London’s Christmas markets cost nothing to walk around, which makes them one of the cheapest festive days out in the city. The catch is everything around them: mulled wine, rides, ice skating and entry tickets at the bigger sites. Here’s where to go, which ones are genuinely free and how to keep the bill down.

For every market and ice rink on one map, with opening hours and what’s on today, use our London Christmas markets and ice rinks map.

Quick picks

  • Best free market: Southbank Centre Winter Market, open every day from 2 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 on the riverside by the London Eye.
  • Best big day out: Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, 19 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, with £1 entry in off-peak slots. See how to do Winter Wonderland on a budget.
  • Best outside the centre: Kingston Christmas Market, 12 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, in Kingston’s Ancient Market Place.
  • Best evening: Chelsea Winter Village, 25 November to 28 December 2026. The village is free and only the light trail needs a ticket.
  • Best ice rink for the setting: Skate at Somerset House, 11 November 2026 to 10 January 2027.

The free Christmas markets

Southbank Centre Winter Market

Rows of alpine-style chalets along Queen’s Walk, with street food, mulled wine and gifts, and the London Eye and the river right next to you. It’s free, central and open late: stalls run from 11am to 10pm and the bars until 11pm. Weekday evenings after 7pm have the best atmosphere without the weekend crush.

Dates: 2 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, closed 25 and 31 December. Nearest station: Waterloo.

Kingston Christmas Market

A European-style market of wooden cabins in Kingston upon Thames, with crafts, street food and a bar with live music, choirs and open mic nights. It feels much calmer than the central London markets and the bar stays open into the evening.

Dates: 12 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, closed Christmas Day. Stalls open 10am to 6pm Sunday to Wednesday and until 8pm Thursday to Saturday. Nearest station: Kingston.

Chelsea Winter Village

An evening-only winter village in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, with a Christmas market, festive shops, street food and live music. The village is free for everyone. You only need a ticket for the illuminated light trail, so you can enjoy the market part without paying anything to get in.

Dates: 25 November to 28 December 2026, closed Christmas Day, from 4:30pm to 10pm. Nearest station: Sloane Square.

Winter by the River, London Bridge City

Riverside stalls facing Tower Bridge with crafts, gifts and treats, plus The Clubhouse, a two-storey pop-up bar with a heated rooftop. Walking around is free; drinks and the curling lanes at the pier are paid. It’s a short walk along the river from Borough Market.

Dates: 10 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, closed Christmas Day, 11am to 10pm. Nearest station: London Bridge.

King’s Cross Winter Market and Christmas Under the Canopy

King’s Cross has two free markets a few minutes apart this year. The new King’s Cross Winter Market fills Granary Square with independent makers, food stalls, seasonal bars and a bandstand with live music, from 26 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 (11am to 10pm, 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays; closed 25 and 26 December and 1 January). Christmas Under the Canopy brings more than 50 makers, street food and live music to the West Handyside Canopy from 20 November to 23 December, Tuesday to Sunday.

Nearest station: King’s Cross St Pancras. Pair it with our free things to do at King’s Cross.

Hyde Park Winter Wonderland for less

Winter Wonderland is London’s biggest Christmas fair, with over 100 chalets, bars, rides, shows and a huge ice rink. It’s also where a festive day out gets expensive fast, so plan it:

  • Book a £1 off-peak slot. Off-peak entry costs £1, standard £5.50 and peak £8.25, and everyone needs a ticket. Every Monday to Thursday in November is off-peak. Entry is free only if you spend £25 online on rides, food or packages.
  • Choose one or two paid things. Rides, shows and the ice rink are all extra. Decide in advance rather than paying as you go.
  • Eat before you arrive. Food and drink prices inside are high, and the chalets are fun to browse on a full stomach.

Dates: 19 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, closed Christmas Day. Usually 10am to 10pm, with later morning openings on some weekdays. Nearest station: Hyde Park Corner.

Short Christmas fairs worth catching

  • Chelsea Physic Garden Christmas Fair, 26 to 29 November 2026. Independent makers inside London’s oldest botanic garden. Tickets are £8 booked ahead or £10 on the door.
  • Mayfair Christmas Market, 26 to 28 November 2026, 11am to 9pm on Mayfair Place, with festive food, mulled wine and gifts.
  • Crafty Fox Christmas Market at the British Library, 14 and 15 November 2026. Independent makers with a different line-up each day, free entry.
  • Finnish Church Christmas Fair, Rotherhithe, 27 to 29 November and 4 to 6 December 2026. Nordic food, glögi and Moomin gifts, with a suggested £1 donation.
  • Fulham Palace Christmas Fair, 5 and 6 December 2026, 11am to 4pm. Adults £5, children £3.
  • Hampton Court Palace Festive Fayre, 4 to 6 and 11 to 13 December 2026, with over 100 artisan producers next to the palace ice rink.
  • Curated Makers Christmas Market, Battersea Power Station, 5 to 22 December 2026. 24 makers indoors, with a new line-up every few days, free entry. Make a day of it with our free things to do in Battersea.
  • Christmas Fair at Eltham Palace, 5 and 6 December 2026, 10am to 4pm. Makers in the medieval Great Hall, included with palace admission.

Free Christmas lights to pair with a market

The street lights are free and need no booking. Carnaby switches on from 4 November, Regent Street’s angels from 5 November and Covent Garden from 12 November. For a paid light trail, Christmas at Kew runs on selected dates from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, with off-peak tickets from £29.50 for adults and £20 for children.

Where to go ice skating this Christmas

None of London’s seasonal rinks are free, but off-peak sessions and deals keep the cost down. For every rink compared, read our guide to ice skating in London this Christmas:

  • Skate at Somerset House: 11 November 2026 to 10 January 2027. Children £11, adults £15 to £28.50 depending on peak or off-peak.
  • Skate Leicester Square: 31 October 2026 to 3 January 2027, around the Shakespeare statue in the middle of the square.
  • Glide at Battersea Power Station: 6 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. Three linked rinks and a riverside skating trail.
  • The Queen’s House Ice Rink, Greenwich: 18 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. Kids skate free on Tuesdays and students from £10 on student nights.
  • Hampton Court Palace Ice Rink: 20 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, beside the Tudor palace.

All five are closed on Christmas Day. Canary Wharf’s rink is not returning for 2026.

Still waiting for 2026 dates

Several favourites hadn’t confirmed their 2026 dates on their own websites when we last checked, including Trafalgar Square, the Christmas market in Leicester Square, Old Spitalfields, Wembley Park and Columbia Road’s Christmas Wednesdays. We add them to the map as soon as they’re confirmed.

More cheap Christmas ideas

Pair a market with a free walk past the London Christmas lights, or see everything else on in our free things to do in London in December. Looking for markets the rest of the year? See our London markets by day and car boots and flea markets. And for free things to do this week, check what’s on this weekend.