Things To Do This Weekend In London: 28-29 December 2024
Keep yourself busy over that weird weekend between Christmas and New Year.
All weekend
CHRISTMAS TRANSPORT: Before you make any plans for this weekend, check the Christmas transport situation in London. Thankfully there's not as much disruption as there has been in previous years, but you'll find a couple of big closures worth knowing about.
ICE SKATING: London's festive ice rinks remain open throughout the Christmas period and into January. Somerset House, Battersea Power Station and Hyde Park are just some of the places you can take to the ice this year — here's a full ice skating guide.
CHRISTMAS LIGHTS: London's Christmas lights remain illuminated every evening until early January. Have a read of our guide to London's Christmas light displays for tips on seeing them — you can do it by bus (not Christmas Day), or on foot with our self-guided festive walking route though central London.
WINTER WONDERLAND: Epic festive fair Hyde Park Winter Wonderland is all-systems-go throughout the festive season, closing only on 25 December. Fairground rides, markets, food and drink stalls, circus shows and an ice rink are all part of the fun — just bear in mind that you need to book your entry in advance. Until 5 January
PANTO: From classic Aladdin at the Lyric Hammersmith, to Snow White with a sassy twist, via Jack and the Beanstalk, Dick Whittington and Peter Pan, London's panto scene is thriving this year. Read our guide to London's pantomimes this year to choose your show.
FESTIVE THEATRE: The Snowman, Cinderella and The Nutcracker are among the festive productions taking place on stage in London this year. From ballet to circus to musicals, take a look at these fantastically festive theatre shows in London, and book yourself a seat this Twixmas. We've also got a guide to family-friendly shows, if you're treating the whole clan to a festive outing.
TWIXTMAS: Our full guide to things to do in London between Christmas and New Year has oodles more ideas for ways to keep out of mischief this week.
Saturday 28 December
XMAS SLAYCATION: Heavy metal meets wrestling at Xmas Slaycation at The O2, combing Lucha Libre wrestling with Slay Duggee, a five-piece band which performs metal versions of family favourites and kids theme tunes. The whole event is family-friendly — and probably the only place you'll ever see masked Luchadore fighters alongside music from Baby Shark, Bluey, and Spongebob Squarepants. Doors 12pm
THE GENTLE AUTHOR: Join the Gentle Author — who runs the Spitalfields Life blog — for a winter walk through the City of London. Meet at St Paul's Cathedral and pass some of the area's most historic spots, including Roman relics and 18th century graffiti, before finishing with refreshments at Barbican Library. 1pm
SUFFRAGETTE LINE: Footprints of London marks the recent renaming of the London Overground lines with a series of walks along the Suffragette line. Meet at Leytonstone High Road station and explore the history of the local area, spanning an internationally renowned naturalist, a cancer specialist who courted controversy when he treated the heir to the throne of Germany, filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock and highwayman Dick Turpin. 2pm-4pm
SWING INTO CHRISTMAS: Down for the Count Swing Orchestra return to Cadogan Hall for their annual show, Swing Into Christmas. The 38-piece big band with strings recreate the music of Nat 'King' Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday. 2.30pm/7.30pm
BIG GAME 16: Harlequins' Rugby Union Big Game is one of the biggest events in London in the downtime between Christmas and New Year. This is the 16th edition, and like last year, both Harlequins Men and Women's sides are playing the same opposition in a double header against the Leicester Tigers. Entertainment comes courtesy of dance music group Rudimental. Takes place at Twickenham Stadium. 3pm
BONGO'S BINGO: 'Bingo all the way' is the theme of the Bongo's Bingo Christmas show at Big Penny Social — though really, the bingo takes a back seat behind festive tunes, dance-offs and singalongs. 6pm-11pm
DROP JONNIES: Described as "drawing a lovely lively line between Eddie and the Hot Rods and the Libertines", the Drop Jonnies headline the Dublin Castle in Camden tonight, with rumbling alt death metal support from Joe Lugosi. 7.15pm
Sunday 29 December
THE NUTCRACKER: Once again, the Birmingham Royal Ballet brings its production of festive ballet The Nutcracker to the Royal Albert Hall. The Royal Ballet Sinfonia plays Tchaikovsky's famous score in this family-friendly show, as world-class ballerinas portray Clara's toys coming to life and getting drawn into the world of the Sugar Plum Fairy. 29-31 December
PARADE WARM-UPS: Ahead of the New Year's Day Parade on Wednesday, several of the bands take part in warm-up concerts around the capital, including at St John's Smith Square and St John's Waterloo today. Many of the performers are school bands who fly in from the USA for the week. 29 December-2 January
FAMILY RAVE: Start the New Year's Eve celebrations early as Big Fish Little Fish holds two of its famous family raves at Longfield Hall in Brixton. Take to the dance floor as a family while a DJ plays club classics — with bubbles, crafts and other activities to keep younger partygoers entertained. 12pm/3pm
ALIEN: Step away from Christmas entirely and immerse yourself in the Alien film franchise at the Prince Charles Cinema. It screens Alien: Theatrical Cut (1979) followed by this year's Alien: Romulus, and Aliens (Director's Cut) from 1986. 2.30pm/5.15pm/8pm
FOUR SEASONS BY CANDLELIGHT: How's this for atmospheric? The Mozart Festival Orchestra performs Vivaldi's Four Seasons by candlelight, along with works by Bach and Handel, among others. Takes place at Barbican. 2.30pm
CRAFT AND CHILL SUNDAY: Colour expert and Londonist contributor Momtaz Begum-Hossain runs one of her regular crafting afternoons for adults at Well Bean Co Cafe in the Royal Docks. All art and crafts materials are provided, no artistic experience is necessary, and the session runs on a pay-what-you-can basis, with a different project each month. 4pm
VIENNESE CHRISTMAS: London Concertante perform works by Strauss, Brahms and Tchaikovsky, including Overture to Die Fledermaus, Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka, Hungarian Dance No. 5, Sleeping Beauty Waltz and Nutcracker Suite at Cadogan Hall, in a special concert celebrating Christmas, Viennese-style. 6.30pm
MUSIC OF THE MOVIES: Immerse yourself in musical scores from fantasy films including Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Avatar and Star Wars. The London Concert Orchestra performs Music of the Movies at Barbican. 7.30pm