Christmas Shows 2026: London's Best Festive Theatre, Pantomimes, Musicals & Christmas Experiences
Christmas in London is about so much more than shopping, Christmas markets and twinkling lights. For me, it's the season of festive theatre, family traditions, memorable nights out and discovering something new alongside a few much-loved favourites.
Whether you're looking for spectacular theatre, laugh-out-loud pantomime, a festive family adventure, an immersive experience or simply an excuse to celebrate with friends and family, here are my top picks for Christmas 2026.
There will be a seperate post for 'Adult Pantomines' coming shortly.
🎭 Theatre & Immersive Experiences
Ceilidh
Shoreditch Town Hall, 380 Old Street, London EC1V 9LT
Runs until: 28 February 2027
Special performances: Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve and Burns Night
Booking: https://www.shoreditchtownhall.com
One of the most joyful and unexpected theatrical experiences I've seen this year, Ceilidh deserves a place on any festive season list.
Produced with the support of Alan Cumming and developed through Pitlochry Festival Theatre, this remarkable new musical transforms Shoreditch Town Hall into a space where strangers become friends, stories are shared and everyone feels part of something bigger. While the title might suggest an evening of Scottish dancing, Ceilidh is much more than that. At its heart is a genuinely moving story about family, belonging, heritage, identity and love.
Drawing on the tradition of Scotland's great callers, those who guide dancers through the steps and keep the spirit of ceilidhs alive, the story follows Ramsay, heir to a generations-old family tradition. What unfolds is funny, heartwarming and, at times, unexpectedly emotional. One particular reveal towards the end completely caught us off guard, transforming an evening full of laughter and music into something genuinely moving.
The music is sensational. The live band, featuring fiddle, accordion, piano and percussion, provides the beating heart of the production, while the cast deliver performances full of warmth, humour and authenticity. There are immersive elements throughout, including a wee dram and haggis bon bons during the interval, all helping to create the sense that you're attending a real community celebration rather than simply watching a show.
What makes Ceilidh such a perfect festive recommendation is the way it captures everything many of us are looking for at this time of year. Community. Connection. Music. Shared experiences.
It runs right through the festive season, including Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve and Burns Night, making it the ideal choice whether you're looking for a Christmas treat, a New Year celebration or a wonderful way to brighten the darker winter months.
As the final notes of Auld Lang Syne ring out, you'll likely find yourself holding hands with people who were complete strangers a few hours earlier. Few productions embody the spirit of togetherness quite so beautifully.
Quite simply, don't miss it.
Sophie's Surprise Christmas Party
Underbelly Boulevard Soho, 6 Walker's Court Soho, W1F1F 0BT
Dates: 13 November 2026 – 10 January 2027
If your ideal Christmas night out involves circus performers flying overhead, audience participation, festive throwback tunes and a healthy dose of Christmas chaos, then Sophie's Surprise Christmas Party should be firmly on your radar.
Returning after last year's success, this gloriously bonkers festive spectacular combines world-class circus, comedy and immersive theatre in a party where anything can happen. Sophie has lost her Christmas spirit and only the most outrageous Christmas party imaginable can help her find it again. The twist? One audience member is chosen to become Sophie at every performance.
Expect aerial acrobatics, festive mayhem, a stripping Scrooge, the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future, and even a thawed-out Mariah Carey. Created by the award-winning team behind Sophie's Surprise 29th, it promises the sort of unforgettable festive madness that's perfect for Christmas parties, celebrations with friends or anyone who prefers their festive entertainment a little less traditional.
There's an added reason to visit this year too, as it will be the final production ever staged at Underbelly Boulevard Soho before the venue closes its doors, ensuring the theatre goes out with a suitably spectacular festive bang.
A Christmas Carol
The Old Vic 103 The Cut, London SE1 8NB
Dates: 10 Nov 2026–09 Jan 2027
Booking: Events | Old Vic
There are some Christmas traditions that have become part of London's festive fabric and A Christmas Carol at The Old Vic is undoubtedly one of them.
Matthew Warchus's acclaimed production returns for the last time, bringing together music, storytelling, theatrical magic and plenty of festive warmth. Dickens' timeless story of redemption continues to resonate, and The Old Vic somehow manages to make it feel both familiar and completely fresh every year. This year it's Giles Terera's turn to play Scrooge.
Expect snowfall, mince pies, satsumas, laughter, tears and a reminder of what Christmas is really all about.
Top tip, if you can wait until January, and are a senior, there are a few seats at around half price.
