Morning, London! Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas to you all! We hope you had a wonderful time, however you chose to spend it. As we wrap up the festivities, it's time to look ahead. Are you ready for what could be a blank slate in the new year? We're on the road for another week, but we wanted to check in and wish you the best for the last few days of 2024. We've tidied up the list from last week to make it easier for all our new joiners. Don't worry, we'll be back with our usual weekly dose of fun, useful, and entertaining (stop it now) bits in the New Year. Again, thank you for being part of this. We’ve got plenty coming up next year.

Here's to a fantastic end to 2024 and an even better start to 2025!

But first, the weather:

EVENT SCOOP

What’s on this week?

🎶 Tom Fletcher's The Creakers @ South Bank Centre
Date & Loc: Dec 19th - Jan 5th, South Bank
Expect surprises, silliness, scares and rocking new songs in a brand new magical, musical adventure for all the family, from musician and author Tom Fletcher.
Age: 6+ | Price: from £20 | Info

🎭 Dick Whittington & his Cat @ Hackney Empire
Date & Loc: Dec 19th - Jan 5th, Hackney
Join Dick on his search for fortune, fame and new beginnings! Along the way, he’ll experience the adventure of a lifetime, battling rats, falling in love, and finding himself on the path to becoming the Mayor of London.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £10 | Info

🎭 Slava's SnowShow @ Harold Pinter Theatre
Date & Loc: Dec 19th - Jan 5th, West End
Immerse yourself in the whimsical world of Slava’s Snowshow, a spellbinding spectacle where laughter and wonder collide. It’s a celebration that knows no bounds, uniting people of all walks of life in a shared moment of joyous folly.
Age: 8+ | Price: from £28 | Info

🎭 The Fir Tree @ Studio Theatre
Date & Loc: Dec 12th - 31st, North Finchley
From the creators of Wild  (Unicorn Theatre) and The Little Gardener  (UK Tour), How It Ended present a playfully imaginative re-telling of Hans Christian Andersen’s festive tale, for all the family. Fusing live music and song, live foley sound effects and puppetry.
Age: 6+ | Price: from £12 | Info

🎭 Circa's Duck Pond @ South Bank Centre
Date & Loc: Dec 19th - Jan 5th, South Bank
Stunts. Sequins. Flippers. Feathers. Experience Swan Lake like never before through the magic of Circa’s soaring circus skills.
Age: 5+ | Price: from £20 | Info

🎭 Hansel and Gretel @ Royal Opera House
Date & Loc: Dec 22nd - Jan 9th, Covent Garden
The magic of the Grimm tales comes to life in this mischievous production. A fairy tale adventure for all.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £5 | Info

🚗 Make and Race your own Toy Car @ Alexandra Palace
Date & Loc: Dec 22nd - Jan 3rd, Wood Green
Children will be offered the unique opportunity to make and race their own wooden car. After building it, children can then test its speed on the specially designed race track.
Age: 3+ | Price: from £10.5 | Info

🎁 Festive Family Fun @ Windsor Castle
Date & Loc: Dec 21st - 31st, Windsor
Step into the shoes of a Victorian child this Christmas as you enjoy the beautifully decorated Castle. Drop by the Castle's Learning Centre to hear all about a Victorian Christmas and make a memento to take home, such as a tree decoration, a wreath or an angel, just as Victorian children may have made.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £15 | Info

🎭 A Christmas Carol (ish) @ Soho Place
Date & Loc: Nov 28th - Jan 5th, West End
Join double Emmy-award nominee Nick Mohammed as his critically acclaimed alter-ego Mr. Swallow, alongside a star-studded cast for an all-singing, all-dancing comedy retelling of Dickens’ festive classic.
Age: 10+ | Price: from £36 | Info

🧜‍♀️ The Singing Mermaid @ Little Angel Studios
Date & Loc: Nov 28th - Jan 5th, Angel
Fun, warm-hearted musical adventure this Christmas as this joyful and charming family favourite returns to LAT, following a hugely successful national tour.
Age: 3-8y | Price: from £15 | Info

🎭 Captain Sandy & The Sea Monster @ The Puppet Barge
Date & Loc: Nov 30th-onwards, Little Venice
UK’s only floating puppet theatre. In the little village of Rocky Snore, all the fisherfolk are in a mess, where have all the fish gone? There are no fish to fish! Join Captain Sandy on her adventure to try and find out what happened!
Age: 4-10 | Price: from £10 | Info

🎭 Pan @ Chickenshed Theatre
Date & Loc: Dec 5th - Jan 11th, Southgate (North London)
Get ready to embark on an unforgettable journey as we present PAN, our 50th Anniversary Christmas Show voted for by a whopping 2287 of you! When storytellers come together, new beginnings are born, and old endings cherished.
Age: 5+ | Price: from £16 | Info

