It's now the time of year that London is all dressed up and ready for Christmas and the holiday season, so I have written my annual post with photographs of London looking festive in Christmas lights. This is an annual tradition that I have been documenting for the past several years, and you can find previous lights from previous years at the end of this post.
Oxford Street: This year, Oxford Street has decorated with their round gold and silver bauble decorations along with panels of Christmas cards. The Christmas lights are sponsored by NSPCC children's charity, which was also the charity for Oxford Street's Christmas lights last year.
Regent Street: This year, Regent Street are displaying the beautiful angel Christmas lights that they released in 2015. These are beautiful to look at.
Covent Garden: This year, the giant chrome reindeer returned to the plaza after several months of renovation work at Covent Garden. The reindeer and Lego creation are missing this year; the Lego may be missing due to the first full year of the new Lego store around the corner in Leicester Square. The giant Christmas tree and mistletoe decorations returned again, and this year there were several flowers and carts and crates decorated around the plaza in a throwback to the fruit and vegetable market heritage. There are also large wreaths above some of the entrances.
Of course, looking at the Christmas lights is hard work, and I helped myself to a hot chocolate from Hotel Chocolat in Covent Garden. They had two different festive flavours to choose from, topped with a chocolate snowflake and cream.
Leicester Square: Leicester Square has its own Christmas Market and performance tent for the second year in a row. It has star lights hanging from the trees, and the walls on the outside display children's drawings. The design matches last year. The road from here to Piccadilly Circus features the large snowflake design, which they have used for the past few years.
Seven Dials: Seven Dials have changed their Christmas lights for the second year in a row. This year, their lights feature heart shapes with greenery and wrapped red and white gifts with 'Seven Dials' signage featuring a heart with a lamb inside.
Carnaby Street: Each year, Carnaby Street create a different theme. This year's theme was Christmas Carnival. I already covered these lights in my post here: Carnaby Christmas Carnival.
Mayfair: The blue arch lights and the diamonds and peacock feather lights are the same as they have been the past several years. The shops also decorate in this area (and around west London).
St. Christopher's Place: The little alleyway off Oxford Street not far from Selfridges often has unique Christmas lights. This year, they have changed and gone for white lights featuring a statue similar to the one on their entrance and giant white orbs.
The Strand: The Strand started to decorate a few years ago; I never noticed any particular decorations before. They use the same blue lights that they have done previously.
Winter Wonderland Hyde Park: Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland gets larger every year, and it has taken up far more space this year, and it looks as though they have attempted to make the rows larger for the crowds and to dot the food, drink, and Christmas market around the area instead of in one place only. This is welcome as the crowds there were too large previously. There are also more attractions inside the area to help disperse the crowds. I've posted it here because it's Christmasy, and they do have lights and other decorations. It's worth a stop for some mulled wine on a cold night or to meet with friends.
Previous London Christmas lights are below:
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