What's On in Westminster
Things to do in and around Westminster: events, days out and family activities, with the practical details.
Top story
Westminster Halloween: free Hyde Park trail 27 to 29 Oct
Free Halloween days in Hyde Park 27 to 29 October, Hamleys' spooky shows from 24 October and an over-18s silent disco on 31 October, with times and prices.
Dates for the diary
- On now to 1 Nov Frieze Sculpture 2026
- Mon 5 Oct Here I Stand: Janina Ramirez
- Tue 6 Oct The Regent's Park After Dark: Bats and Fungi
- Thu 8 Oct London Voices: Video Games Go Choral
- Fri 9 Oct SANSARA: Choral Reflections for World Homeless Day
- Sat 10 Oct Pimlico Road Farmers' Market
- Sat 10 Oct Westminster Abbey Chorister Experience Day
- Sun 11 Oct Oysho Royal Parks Half Marathon
- Mon 12 Oct Here I Stand: David Crystal
- Tue 13 Oct Feast of the Translation of Saint Edward the Confessor
- Wed 14 Oct An evening with Kate Williams: Women and power
- 15 to 17 Oct Flowers in the Fields
More stories
Ice skating
Westminster ice rinks: three open from 31 October
Westminster's three outdoor rinks open on 31 October, 11 November and 19 November. Winter Wonderland skating from £12.65, Somerset House from £13.
Christmas
Hamleys Santa's grotto 2026: 14 Nov to 24 Dec, from £75
Hamleys' Regent Street grotto opens 14 November at £75 for three, rising to £120 in the last 11 days. Its Langham grotto is £275, from 12 December.
Hyde Park
Veteran Car Run 2026: Hyde Park start 1 Nov, from 6.56am
Over 400 veteran cars leave Serpentine Road in Hyde Park from sunrise on Sunday 1 November. The free Pall Mall car show is the day before, 10am to 3pm.
Christmas
Covent Garden Christmas lights: switch-on Thursday 12 Nov
Covent Garden switches on its Christmas lights on Thursday 12 November, with 300,000 lights and the West Piazza tree. Free; the start time is not out yet.
Christmas
Somerset House ice rink: opens 11 Nov, skating from £13
Skate at Somerset House runs 11 November 2026 to 10 January 2027. Adults £13 to £28.50, children from £11, plus a £1.50 fee. Closed Christmas Day.
Events
What's On in Westminster: Frieze London, Then Diwali on the Square
Frieze opens to the public in Regent's Park on 15 October, Diwali fills Trafalgar Square free on the 25th, and veteran cars leave Hyde Park on 1 November.
Remembrance
Remembrance Sunday at the Cenotaph: 8 November, 11am
The National Service of Remembrance is at the Cenotaph on Sunday 8 November 2026 at 11am. No ticket needed to watch; Whitehall opened at 8am last year.
Christmas
Trafalgar Square tree lighting: due Thursday 3 December
Westminster lit the Trafalgar Square tree on the first Thursday of December in 2024 and 2025, at 6pm, free. That points to Thursday 3 December 2026.
Pantomime
London Palladium panto 2026: Cinderella, 5 Dec to 10 Jan
The Palladium panto is Cinderella, 5 December 2026 to 10 January 2027, with Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders and Julian Clary. From £25, no under-4s.
Christmas
Leicester Square Christmas market: opens 31 Oct to 3 Jan
Leicester Square's Christmas market and rink run 31 October 2026 to 3 January 2027, closed Christmas Day. Weekdays open at noon until 26 November.
Queen's Park
Westminster fireworks 2026: Queen's Park, 5 Nov, 5.30pm
Queen's Park holds Westminster's only free display on 5 November, listed at 5.30pm. Battersea Park's is 7 and 8 November, with tickets from £10.60.
Hyde Park
Hyde Park Winter Wonderland: opens 19 Nov, £1 entry days
Winter Wonderland runs 19 November to 3 January, closed Christmas Day. Entry is £1 on November weekdays and £8.25 at peak, and the four gates are not equal.
Oxford Street
West End lights 2026: Covent Garden 12 Nov, Oxford St TBC
Covent Garden switches on its lights on Thursday 12 November. Oxford Street and Regent Street still have no 2026 date; last year Oxford St lit up on 3 November.
New Year
London New Year fireworks 2026: confirmed, tickets TBC
City Hall confirms the Thames fireworks return on 31 December, 8pm to 12.30am; ticket release date to come. Last year sales opened 17 October and sold out.