The Great Christmas Feast: A Christmas Carol
The Lost Estate, 7–9 Beaumont Avenue, West Kensington, London (W14 9LP)
Dates: Selected dates throughout November and December 2026
Booking: Tickets - The Great Christmas Feast
If you've ever wished you could step straight into the pages of a Dickens novel, this is the experience for you.
The Great Christmas Feast transforms A Christmas Carol into a fully immersive festive celebration. As Scrooge's story unfolds around you, guests enjoy a lavish Christmas feast whilst becoming part of the Victorian world created around them through live performance, music and interactive storytelling.
Part theatre, part Christmas party and part festive banquet, this is one of the most unique seasonal experiences in London, though it's not cheap.
A Christmas Carol: As Told By Jacob Marley (Deceased)
Stanley Arts, 12 South Norwood Hill, London, SE25 6AB
Date: 26 November 2026
If you've seen countless versions of A Christmas Carol and fancy something different, this is well worth seeking out.
James Hyland's acclaimed solo performance retells Dickens' masterpiece through the eyes of Jacob Marley. Atmospheric, inventive and beautifully performed, the show is now entering its eighteenth anniversary season and has become one of the country's most celebrated alternative versions of the Christmas classic.
A Dickens of a Christmas
Park Theatre, Finsbury Park 13 Clifton Terrace, London N4 3JP
Dates: 15 December 2026 - 9 January 2027
We all know A Christmas Carol, but did you know Charles Dickens wrote a whole collection of festive ghost stories, supernatural tales and eccentric Christmas adventures?
This Christmas, award-winning theatre company Maybe You Like It heads to Park Theatre with the world premiere of A Dickens of a Christmas, a fast-paced and delightfully mischievous celebration of Dickens' lesser-known festive stories.
Expect goblins haunting church towers, ghosts offering dangerous bargains, mysterious children wandering Victorian London and a wonderfully eclectic cast of characters whose fates intertwine on Christmas Eve. The production promises frenetic multi-roling, quick-fire comedy, festive spirits both literal and metaphorical, and the kind of inventive storytelling that has become a hallmark of Maybe You Like It's work.
What appeals most to me is that this feels like a chance to discover a different side of Dickens. Whilst London has no shortage of Christmas Carol adaptations each year, this production explores the rich collection of festive tales that helped establish Dickens as one of Christmas's great storytellers in the first place.
For anyone who loves Victorian ghost stories, inventive theatre and Christmas with a slightly mischievous edge, this looks like a wonderfully alternative festive treat.
Sherlock's Last Tape
Southwark Playhouse Borough, 77-85 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BD ·
Dates: 10th December to 9th January
For those who prefer their Christmas entertainment with a darker edge, Sherlock's Last Tape looks set to be one of the season's most intriguing new productions.
Created by immersive theatre maker Rosanna Mallinson, this psychological thriller draws inspiration from Sherlock Holmes and reimagines three classic stories for the technological age. Told through police archives, old VHS recordings and fragments of internet history, a mysterious figure known only as "S" recounts a series of increasingly disturbing cases.
Featuring immersive sound design, blackouts, jump scares and plenty of twists, this is definitely one for those who like a little horror alongside their Christmas cheer.
Yippee Ki Yay
Riverside Studios, 101 Queen Caroline Street, Hammersmith, London, W6 9BN
Dates: 8–19 December 2026
Booking: Choose Seats | Riverside Studios
Every Christmas someone starts the debate: is Die Hard really a Christmas film?
Richard Marsh's hugely entertaining one-man show embraces the argument wholeheartedly. Part comedy, part storytelling and part celebration of an action-movie classic, it's funny, nostalgic and unexpectedly heartwarming.
Whether you're firmly Team Christmas Film or not, you'll have a great night out.
🎭 Family Pantomimes
Jack and the Beanstalk
Hackney Empire, 291 Mare St, London E8 1EJ
Dates: 21st November to 31st December 2026
No London panto roundup would be complete without a trip to Hackney Empire.
This year, Olivier Award-winning panto king Clive Rowe returns to both direct and star in Jack and the Beanstalk, bringing his trademark blend of warmth, comedy and larger-than-life festive fun to one of London's most beloved pantomime venues.
When Jack swaps the family's cow for a handful of magic beans, he finds himself embarking on an adventure that leads to an enchanted land, a towering giant and plenty of unexpected surprises.
Hackney Empire has built a reputation for producing some of the capital's very best family pantomimes and, if previous years are anything to go by, tickets are unlikely to hang around for long. Expect stunning costumes, fabulous musical numbers, audience participation and enough festive magic to delight children and grown-ups alike.
