Hotels near Covent Garden at Christmas

Covent Garden is one of the most festive corners of London, with a giant Christmas tree in the piazza, oversized decorations hanging in the Market Building and lights along the surrounding streets. It is less a single Christmas market than a festive shopping and dining district, but it is an essential stop on any London Christmas markets route.

The historic Apple Market and Jubilee Market inside the piazza sell crafts, jewellery, antiques and gifts year-round, and they are especially good for Christmas presents. Street performers entertain crowds in front of St Paul's Church on the west side of the piazza.

The decorations usually go up in early November and stay until early January. Exact 2026 dates had not been confirmed at the time of writing.

Pro Tip: Visit after 6pm on a weekday, when the tree and the hanging decorations in the Market Building are fully lit and the daytime crowds have thinned.