Best Christmas shows, festive plays and musicals in London for 2025
It’s snow joke: we’ve recommended the very best plays, musicals and ballets happening in the West End this Christmas.
It may be July, but soon we'll be saying "it's Christmas time" before we know it! But there’s no need to be afraid, because we’re making sure you’re more than prepared for this year’s festive season.
To help you get in the festive spirit (and we don’t mean just humming along to your Christmas playlist spirit; we mean full-on, giddy, can’t sleep on Christmas Eve excitement), we’ve put together this list of the best Christmas shows to see in London.
Featuring plays, musicals and ballets going on at the West End this winter, this guide is everything you need for the perfect Christmas theatre trip. We’ve got family-friendly shows, like Stick Man as well as more serious performances like Nutcracker, so there's something for everyone in our guide.
Plus, if, like us, you're desperate news of Elf! the Musical, we've got the most recent update below.
For even more exciting things to do in the Big Smoke this winter (and ones that mostly involve being indoors!), be sure to read our best UK pantomimes and best London experience gifts.
Best West End Christmas shows at a glance:
- Nutcracker, from £19
- A Christmas Carol - A Ghost Story, from £19
- Maddie Moate’s Very Curious Christmas, from £22
- Christmas Carol Goes Wrong, from £23
- The Snowman, from £23
- Stick Man, from £30
- Elf the Musical, from £31
- A Christmas Carol, from £31
- Christmas with Anton Du Beke, from £46
- The Great Christmas Feast, from £104.75
Best West End Christmas shows for 2025
A Christmas Carol at The Old Vic
- 18th Nov 2025 – 10th Jan 2026
Paul Hilton — who you'll recognise from Lady Macbeth starring Florence Pugh and Doctor Faustus at the Globe Theatre — is taking on the role of Scrooge in The Old Vic's adaptation of A Christmas Carol. As far as Christmas shows are concerned, A Christmas Carol is one of the most famed, and this production is sure to be a stand-out from the holiday season as it's been adapted by Adolescence creator Jack Thorne.
Buy A Christmas Carol tickets from £31 at London Theatre Direct
A Christmas Carol - A Ghost Story at Alexandra Palace Theatre
- 22nd Nov 2025 – 4th Jan 2026
If you go down to Alexandra Palace today, you're sure of a spooky surprise...
Mark Gatiss — who has written episodes for Doctor Who — has taken Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol and transformed it into an eerie play. After all, the holiday tale had great foundations to become a chilling one with Scrooge being visited by four ghosts.
Buy A Christmas Carol - A Ghost Story tickets from £19 at London Theatre Direct
Nutcracker at London Coliseum
- 11th Dec 2025 – 11th Jan 2026
The classic ballet is back this winter featuring the music of Tchaikovsky and the choreography of Arielle Smith and Aaron S. Watkin. Featuring over 100 dancers and musicians, this dance follows Clara, a young girl who follows her toy nutcracker into a magical world run by a formidable rat king.
Buy Nutcracker tickets from £19 at London Theatre Direct
Stick Man at Bloomsbury Theatre
- 4th Dec 2025 – 4th Jan 2026
Julia Donaldson's beloved story is being brought to life this winter at the Bloomsbury Theatre. See Stick Man caught up in a series of adventures as he's chased by dogs, swans and people, all the while trying to get back to his family in time for Christmas, but will he get there?
Buy Stick Man tickets from £30 at London Theatre Direct
Christmas Carol Goes Wrong at Apollo Theatre
- 6th Dec 2025 – 25th Jan 2026
New from the multi award-winning company who brought you The Play That Goes Wrong, Peter Pan Goes Wrong and The Comedy About a Bank Robbery comes Christmas Carol Goes Wrong. In the production, you'll meet The Cornley Amateur Drama Society who are ready to tackle Charles Dickens's classic, A Christmas Carol, but first, they'll have to battle feuds, miscommunications and missing actors.
Buy Christmas Carol Goes Wrong tickets from £23 at TodayTix
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The Snowman at Peacock Theatre
- 22nd Nov 2025 – 4th Jan 2026
We defy any British person not to get emotional when they hear the classic opening chimes of Walking in the Air, and to wish that they too could fly around with a friendly snowman on Christmas Eve. But alas, we’ll just have to content ourselves with going to see The Snowman on stage instead.
Returning to the West End for its 28th year, The Snowman will be showing at the Peacock Theatre, once again based on the original picture book by Raymond Briggs and the iconic 1982 TV movie.
Buy The Snowman tickets from £23 at London Theatre Direct
There's more like this in our best kids theatre shows guide.
Maddie Moate’s Very Curious Christmas at Garrick Theatre
- 12th Dec 2025 – 4th Jan 2026
This next Christmas show is perfect for your next family day out.
Maddie Moate — who is best known from CBeebies — has a job to fix Santa's workshop in time for Mrs Claus’ big visit. However, with two elves helping her, Tinker, the trainee toymaker, and Goggles, the Head of Elf Safety, she certainly has her hands full.
Buy Maddie Moate’s Very Curious Christmas tickets from £22 at TodayTix
Speaking of family days out, take a look at this Merlin two for one deal which sees you get two theme park tickets for the price of one.
Christmas with Anton Du Beke at Theatre Royal Drury Lane
- 14th Dec 2025
When the final "Keeeeep Dancing" has been said, you may expect judge Anton Du Beke to head on a long Christmas holiday, but no! Instead the Strictly legend is coming to London for a night of singing, dancing and splendour. It will be fab-yule-lous!
Buy Christmas with Anton Du Beke tickets from £46 at London Theatre Direct
If you're buying a Christmas present for the Strictly lover in your life, be sure to check out the best Strictly Come Dancing gifts.
The Great Christmas Feast
The RadioTimes.com Going Out team were lucky enough to be invited to The Great Christmas Feast, and we can wholeheartedly recommend this experience for Christmastime.
Sold out over six years, The Lost Estate's A Christmas Carol is essentially a one-man re-telling of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. The phenomenal show takes place in three acts, with a delicious course in-between each one. You'll feel completely swept away in the immersive production as from the moment you arrive, you feel like you've transported to Christmas Eve 1843.
Buy The Great Christmas Feast tickets from £104.75 at The Lost Estate
Is Elf the Musical coming to London in 2025?
Yes! Elf the Musical is returning to London this winter.
Last year, we were gutted that everyone's favourite heart-warming story about Buddy the Elf wasn't returning to London — despite it heading on a UK tour — but this year, our prayers have been answered.
Based on the 2003 Christmas movie starring Will Ferrell, the hit Broadway and West End show, Elf the Musical will come to London’s Aldwych Theatre for a limited eight week run.
Buy Elf the Musical tickets from £31 at London Theatre Direct
For more great days out, here's the best musicals on tour UK and concerts on tour in 2025. Plus, how to get Community Shield tickets.
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