Regent Street's 'Spirit of Christmas' Angels Return for 10th Anniversary Switch-On

One of London's most beloved annual festive traditions returned to Regent Street on the evening of 5 November 2026 as the 'Spirit of Christmas' illuminations — featuring the street's signature hanging angel figures — marked their 10th anniversary. The switch-on ceremony was accompanied by a road closure along Regent Street from 5 pm to 9 pm to accommodate the expected crowds. Retailers along the route joined the celebrations: Hamleys unveiled its famous Christmas window display at 5 pm, Mulberry served festive drinks in-store, BOSS hosted a live Christmas choir, and Tommy Hilfiger offered complimentary hot chocolate. This year's display came with a promise of a secret twist in the angel design, with full details kept under wraps until the lights came on. The illuminations use thousands of energy-efficient LED bulbs, continuing a broader London festive lights tradition stretching back to 1954, when Regent Street became the first road in the city to receive Christmas street lighting. Elsewhere in the capital, Leicester Square's light display was the first to be switched on this season from 1 November, with St Martin's Lane and Carnaby Street also already illuminated, and Oxford Street set to follow the week after Regent Street.