Potted Panto
Adelphi Theatre, Strand
Dates: Christmas 2026
Booking:
There are some Christmas traditions I'll defend more fiercely than the last purple Quality Street. A real Christmas tree, Bucks Fizz for breakfast, a beautifully laid table and, until recently, my annual pilgrimage to Wilton's Music Hall for Potted Panto.
This year the Olivier Award-nominated festive favourite heads into the West End, bringing its gloriously chaotic blend of parody, nostalgia and panto mayhem to the Adelphi Theatre.
Created by the team behind the hugely successful Potted Potter, Potted Panto somehow squeezes all your favourite pantomimes into one hilarious evening. Expect gloriously daft versions of Cinderella, Aladdin, Jack and the Beanstalk, Dick Whittington, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, alongside festive surprises, topical jokes and enough audience participation to keep everyone on their toes.
What I love most about Potted Panto is that it works on so many levels. Younger audience members delight in the slapstick and silliness, while adults enjoy the clever parody, quick-fire jokes and theatrical in-jokes. It's one of those rare family shows where everyone leaves feeling they've had just as much fun as each other.
Expect festive chaos, plenty of laughs and at least one moment where you're wondering how on earth they got from A Christmas Carol to a panto villain. Somehow it always makes perfect sense.
If you're looking for a show that captures the anarchic joy of British pantomime while affectionately sending it up at the same time, Potted Panto remains one of the funniest festive nights out around. Having seen it bring the house down year after year, I'm delighted to see it moving to the Adelphi and reaching an even bigger audience this Christmas.
Dick Whittington
King's Head Theatre, 116 Upper St, Islington, London N1 1QP
Dates: 22nd November to 3rd January 2027
The King's Head Theatre joins London's festive line-up with Dick Whittington, a family-friendly retelling of the classic tale of the boy who heads to London seeking fame and fortune alongside his trusty cat.
Of course, life isn't quite that simple when the city is overrun with rats. Throw in toe-tapping tunes, colourful characters, plenty of laughs and a helping of festive magic, and you've got all the ingredients for a cracking Christmas family outing.
For families looking for a traditional panto in a smaller, more intimate setting, this looks like a lovely addition to the festive season.
Robyn Hood
Bridge House Theatre, Penge, SE20 8RZ
Dates: 12 December 2026 – 9 January 2027
The Bridge House Theatre's annual pantomime has become one of South East London's festive highlights and this year's offering looks as delightfully chaotic as ever.
Robyn Hood takes the familiar legend of Robin Hood and gives it the Bridge House treatment, complete with audience participation, larger-than-life characters, topical jokes and plenty of festive silliness.
Sherwood Forest has never looked quite like this before.
🎵 Musicals, Family Shows & Variety Entertainment
Christmas Wonderland
Brick Lane Music Hall, Silvertown 443 N Woolwich Rd, London E16 2DA
Dates: 19 November – 19 December 2026
For pure festive nostalgia, Christmas Wonderland at Brick Lane Music Hall looks hard to beat.
Hosted by Music Hall legend Vincent Hayes MBE, this all-new production combines festive songs, comedy, variety performances, audience participation and excellent food in a setting unlike anywhere else in London.
Audiences can enjoy classic Christmas songs, a playful nativity-inspired musical medley, festive tap dancing, traditional carols and plenty of Music Hall humour, alongside afternoon tea, festive lunches or full Christmas dinners.
What I particularly love about Brick Lane Music Hall is that it feels less like going to a show and more like joining a celebration. It's warm, welcoming and wonderfully old-fashioned in the very best sense.
Anything Goes
The Mill at Sonning, Sonning Eye RG4 6TY
Dates: 19 November 2026 – 17 January 2027
Booking: Mill At Sonning
Whilst it's a little way outside London, a Christmas trip to The Mill at Sonning has become one of my festive highlights over the years and I'm sure this year's production will be every bit as wonderful as ever.
One of the few remaining dinner theatres in the country, The Mill offers something genuinely special. Your ticket includes a two-course meal, instantly turning a theatre trip into a proper festive occasion. It's well worth hopping on a train to Reading or making the drive out of London.
This year they're staging Cole Porter's much-loved musical comedy Anything Goes, featuring all the glamour, romance and escapism you could wish for at Christmas.
Set aboard the luxury liner S.S. American, the show is packed with mistaken identities, romance and some of the greatest songs ever written, including I Get a Kick Out of You, You're the Top and Anything Goes.
