Burns Night in London

Burns Night is celebrated on 25 January. In fact, Burns Night is celebrated every year on that day because it is the birthday of the 18th century Scottish poet Robert Burns.

Burns Night is typically celebrated with poetry recitation (including the famous Address to a Haggis), bagpipe music (including the piping in of the haggis), singing, traditional ceilidh dancing, whisky drinking, and a dinner featuring none other than haggis.

For Burns Night in London there is no shortage of places to celebrate. Here is a sampling of the venues that usually have celebrations or dinners for Burns Night in London.

Burns Night dinners at the Boisdale (Belgravia)

Burns Night celebration at Ceilidh Club at Hammersmith Town Hall (Hammersmith)

Burns Night comedy gala at the Leicester Square Theatre (Leicester Square)

Burns Night dinner at Green’s (St James’s)

Burns Night dinner at Searcys Champagne Bar at the St Pancras Grand (King’s Cross)

Burns Night dinner at Outlaw’s at The Capital Hotel (Knightsbridge)

Burns Night dinner at Vinopolis (London Bridge)

Best UK Christmas Markets

London Christmas market in Hyde Park
Christmas Market in London

The best UK Christmas markets are in a variety of locations, and are a great place for buying gifts and enjoying the winter season. All of them operate from around mid-November to mid or late December every year. Some even continue through the first few days of January.

The markets are scattered throughout the country, offering visitors a chance to get into the Christmas spirit no matter where in the UK they are.

Some of the most famous UK Christmas markets are the Birmingham Christmas Markets, which claim to be the largest outside of Germany and Austria. Other famous markets include the London Christmas Markets. London’s Hyde Park Winter Wonderland attracts so many visitors that it is sometimes so crowded that it is difficult to walk around.

Great markets in northern England include the Manchester Christmas Markets, which feature stalls and entertainment in five different locations in the city, and the the Leeds Christmas Market in Millennium Square.

In Scotland, look no further than Glasgow for great Christmas cheer. They city hosts both Glasgow Loves Christmas and the traditional Glasgow Christmas Market, making it a great place to visit during the winter holiday season.

Back in England, don’t miss the Bath Christmas Market, which is in a beautiful setting in the historic city centre. Not far from there, the Exeter Christmas Market offers food and gifts from all over the world. Closer to the capital, the St Albans Christmas Market is also worth a visit. These and other markets around the country are some of the best UK Christmas markets every year.

London Christmas Markets

Hyde Park Winter Wonderland in London
Winter Wonderland

Every year London is home to a number of traditional German-style Christmas markets. They are located all throughout the city, from Hyde Park to the South Bank and beyond.

In addition to the London Christmas markets, there are annual ceremonies in many neighborhoods where people gather to watch celebrities turn on the festive lights. The largest and most famous of these is on Oxford Street, but smaller ones take place in areas like Marylebone and Hampstead.

Here are a few of the best London Christmas markets for the festive season.

– Traditional German Christmas market at Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park, mid-November to early January (closed Christmas day).

– Southbank Centre Christmas market on the Thames from the Southbank Centre to the London Eye, mid-November to late December.

– Borough Market Christmas, when the market is open daily from mid to late December.

– Greenwich Christmas Market, early to late December.

For a list of Christmas markets outside of London, see the Best UK Christmas Markets page.