November is packed with free things to do in London. It starts with fireworks, includes two of the city’s biggest free traditions, Remembrance Sunday and the Lord Mayor’s Show, and ends with the Christmas markets and lights in full swing. Here’s everything free in London in November 2026, plus the ticket release dates to put in your diary.
Key free dates in November 2026
| Date | What’s on | Where |
|---|---|---|
| From Mon 2 Nov | Southbank Centre Winter Market opens | South Bank |
| Wed 4 Nov | Carnaby Street Christmas lights | Carnaby Street |
| Thu 5 Nov, gates 3.30pm | Free Fireworks Night, adults must come with a child | Coram’s Fields, Bloomsbury |
| Thu 5 Nov | Regent Street Christmas lights | Regent Street |
| From Thu 5 Nov | Ever After Garden, a free illuminated rose garden | Duke of York Square, Chelsea |
| 6 to 15 Nov | Field of Remembrance | Westminster Abbey |
| Sat 7 Nov, 12pm to 6pm | Big Festive Pop-Up Black Marketplace | St Michael’s Church, Camden Town |
| Sun 8 Nov, from 8am | Remembrance Sunday, silence at 11am | The Cenotaph, Whitehall |
| Wed 11 Nov, 11am | Armistice Day two-minute silence | Everywhere, and the Cenotaph |
| Wed 11 Nov, 3pm to 8pm | Marylebone lights switch-on at 6pm, with a Ferris wheel | Devonshire Street, Marylebone |
| Wed 11 Nov, evening | Singles’ Day: free switch-ons, cheap comedy and singles nights (our 11.11 guide) | Across London |
| Thu 12 Nov, from 4pm | Bond Street lights switch-on, 6pm to 7pm | Bond Street |
| Thu 12 Nov | Covent Garden Christmas lights | Covent Garden |
| Sat 14 Nov, from 11am | The Lord Mayor’s Show | Mansion House to the Royal Courts of Justice |
| Sat 14 Nov, 10am to 7pm | Urban Elephant Festival | Elephant and Castle |
| Sat 14 and Sun 15 Nov | Light + Flight Festival | Finchley Lakeside, Barnet |
| Sun 15 Nov | AJEX Remembrance parade | The Cenotaph |
| Sundays from 15 Nov | South Bank Christmas Market | Between the Bridges |
| Thu 19 Nov | Winter Wonderland opens, with a free Santa’s grotto inside | Hyde Park |
| Sat 21 and Sun 22 Nov | Free garden open days | Hampton Court Palace |
| Sat 21 and Sun 22 Nov | Brick Lane Flea Market | Commercial Street |
| Thu 26 Nov, from 6.30pm | Science Museum Pokémon x ESA Lates, 18+, free ticket | South Kensington |
| Fri 27 Nov | V&A Friday Late and Tate Modern Lates, free | South Kensington and Bankside |
| Sat 28 Nov | Big Kensington Vintage Flea Market | Phillimore Walk |
| Sat 28 Nov | New London Museum opens, free galleries | Smithfield |
| Sat 28 and Sun 29 Nov, 5pm | Advent Carol Service, no ticket | St Paul’s Cathedral |
| Sun 29 Nov | Advent carols at St Martin-in-the-Fields (5pm) and Southwark Cathedral (6pm) | Trafalgar Square and London Bridge |
Bonfire Night
Coram’s Fields in Bloomsbury holds central London’s only free public fireworks display on Thursday 5 November. Gates open at 3.30pm and the fireworks start at 6pm. It’s a children’s park, so adults can only get in with a child aged 19 or under. Paid displays start from £5.50 for children at Blackheath. Every display, with prices, is in our Bonfire Night fireworks guide.
Remembrance
- Remembrance Sunday, 8 November: the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph is free, with no tickets. Whitehall opens at 8am and the two-minute silence is at 11am.
- Field of Remembrance: thousands of small crosses and poppies beside Westminster Abbey, free from 6 to 15 November.
- Imperial War Museum: free entry, with a two-minute silence in the Atrium on Remembrance Sunday.
- Armistice Day, Wednesday 11 November: a two-minute silence at 11am, and a ceremony at the Cenotaph followed by a service open to all at the Guards’ Chapel at noon.