For me, this is proof that some of the very best festive theatre experiences aren't always found in the West End.
Stick Man
Bloomsbury Theatre, 15 Gordon Street, WC1H 0AH
Dates: 3 December 2026 – 3 January 2027
Age: Suitable for all ages
Booking: www.stickmanonstage.co.uk
There are some Christmas shows that become family traditions, and Stick Man has firmly earned that status. Returning to London for its 15th festive season, this much-loved adaptation of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's bestselling book arrives back at the Bloomsbury Theatre this winter.
What begins as an innocent morning jog soon turns into an epic adventure as poor Stick Man finds himself caught up in a series of increasingly unlikely mishaps. A dog wants to play fetch with him, a swan decides he's perfect nest-building material, and before long he's a long way from the family tree and his Stick Lady Love. The question is whether he'll make it home in time for Christmas.
Created by Freckle Productions, the team behind stage favourites Zog, Zog and the Flying Doctors and The Baddies, the show combines puppetry, songs, live music and plenty of humour to bring the much-loved story to life.
If you're looking for a first theatre trip for little ones, or a festive outing that genuinely appeals across generations, Stick Man remains one of the safest recommendations in town. Warm, funny and packed with Christmas spirit, it's easy to see why families return year after year.
The Nutcracker and the Mouse King
Soho Theatre Walthamstow, 186 Hoe Street, London E17 4QH
Dates: 22 December 2026 – 3 January 2027
Age Recommendation: 4+
If you're looking for a festive family show that's a little different from the traditional ballet, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King is a wonderful alternative.
Olivier Award-winning theatre company Little Bulb brings its Olivier Award-nominated production to Soho Theatre Walthamstow following hugely successful runs at Polka Theatre and in the West End.
Packed with music, comedy, inventive cardboard creations and an army of mischievous musical mice, this imaginative adventure follows two siblings on a magical Christmas Eve journey into the Mousey Realm.
It's energetic, funny, heartwarming and festive without feeling remotely traditional.
🎄 Festive Experiences & Family Activities
Battersea Glide
Battersea Power Station
Dates: November 2026 – January 2027
Skating beneath the iconic chimneys of Battersea Power Station is to quickly become one of London's great festive traditions.
The riverside setting, festive food stalls, Christmas atmosphere and spectacular backdrop make this much more than simply an ice rink. Whether you're visiting with family, friends or planning a festive date night, Battersea Glide offers one of the most atmospheric winter experiences in the capital.
Father Christmas at Woolwich Works
Woolwich Works, Royal Arsenal
Dates: Selected dates in December 2026
Tickets: Santa's Grotto 2026 | Woolwich Works
Families with younger children should definitely add this to their Christmas list.
Set within Woolwich Works' beautifully restored historic buildings, children can meet Father Christmas, enjoy seasonal activities and soak up the festive atmosphere in one of South East London's most impressive cultural venues.
A lovely Christmas outing.
🎻 Festive Talks, Ideas & Alternative Christmas Events
Nine Lessons and Carols for Curious People
Kings Place, King's Cross
Dates: 11-13 December 2026
Family Matinee: 12 December 2026
Booking: Kings Place
Not all Christmas traditions involve pantomimes, Dickens or festive jumpers.
One of the highlights of the festive calendar for anyone who loves science, culture, comedy and discovering something new is Nine Lessons and Carols for Curious People, which returns to Kings Place this December.
Hosted by Robin Ince, this wonderfully eclectic annual event from the Cosmic Shambles Network combines talks, music, comedy and big ideas in a gloriously unpredictable celebration of curiosity. Think of it as a Christmas carol service for people who get excited about geology, astronomy, biology, books and asking interesting questions.
This year's guests include Dr Katie Mack, Professor Helen Czerski, Professor Turi King, Professor Chris Jackson, Professor Dame Ijeoma Uchegbu, Nikesh Shukla and comedian Tadiwa Mahlunge, alongside musicians, writers, scientists and a few surprise guests that are traditionally kept under wraps until the last minute.
What I particularly love about this event is that it captures something many of us need in December. Amid all the noise and commercialism of Christmas, it offers a chance to spend an evening feeling inspired, learning something new and being reminded just how fascinating the world is. It's thoughtful, funny, uplifting and unlike anything else on the festive calendar.
There's also a spec family matinee on 12 December, making it a lovely option for curious younger minds too. Best of all, all profits go to charity, supporting Two Wheels for Life and Refugee Education UK, with collections also supporting the Euston Foodbank.
If your perfect Christmas event involves ideas as much as entertainment, this is one not to miss.
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