You could attend a carol concert every day in December, and still not experience all the Silent Nights and Away in a Mangers London has to offer.
We’ve put together our pick of carol concerts in the capital for Christmas 2026, including stunning settings, charity fundraisers — and the service where they welcome dogs into church.
ST JOHN AMBULANCE: The Priory Church of the Order of St John in Clerkenwell is the venue for the inaugural St John Ambulance Christmas concert, hosted by Myleene Klass. Singer Camden Stewart and vocal group Libera perform, interspersed with stories about the work the charity’s volunteers do. 24 November 2026
ST PAUL’S CHURCH COVENT GARDEN: It’s no surprise that a West End venue dubbed ‘the Actor’s Church’ goes big on performances at Christmas. The Lady Ratlings Choir (24 November) and father and son duo Ben & Tom Waters (10 December) are among groups getting their moment in the spotlight. Fundraising concerts for the Royal Theatrical Fund (4 December) and The Mace Foundation (9 December) and the Food Chain (16 December) are also on the programme. A selection of other carol concerts and Christmas celebrations take place throughout late November and December. 24 November-10 December 2026
SHELTER CAROL CONCERT: Homelessness charity Shelter takes over St Martin-in-the-Fields (Trafalgar Square) for Songs For Home, a fundraising concert featuring carols, readings and musical performances. 25 November 2026
ANTHONY NOLAN TRUST: Stem cell research charity the Anthony Nolan Trust gets the festivities started early with its carol concert at St James’s Piccadilly. Expect readings from special guests and performances from the acclaimed I Dodici choir, rounded off with a mince pie and a glass of prosecco. 26 November 2026
CADOGAN HALL: Around the corner from Sloane Square, Chelsea’s Cadogan Hall has a busy programme of Christmas events running throughout December. Highlights include the Macmillan Carol Concert (1 December), the Kingdom Choir (18 December) and Candlelit Carols (23 and 24 December). Festive entertainment continues after the big day, too. 1-30 December 2026
ROYAL ALBERT HALL: As ever, London’s fanciest concert hall comes into its own at Christmas. Here are some of the highlights of its festive programme:
- Christmas with the Salvation Army includes performances by the charity’s bands and singers, special readings and carol singing. (1 December)
- Christmas with the Royal Choral Society, a group which has been performing at the RAH since 1872. They’re accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the British Imperial Military Band as they perform traditional carols such as Silent Night, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing and O Come, all Ye Faithful. (7 December)
- Carols at the Royal Albert Hall is the final countdown to Christmas, with up to three performances a day. Join in with festive favourites at these family-friendly events. (19-24 December)
WORLD HEART BEAT: Music academy World Heart Beat holds its Christmas Community Concert at Embassy Gardens in Nine Elms. Mince pies, mulled wine and hot chocolate are served, with money raised giving young people living in difficult circumstances an opportunity to learn music. 1 December 2026
INDEPENDENT AGE: The London Show Choir performs alongside the Welcome Singers, a community choir from one of Independent Age’s partners, the Southwark Pensioners Centre, at the charity’s carol concert at St John’s Waterloo. Phil Davis, known for playing Ebenezer Scrooge for the Royal Shakespeare Company, gives a reading from a work of Charles Dickens, with a mince pie and mulled wine reception included in your ticket. 2 December 2026
ST PETER’S CHURCH, BELGRAVIA: Charity Kids for Kids holds a Magical Candlelit Christmas Concert, with a reading by Joanna Lumley, and other special guests in attendance. Add in a trumpet fanfare by Thames Fanfare Brass, school choirs, mince pies and mulled wine, and you’ve got the full yule experience. The event raises money to support children and their families living in the remote villages of Darfur, Sudan, who face ongoing war. 3 December 2026
RAINBOW TRUST: The Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity holds its 17th annual celebrity-studded carol concert at St. Paul’s Church, Knightsbridge to raise funds to support families caring for a life-threatened or terminally ill child. The Elstree School Chapel Choir leads the music, with festive performances and celebrity readings (names to be revealed) sprinkled throughout the evening. It’s a special one this year, as the charity celebrates its 40th anniversary. 3 December 2026
WATERAID: Sanitation charity WaterAid brings big names — including actor and writer Cush Jumbo OBE, TV chef and presenter Andi Oliver, and actors Ariyon Bakare and David Gyasi — to St Mary Abbots Church, High Street Kensington for its fundraising carol concert. The Sing Out Streatham choir performs traditional carols, followed by a reception with mulled wine and mince pies. 3 December 2026
BATTERSEA CAROLS: We have a soft spot for the Battersea Christmas Carol Concert, not least because they bring dogs into the church to form a canine guard of honour. Naturally, money raised goes back into the work Battersea does for dogs and cats, and there’s a chance to purchase Battersea-themed gifts at the end of the concert. Really though, we’re here for the pooches. Takes place at St Luke’s Church, Chelsea, and it’s so popular, there are now three events. 3, 4 and 11 December 2026
