lil’Watan, There’s a packed programme of entertainment too, with Old Dirty Brasstards, Masseoke, Swiftageddon, and Drag Brunch featuring queens from Drag Race all hosting events so you won’t be short of festive fun.
A Winter Gin Garden Is Popping Up at Ham Yard Hotel
Normally reserved for hotel guests, Ham Yard Hotel is opening up its rooftop terrace and garden, which has been transformed into a winter gin garden, to everyone this festive season. It’s the perfect place to get cosy with heaters, candles, blankets and hot cocktails, like Hot Buttered Gin (with Sipsmith Origin 1639 gin and berries) and Ginicillin (made with applewood smoked lemon drizzle gin) on the
drinks list. You can pair your bevs with food cooked in a wood-fired oven, such as cacio e pepe black truffle flatbread, kombu and soy glazed mushroom skewers, and toasted s’mores with toffee apple and cinnamon crackers.
Lucy & Yak Is Bringing Home Comforts to Shelter in Coal Drops Yard
Lucy & Yak is popping up at the Shelter’s Coal Drops Yard Boutique this winter with The Comfort Store. As well as featuring a donated selection of Lucy & Yak’s comfiest items, like dungarees, fleeces, jumpsuits and blankets for you to shop from, there’ll also be an opportunity to donate their own preloved pieces from the brand. All clothing donations and profits will be going directly to Shelter to support the charity in its work with people facing homelessness, and Lucy & Yak will continue to supplement monetary donations to the charity with clothing donations.
Jimmy Garcia Is Bringing Fire & Fromage to the Southbank
Jimmy Garcia is taking over the South Bank this winter with Fire & Fromage. The alpine-inspired pop-up will feature weather-proof cabanas where you can indulge in all-you-can-eat raclette, served with new potatoes, freshly baked bread, salad and cornichons, with mini chocolate doughnuts for pud. Or you can gather round one of the fire pits and tuck into raclette burgers, pigs-in-blankets hot dogs, chicken schnitzel burgers, toasted marshmallows and mulled wine.
Indulge in a little friendly competition and sweep your way to glory this festive season at The Curling Club at the Southbank Centre (open until 6th Feb 2025) and Vinegar Yard (open from 1st Nov 2024 – 28th Feb 2025). You’ll be able to get on the curling sheets and show off your skills, using the same granite stones as top curlers worldwide do. And there’ll be winter cocktails, street food, and live entertainment to keep the party going after the games have finished.
Indulge in Après Ski at Lodge d'Argent
Courchevel has come to the City as Coq d’Argent has popped festive Lodge d’Argent chalets on the rooftop. The huts are kitted out with faux-fur blankets and fairy lights, and you can cosy up with cocktails, alpine-inspired small plates like whole baked Mont d’Or cheese, charcuterie, tartiflette, and gingerbread sponge with custard cream.