A Festive Stroll through the West End
Whether you are a born and bread Londoner or relatively new to the city there is always something new to discover in the West End especially at this magical time of the year!
A walking tour is an ideal way to explore London, You’ll get a more close-up view of all our beautiful city has to offer all whilst getting a few extra steps in.
From Oxford Circus down to Piccadilly through Regent Street, if your a festive lover our walking map will help ensure you don’t miss any of London’s’ Christmas magic – trees and lights galore!
If your a shopping lover, we have you covered too! Hit Primark to pick up your Christmas jumper, followed by a quick stop at John Lewis and find the perfect pamper items to get your through to New Years, and finally head over to Selfridges and finalise all your gifting needs! Don’t forget to explore the Christmas Market with a festive tipple 🙂
We have rounded up our top hotspots to visit across the West End this winter;
OXFORD STREET
Oxford Street is dressed for the festive season with our Christmas lights shining bright. This year Oxford Street’s Christmas lights feature a special poem in created in partnership with Selfridges. To London with love is a heart-warming poem in tribute to all the amazing acts of kindness displayed up and down the country and across the world during the pandemic.
BOND STREET
The famous peacock-inspired Christmas lights are back illuminating the famous luxury destination. You will also spot a Christmas Tree which is traditionally dressed but with a magic reveal when you scan the QR code. One for the Instagram feed is Cartier’s festive flagship store with its giant scarlet bow and peering panther. Whilst Christian Dior has large illuminated stars and snowflakes scattered across the shopfront and Tiffany & Co has ‘1837 Blue’ neon Christmas trees.
REGENT STREET AND ST JAMES’S
Regent Street and St James’s are home to London’s largest Christmas lights display, “The Spirit of Christmas” with 300,000 LED lights on the 45 handcrafted Spirits and 64 sparkling white nets creating a canopy of light across the West End. Visit Regents Street to discover a unique array of retail experiences such as personalisation at Hunter Boots, complimentary gift packaging at Burberry, Kiehls and Space NK, and incredible alfresco dining in Heddon Street’s heated courtyard at Fallow, Piccolino and Heddon Street Kitchen.
CARNABY STREET
Having teamed up with the charity Choose Love, this year’s Christmas lights send a message of love. A series of positive words in bright neon pink illuminate Carnaby Street including hope, joy, unity and together. Make a stop at the giant light bulb art installation. 51 oversized bulbs are suspended over Ganton Street with an array of colours shining down, this is a must photo for your social channels. Carnaby offers many international brands and independent stores over its 14 streets that you cannot find anywhere else.
PICCADILLY
Piccadilly is home to numerous iconic landmarks, a visit to the Royal Academy of Arts and and St James’s church is a winner for all the Art Lovers out there! Fortnum & Mason’s festive windows can not go a miss! Burlington Arcade an unrivalled destination of luxury have partnered Moet Hennessy for the 2020 Christmas installation including a line up of Christmas trees, fresh foliage and fairy lights. Visitors can meet the famed beadles who continue to wear Regency inspired uniforms and are the country’s oldest and smallest police force.
COVENT GARDEN
Covent Garden is home to London’s largest Christmas tree which stands at 60ft tall, weighs 1,500 tonnes and is adorned with 30,000 lights. The Illuminated pedestrianised streets surrounding the world-famous Piazza have a total of 115,000 lights. Discover the Wonder Wood Christmas tree forest featuring a spectacular decorative scheme and dressed by British and global brands, including The Royal Opera House, Molton Brown, Fiona Fleur Floral Studio, Olivia Burton, Lulu Guinness, L’OCCITANE, Ladurée Benjamin Pollock’s Toy Shop.
SOHO AND CHINATOWN
Soho is a hotbed of creativity and has an unrivalled selection of cool concept stores and original independent restaurants, bars and cafes. Be immersed under a sky of colourful lanterns whilst you stroll the streets of Chinatown. Along with the rows of bold and bright rainbow-hued lanterns, you will also spot a virtual messaging screen on Newport Court where visitors can share messages. Messages will appear on the side of a virtual sky lantern floating up on a digital screen for all to see.
The West End has enhanced safety measures in place for the festive season, including security officers on patrol every day, updated hand sanitisation totems that include wayfinding QR code to provide a West End district map for the public and daily deep cleansing & social distancing ambassadors will be handing out face coverings.
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