🎭 Christmas Tales @ Chickenshed Theatre
Date & Loc: Dec 7th - Dec 30th, Southgate (North London)
Once upon a time, in a land where Christmas magic shimmered, the Shed became a place of wonder and joy. Step into this enchanting world this holiday season, where classic fairy tales come to life with all your favourite Tales characters and festive music.
Age: 0-7y | Price: from £10.50 | Info

🎭 Alice in Wonderland @ Brixton House
Date & Loc: Nov 21st - Jan 4th, Brixton
After an explosive argument with Mum at Brixton Underground Station, eleven-year-old Alice leaps onto the tube seconds before the doors hiss shut.
Age: 7+ | Price: from £15 | Info

🎭 Maddie Moate’s Very Curious Christmas @ Apollo
Date & Loc: Dec 6th - Jan 4th, Soho
Join beloved children’s TV presenter Maddie Moate as she makes her West End debut with this brand-new live show! Following the success of her hit book ‘A Very Curious Christmas’, Maddie is super excited to bring her festive facts and magical experiments to you, at the Apollo Theatre.
Age: 4+ | Price: from £15 | Info

🎭 Pinocchio @ Stratford East
Date & Loc: Until Jan 4th, Stratford
Join wooden puppet Pinocchio, and his poor toy maker father Geppetto in Stratford this Christmas!
Age: Everyone | Price: from £10 | Info

🎭 The Smartest Giant in Town @ St Martins Theatre
Date & Loc: Nov 29th - Jan 5th, West End
A Little Angel Theatre and Fierylight co-production Based on the bestselling book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
Age: Everyone | Price: from £10 | Info

🎭 Odd & the Frost Giants @ Unicorn Theatre
Date & Loc: Nov 19th - Dec 31, London Bridge
It's going to take a very special kind of boy to defeat the most dangerous of all the Frost Giants and rescue the mighty Gods. Someone cheerful and infuriating and clever. Someone just like Odd...
Age: 7+ | Price: from £10.5 | Info

🎭 Huddle @ Unicorn Theatre
Date & Loc: Nov 22nd - Dec 31, London Bridge
During the long, cold winter, Mr Penguin carefully guards his egg. Now this new dad needs to look after his newly born chick on his own and he’s not feeling confident. How will father and baby work it out together?
Age: 2-5 | Price: from £14.5 | Info

🎭 The Nutcracker @ Polka Theatre
Date & Loc: Nov 16th - Jan 26th, Wimbledon
When squabbling siblings Clara and Fritz receive a mysterious Nutcracker toy from their flamboyant Aunty Drosselmeyer, Clara is certain that she doesn't want her accident-prone younger brother anywhere near it!
Age: 5+ | Price: from £12.5 | Info

🩰 Ballet: The Nutcracker @ London Coliseum
Date & Loc: Dec 12th - Jan 12th, Leicester Square
Ballet for kids! Featuring over 100 dancers and musicians, this perennial Christmas favourite brings holiday magic to the West End. The new production is complete with ethereal dancing, intricate sets and Tchaikovsky’s popular score played live.
Age: 6+ | Price: from £60 | Info

🎭 The Snowman @ Peacock Theatre
Date & Loc: Nov 23rd-Jan 4th, Holborn
Join the Boy as his Snowman comes to life and they embark on a magical adventure far across the world. Meet a host of woodland creatures, an assemblage of international Snowmen, and even a dancing Pineapple.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £18 | Info

🎭 The Snow Queen @ the Tabard
Date & Loc: Nov 29th - Jan 4th, Chiswick
From the creative team that brought you the Tabard’s Five Children and It and The Secret Garden comes an unforgettable and thrilling adventure for the whole family Embarking on a once-in-a-lifetime magical quest, Gerda faces the disappearance of her best friend Kai, taken by the enigmatic Snow Queen. Unless Gerda acts swiftly to rescue him, Kai faces eternal entrapment in an icy, endless winter.
Age: 6+ | Price: from £12 | Info

🎭 Room on the Broom @ Lyric Theatre
Date & Loc: Nov 22nd - Jan 5th, Shaftesbury Ave
Jump on board the broom with the witch and her cat in Tall Stories’ fun-filled adaptation of Room on the Broom, the best-selling picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.
Age: 3+ | Price: from £10 | Info

🎭 Red Riding Hood @ Stanley Arts
Date & Loc: Dec 14th - 29th, Croydon
It’s almost Christmas and Red Riding Hood needs to take the cake to Grandma. But will she deliver the cake before the Big Bad Wolf has eaten Grandma for his dinner— or will she end up as dessert?
Age: Everyone | Price: from £12 | Info

🏰 Christmas @ The Tower of London
Date & Loc: Nov 29th - Jan 5th, Tower Hill
This Christmas, explore a royal celebration at the Tower of London with specially created displays that showcase how kings and queens of the past celebrated the festive period.
Age: Family | Price: from £17.40 (under 4 free) | Info

