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It’s the most wonderful time of the year to visit the West End — not least because it’s absolutely GLOWING right now.
Dazzling Christmas light displays in St Martin’s Lane, Leicester Square and Piccadilly were unveiled earlier this week. Not only have they added a shed-load of seasonal sparkle to this buzzy district — St Martin’s Lane alone now boasts eight thousand energy efficient LED bulbs — but the switch-on also marks the start of all sorts of festivities.
Explore Leicester Square’s twinkling Christmas Market (look out for the cinema-inspired statues that form its Scenes in the Square film trail while you’re there!) Admire Piccadilly’s slimmed down (but no less magical) aerial display in between drooling over the bespoke hampers in Fortnum’s newly opened Christmas shop and the boutiques of Burlington Arcade. See the lights of St Martin’s Lane after a trip to the theatre to see a critically-acclaimed adaptation of Dr Strangelove starring Steve Coogan, Lily Collins in new play Barcelona, or hit new musical Why Am I So Single?
Culture-seekers will also want to check out Art of London’s handy online guides. These are absolutely stuffed with world-class galleries, theatres, museums and pop ups to explore, and there are even specially-crafted Christmas itineraries for extra festive magic.
Plan Your Festive Adventure
Noel Streatfeild hive, rise up. A stage play based on the girlhood classic Ballet Shoes is coming to London. See the story of three orphaned sisters who attend performing arts school brought to life at the National Theatre from November.
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Get your life admin dome while admiring atmospheric 19th century views of the River Thames, with help of this Monet and London calendar for 2025. It features works from The Courtauld’s art exhibition of the same name, including Monet’s depictions of the Houses of Parliament, Charing Cross Bridge and Waterloo Bridge.
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Boba tea brand CUPP has launched its first-ever hot food menu, crafted to complement its extensive range of milk, fruit, brown sugar and matcha teas. You can expect a range of Taiwanese-inspired dishes, including pumpkin korokke, yakitori chicken skewers, and plum-salted potato pops.
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Join East Croydon Cool for an evening of music, conversation and canned cocktails on 26 November at Braithwaite Hall. This is the inaugural edition of Lit Nights — a literary salon for the 21st century. Your headline guest is Yomi Adegoke, internationally best-selling author of The List.
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After ten years on the road, Filipino street food concept Turo Turo has found its first permanent home. Head to Tooting from 14 November for BBQ delights like chicken inasal, adobo spare ribs, and garlic butter prawns, alongside rum and sugar cane cocktails.
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