Christmas celebrations are upon us, and where better to step into Christmas in the city than Covent Garden. A full Christmas schedule begins on the 9th of November, where Covent Garden will transform into a festive winter wonderland! Classic Christmas lights (over 115,000 of them to be precise), a giant 55ft tree, faux snow, giant baubles, mistletoe, and mulled wine will help us get into the Christmas spirit in the run-up to Christmas Day.

A Covent Garden Christmas Village complete with Festive Food Markets and Dome Dining experiences becomes London’s newest foodie destination. Covent Garden will become home to the city’s first-ever Christmas sandwich festival this winter; 15 Christmas sandwiches will be on offer from the 15th to the 24th of November, showcasing classic fillings of turkey and cranberry sauce and whackier fillings of brussel sprout stuffing. Sandwich options will be available for both grab and go or to dine in across nine sites Frenchie, Avobar and Ladurée, and pop-up vendors will also be joining in on the fun – The Smokey Gaucho, Mr Pig Stuff, and The Cheese Toaster to name a few.

Following last year’s success in raising £15,000, Covent Garden is delighted to announce the return of the Gift for Good online charity auction running from the 25th – 28th November. Proceeds go to the charity Only A Pavement Away, which works alongside Crisis on its mission to end homelessness. 

A long-standing partnership between Disney and Covent garden brings ‘Frozen’ to the market this year! Frozen the Musical launches in the West End, and family-friendly experiences will be on show in the Piazza from the 9th November to the 3rd January. In the ‘Frozen Forest’ visitors will find snowy trees and hourly snow flurries from midday until 7 pm each day with a musical rendition of ‘Let It Go’ playing in the background.

For more family-friendly fun, guests won’t want to miss the immersive LEGO® adventure! We all know that LEGO® is not just for kids, and the installation invites everyone in the family to explore a playful and colourful brick-built world. Walk all around the installation for free, and guests can finish their visit with a trip to LEGO®’s Christmas shop selling a bespoke range of LEGO® gifts.

Other things not to be missed in the Covent Garden Christmas run-up! A Fujifilm expert from the Fujifilm House of Photography will be on hand with their Instax camera to capture instant snaps for visitors to take away as keepsakes with them every Friday throughout December. Covent Garden is also in partnership with AMEX offering cardholders £10 back when they spend a minimum of £50 across any of Covent Garden’s participating brands, and during the first three weeks of December, an exclusive AMEX lounge will be open to all shoppers on Floral Street.

Giant nutcrackers will stand guard to the Royal Opera House Arcade as the Christmas ballet The Nutcracker will be showing from the 23rd of November until the 8th of January for festive family entertainment during the Christmas period – tickets are almost sold out for this! Covent Garden restaurants and bars will also continue to offer weatherproof drinking and dining for visitors, with over 1000 outdoor dining seats across 55 restaurants, with heaters, umbrellas, and windbreak screens.

For festive celebrations and a wide selection of experiences, shopping and dining, Covent Garden is the ultimate destination to celebrate the festive season. For further information visit: www.coventgarden.london

Written by Lenny Wright

Photography courtesy of Covent Garden