Timings, where to stand and a free memorials walk are in our Remembrance Sunday guide.
The Lord Mayor’s Show
On Saturday 14 November, more than 7,000 people, bands, floats and a gilded 1757 State Coach process through the City of London, from Mansion House at 11am. It’s free to watch. St Paul’s Cathedral is also free to enter all day. Where to stand and timings at each spot are in our Lord Mayor’s Show guide.
Christmas markets and lights
London’s Christmas season starts in November, and the markets are free to walk around:
- Southbank Centre Winter Market from 2 November.
- Winter by the River, London Bridge City from 10 November.
- Kingston Christmas Market from 12 November.
- Crafty Fox Christmas Market at the British Library, 14 and 15 November, free entry.
- Christmas Under the Canopy at King’s Cross from 20 November.
- Chelsea Winter Village from 25 November, and the King’s Cross Winter Market from 26 November.
Winter Wonderland opens on 19 November. Every Monday to Thursday in November is off-peak, when entry costs just £1, and the Santa’s grotto inside is free. See our Winter Wonderland on a budget guide.
Carnaby Street’s lights go on from 4 November and Regent Street from 5 November. Marylebone has a free switch-on party with a Ferris wheel on 11 November, and Bond Street switches on at 6pm on 12 November, the same day as Covent Garden. Our London Christmas lights guide has a free walking route, and the Christmas markets map shows what’s open on any day.
More free things to do in November
- Hampton Court Palace gardens are free on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 November, with no booking needed.
- Free festivals: the Urban Elephant Festival on 14 November and the Light + Flight Festival in Barnet on 14 and 15 November.
- Flea and vintage markets: Brick Lane Flea Market on 21 and 22 November and the Big Kensington Vintage Flea Market on 28 November. See our car boots and flea markets guide.
- Free Advent carols: St Paul’s on 28 and 29 November, and St Martin-in-the-Fields and Southwark Cathedral on 29 November, all without a ticket.
- Free museum lates: the V&A and Tate Modern on 27 November, and the Science Museum on 26 November. The new London Museum opens in Smithfield on 28 November with free galleries: see our London Museum Smithfield guide. For more evenings out, see our free museum lates guide.
- Free lunchtime concerts and talks run all month. Check our agenda for this week.
Book now for December
Some of December’s best free and cheap things need booking in November:
- Free carol service tickets: Southwark Cathedral at 10am on Monday 9 November, and Westminster Abbey at 9.30am and 2.30pm on Monday 16 and Wednesday 18 November. St Paul’s runs a ballot, which opens in November. See our free carol services guide.
- Santa’s grottos: the cheapest slots, from £7.50 a child, go first. See our cheap and free Santa’s grottos guide.
- Pantomimes: the £10 seats sell first, and the King’s Head family offer of four tickets for £100 ends on 13 November. See our cheap pantomimes guide.
- Christmas meals: ASK Italian’s three courses for £24.95 only applies between 17 November and 6 December. See our cheap Christmas set menus guide.
Worth paying a little for
- Winter Wonderland: £1 entry off-peak, every Monday to Thursday in November.
- Ice skating: Skate Leicester Square opens on 31 October, and most other rinks open in November. Compare them in our Christmas ice rinks guide.
- A pantomime: the Lyric Hammersmith’s Cinderella opens on 14 November with seats from £10.
Common questions
Is there a free fireworks display in London on Bonfire Night?
Yes. Coram’s Fields in Bloomsbury has free fireworks on Thursday 5 November 2026 at 6pm, but adults can only get in with a child aged 19 or under.
When is Remembrance Sunday in 2026?
Sunday 8 November 2026. Whitehall opens to the public at 8am and the two-minute silence is at 11am. It’s free and needs no ticket.
When do London's Christmas markets open in 2026?
The Southbank Centre Winter Market opens first, on 2 November. Winter by the River follows on 10 November, Kingston on 12 November and Winter Wonderland on 19 November.
When is the Lord Mayor's Show in 2026?
Saturday 14 November 2026. The procession leaves Mansion House at 11am and it’s free to watch from anywhere on the route.
Coming next: free things to do in London in December.
Dates and details come from our individual guides and agenda listings, each checked against the organisers’ official websites. Last checked on 29 October 2026. Check the organiser before you travel, as plans can change.