Southbank Centre Winter Market Opens for the 2026 Festive Season

The Southbank Centre Winter Market returned for its 2026 season on 2 November, setting up along the Queen's Walk beneath Hungerford Bridge on the South Bank. The market runs until 3 January 2027, with stalls open from 11 am to 10 pm and pop-up bars staying open an hour later until 11 pm. Visitors can browse trinket traders and craft stalls, sample sizzling street food and seasonal drinks, all beneath twinkling lights.

The market is among London's first major Christmas markets of the year, though it was beaten to the post by Christmas in Leicester Square — the Leicester Square Skate event — which launched on 31 October 2026, two days earlier. The Trafalgar Square Christmas Market follows on 6 November, where wooden stalls will surround Norway's annual Christmas tree gift to the city, a tradition dating back to 1947. Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland, the capital's largest festive event, opens on 19 November and runs until 3 January 2027.