🎁 12 days of Christmas @ Duke of York Square
Date & Loc: Nov 29th - Jan 5th, Chelsea
Celebrate the countdown to Christmas at Duke of York Square, with decorations inspired by the iconic carol, the ‘12 Days of Christmas’, returning with even more enchantment and sparkle.
Age: Family | Price: Free | Info

✨ Churchill in Cartoons @ Imperial War Museum
Date & Loc: Nov 29th – Feb 23rd, Lambeth
This free exhibition at IWM London marks 150 years since Winston Churchill’s birth, uncovering how satirical cartoons influenced public perception during Churchill’s lifetime, and how they shape our understanding of his role in history today.
Age: Everyone | Price: Free | Info

🎭 Cinderella @ King’s Head Theatre
Date & Loc: Nov 30th - Jan 5th, Islington
In drizzly London, it’s hard to find romance these days - everyone is so busy! Cinderella needs help to leave her life of drudgery and explore a world full of adventures.
Age: Family | Price: from £10 | Info

🎭 The Gruffalo’s Child @ Pentland Theatre
Date & Loc: Dec 3rd - Jan 5th, North Finchley
Join the Gruffalo’s Child at artsdepot on her adventurous mission in Tall Stories’ enchanting adaptation of the much-loved picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.
Age: 3+ | Price: from £12 | Info

🎭 Robin Hood & The Christmas Heist @ Rose Theatre
Date & Loc: Nov 30th - Jan 5th, Kingston
Join Robin Hood and his Merry Band for a spectacular festive heist!
Age: Family | Price: from £15 | Info

🎭 Stick Man @ Bloomsbury Theatre
Date & Loc: Dec 4th - Jan 5th, Bloomsbury
Stick Man is back in town! What starts off as a morning jog becomes quite the misadventure for Stick Man. Encountering dogs, swans and fire, how will Stick Man ever get back to the family tree?
Age: 3+ | Price: from £17.50 | Info

🍭 The Gingerbread City @ The Gaumont
Date & Loc: Nov 30th - Dec 29th, Chelsea
Visit The Gingerbread City and discover a sweet futuristic city constructed from gingerbread, candy, and frosting alongside real architectural building models, all designed and built by 50+ architects and designers.
Age: Family | Price: from £15 | Info

🐷 Peppa Pig’s Fun Day Out @ Haymarket
Date & Loc: Nov 29th - Jan 5th, West End
Join Peppa, along with her family and friends as they go to the zoo and also the beach for a special party- it’s going to be an exciting and fun packed day.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £10 | Info

Ongoing events:

🎄 London Christmas Markets
Date & Loc: ongoing
Many of London's best Christmas markets are now open! Some of our favourites include Kingston, Covent Garden, Trafalgar Square, Southbank Centre, Hyde Park, Christmas by the River (London Bridge), Camden Town, Selfridges, King’s Cross, and more!
Age: Family | Price: Free | Info

🌳 Glow @ RHS Garden Wisley
Date & Loc: ongoing, Wisley
Enjoy an enchanting festive trail at these beautiful RHS gardens. Brand new route; Christmas stalls and festive music.
Age: Everyone | Price: from £11.75 | Info

✨ Fulham Palace Light Display
Date & Loc: Nov 28th – Dec 22nd, Fulham
Enjoy a festive walk through the Palace’s garden in this light trail.
Age: Everyone | Price: From £6.95 | Info

🎄 Hyde Park Winter Wonderland
Date & Loc: Nov 21st - Jan 5th, Hyde Park
A festive extravaganza featuring ice skating, thrilling rides, live entertainment, and bustling Christmas markets. Perfect for all ages, it’s a magical destination to celebrate the holiday season in the heart of the city.
Age: Family | Price: Free (off-peak) - £5 | Info

⛸️ Skate @ Somerset House
Date & Loc: ongoing, Temple
Hailed as one of the capital’s favourite winter experiences, Skate at Somerset House signals the start of the festive period with unrivalled skating, contemporary music and tasty food and drink.
Age: Family | Price: From £12 | Info

🎄 Christmas @ Kew Gardens
Date & Loc: ongoing, Kew Gardens
As one of the UK’s leading and most acclaimed illuminated trails, Christmas at Kew is an unmissable opportunity to herald the start of Christmas or welcome in the New Year.
Age: All | Price: From £16 | Info

⛸️ Glide at Battersea Power Station Ice Rink
Date & Loc: ongoing, Battersea
Skate around three interconnecting rinks with Thames views, twinkling lights, and a 30ft Christmas tree.
Age: All | Price: From £10.50 | Info

SANTA’S GROTTOS

Special Edition: Where to meet the Big Guy?

For those who joined us this week, we’ve had a great special edition running for the past few weeks. To keep the email light (thanks, Gmail!), you can check it out here this week.