Christmas in London: Start planning your festive season

 

As usual, London will be buzzing over the Christmas period. Here’s our selection of the best seasonal activities

 

Swedish Christmas at Fika

 

The team behind Hot Tub Cinema have come up with a cuddly alternative for winter. The former Shoreditch Underground Station has been kitted out in soft furnishings and bean bags for Pillow Cinema. The venue has strict BYOP (Bring Your Own Pillow) policy. Waiters will be on hand to bring you snacks and beverages so you don’t have to leave your cosy haven while enjoying a Ryan Gos-fest or Fight Club with a pillow fight afterwards.

 

For the first time this year, Victoria Park will host its own winter festival from 2 December to 1 January. Billed as a family friendly affair, there’ll be an ice rink, fairground, roller disco, panto, a kid’s quarter and Santa’s Grotto. But adults can kick back in the craft beer area, the on-site pub, or one of the free club nights in the Spielgeltent. Local street food traders will also be on hand to keep everyone warm and fed, including Dalston favourite Voodoo Ray’s which will be selling pizza by the slice. Then hop on the giant ferris wheel and enjoy the views.

 

Vauxhall’s festive Pleasure Gardens will get its own 600sqm ice rink this year, to join a host of other attractions on site. A Christmas craft market will also pop up alongside a sparkly Christmas tree maze. If you’re a bit wobbly on the ice, then you can always observe from the cabin-themed bar and watch the street performers that are turning out to put on a show. Street food stalls will also be feeding up festive revellers and the venue is even hosting a Vauxhall Skate Brunch every weekend served from a Routemaster bus.

 

Clerkenwell arts venue Sadler’s Wells will stage the first major revival of Matthew Bourne’s Edward Scissorhands this Christmas. The dance production from the acclaimed choreographer features Danny Elfman’s score to re-imagine Tim Burton’s gothic fantasy about a man who is left with scissors for hands after the eccentric scientist that created him unexpectedly dies.

 

Winter doesn’t get more delicious than the Taste of London Winter festival at Tobacco Dock. This weekend is your last opportunity to sample and buy some of the capital’s most inventive food creations from its most distinguished restaurants. The theme this year is “Forgotten Foods”, which aims to teach amateur cooks how to use wild British ingredients. Expect live music and lots of foodie gift ideas, too.

 

Most City workers probably don’t know that there’s a community farm only a stone’s throw away from their office. But Spitalfields City Farm is also running a Christmas Market this winter, and it’s free. Pick out your real fir tree from the farm to take home with you on Sunday 7 December. It’s also a great family day out and there are a number of winter craft activities for the kids to get stuck into, not to mention a host of animals for them to meet. Take them for a ride on Derek the Donkey and pick up some seaonsal farm gifts for the rest of the family,  while enjoying live music from the Spitalfield Farm Musicians.

 

The Barbican’s Christmas market is back following its successful debut last year. For 10 days, the arts hub will host 35 independent local designers and craftsman offering unique and handmade Christmas gifts. There’ll also be plenty of mulled wine, hot chocolate and mince pies to warm you up while you’re shopping.