SAVE THE CHILDREN: Save the Children ambassador, musician and presenter Myleene Klass performs at the charity’s Christmas carol concert, a festive event at St Paul’s Church in Knightsbridge. Also on the programme: Christmas carols and musical performances, special readings by celebrity guests — and a chance to hear about the work Save the Children does in the UK and around the world. 4 December 2026
A GOSPEL CHRISTMAS: The Kingdom Choir, Noel Robinson and Becca Folkes are among the acts performing at A Gospel Christmas, a concert in aid of Christian charity Tearfund, at Kensington Temple. 5 December 2026
WINTER WONDERLAND: New for 2026, seasonal behemoth Hyde Park Winter Wonderland enters the carol service arena with Christmas by Candlelight on selected dates throughout December. Sing-along concerts take place in a candlelit arena, with performances from cast members and live bands direct from the West End. Expect to hear traditional festive tunes such as O Holy Night, along with more modern tunes like Winter Wonderland. 5-23 December 2026
NORDOFF & ROBBINS: Music therapy charity Nordoff & Robbins takes over St Luke’s Church in Chelsea for an evening of traditional carols interspersed with superstar performers, hosts and celebrity readers. Exact line-up TBC, but this one normally pulls in some big names from the music world. 8 December 2026
ACTION SYRIA CAROLS: Action Syria, a small UK charity that works with local partners to make sure Syrian communities have the medical care and education they need, holds a fundraising carol concert at Bartholomew the Great. Expect candlelit carols, celebrity readings and spectacular performances, followed by a mince pie/festive drink. 8 December 2026
MAYOR’S CAROL SERVICE: The Mayor of Kensington and Chelsea’s Charity Christmas Carol Service in aid of The Kensington + Chelsea Foundation is on at St Mary The Boltons, giving you the chance to sing along to your favourite carols, then tuck into mince pies and mulled wine. 9 December 2026
CAROLS AND ICES: London Canal Museum hosts a unique take on the carol concert; the Carols and Ices evening at the King’s Cross museum also features boat trips on the canal at night, and Victorian ice cream-making demonstrations. 10 December 2026
MS SOCIETY: Westminster Chapel is the place to head for the MS Society’s Carols by Candlelight. Expect choral music and special guests including Countess Professor Cat and Earl Charles Spencer, Deborah Meaden and Laurence and Jackie Llewelyn-Bowen. There’s also a silent auction. 10 December 2026
LONDON ORATORY: Intrigued by the fancy-looking building next to the V&A on Brompton Road? It’s the London Oratory, an ornate church with its own choir, Schola Cantorum of the London Oratory, who perform at its annual carol service. They’ll be raising money for Aid to the Church in Need. 10 December 2026
TOWER OF LONDON: Here’s a rare chance to attend an event at the Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula, within the Tower of London. Christmas at the Tower is a candlelit concert of carols from throughout history, performed by the Choir of the Chapels Royal, HM Tower of London. 12 December 2026
CRISIS: The annual Crisis Christmas carol service is at Southwark Cathedral, promising festive carols, music from the Canterbury Chamber Choir, special readings by actor John Hannah and Sir Jonathan Pryce, and seasonal reflections. 12 December 2026
CYSTIC FIBROSIS TRUST: Jenny Agutter, David Haig, Synnove Karlsen and Luke Martineau are among the past celebrity speakers at the Cystic Fibrosis Trust’s Carols by Candlelight, taking place at St Luke’s in Chelsea. Watch this space for the 2026 line-up. 15 December 2026
ALL SOULS CAROLS: Last year, more than 14,000 people enjoyed (FREE!) carol services at All Souls Langham Place (near Oxford Circus), and the event is back across eight evenings this year, with three 60-minute concerts taking place on each of those days. Experience the Nativity story told through music and festive readings, with a live choir and orchestra, and free mince pies and warm Christmas punch available after the service. 12, 13, 16, 17, 19, 20, 22 and 23 December 2026
NATIONAL BRAIN APPEAL: “Uplifting carols, seasonal performances and heart-warming moments” are promised at the National Brain Appeal’s carol concert at St Clement Danes, with celebrities including Nicola Walker and Samuel West in attendance. 16 December 2026
CHILDLINE’S CAROL CONCERT: Celebrity presenters and readers including Dame Mary Berry, Hermione Norris, Mathew Horne and Alison Steadman take part in Childline’s carol concert, which moves to St Paul’s Cathedral this year, marking 40 years of Childline. Musical performances come from Alfie Boe and Rachel Duckett. 17 December 2026
SPINAL RESEARCH: St John’s Church in Waterloo hosts charity Spinal Research’s Christmas carols, joined by the London Welsh Rugby Club Choir. Festive drinks are served afterwards. 17 December 2026
CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT: Union Chapel’s annual Carols by Candlelight is incredibly popular, not least because it’s free (a £10 donation is encouraged, if you can afford it). The chapel is lit by candles for a combination of traditional and modern carols, choral music and spoken word, with performances by the Union Chapel Voices. 20 December 2026
