10 best Christmas trees and displays to see in London for free

All at once, we’re back in our winter coats and it’s just weeks before Christmas again. While we might not all be ready for it, there is still plenty of time to get in the mood, and we are spoiled for choice when it comes to some beautiful, creative and quirky decorations to help boost the Christmas spirit. And while there are some incredible ticketed experiences to choose from around the capital, there are also many to enjoy for free…perhaps while doing some last-minute Christmas shopping…or taking a break with a warming tipple…

Royal Ballet and Opera

Royal Ballet and Opera Tutu Christmas Tree. © 2024 Kirsty McLachlan

#FLODown: Heralding the start of the festive season, the Royal Ballet and Opera have unveiled a spectacular 20-foot-tall Tutu Christmas Tree. Designed and created by artist Hugo Dalton, the tree is sustainably made from over 45 borrowed Royal Ballet tutus and reams of recycled tulle.

Location: Royal Ballet and Opera, Bow St, London WC2E 9DD.

V&A Museum

All Lit Up! by Anna Lomax at V&A Museum, South Kensington. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

#FLODown: All Lit Up!, a glowing LED installation crafted by artist and designer Anna Lomax, stays true to the playful, celebratory spirit of Christmas by using light as a central medium to reimagine the traditional Christmas tree as a tall, twisting column. The structure acts as a bold and playful intervention, contrasting yet harmonious with the museum’s own iconic entryway columns. Anna Lomax draws parallels between the strength and support exemplified both by trees in the natural world and columns in human-made structures, honouring their connotations of life, growth, and resilience.  

Location: V&A South Kensington. Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL.

The Royal Exchange

Royal Exchange. Photo credit John Sturrock.

#FLODown: The iconic Royal Exchange in Bank has unveiled its Christmas decorations for the year, designed by creative agency Fier & Folk. The famous London landmark has had its eight distinctive 30m neoclassical pillars dressed in swathes of red velvet to resemble candy canes, while outside the building stands a striking Fortnum & Mason Christmas tree resplendent with baubles and fairy lights. Cheerful and opulent bauble installations feature at all of the entrances, while wreaths line the streetscape. 

Location: Royal Exchange, London, EC3V 3LL.

Pan Pacific London

 A towering 67-foot Christmas tree is on display at One Bishopsgate Plaza.

#FLODown: A towering 67-foot Christmas tree—the tallest in London—has been unveiled as the latest addition to the City skyline at One Bishopsgate Plaza, in partnership with Pan Pacific London hotel and the Eastern City Business Improvement District. Adorned with 65,000 sparkling lights and over 800 red and gold baubles, this festive spectacle was crafted by The Christmas Decorators and officially illuminated by Dame Joan Collins on Thursday 14 November.

Location: Pan Pacific London, 80 Houndsditch, London EC3A 7AB.

Hotel Chocolat x Sea Containers

Hotel Chocolat x Sea Containers London Tree. Image credit Alexander Baxter.

#FLODown: Hotel Chocolat has teamed up with Sea Containers London to create London’s most indulgent Christmas tree as part of the hotel’s chocolate takeover for the festive season. A breathtaking co-designed 14ft Christmas tree takes centre stage in the lobby of the iconic South Bank hotel, inspired by Hotel Chocolat’s Chocolate Imaginarium. The tree is a true feast for the eyes - adorned with velvet bows, glistening cacao pods, and vintage-style luggage with copper touches inspired by the hotel’s iconic copper hull.

Location: Sea Containers London 20 Upper Ground South Bank London SE1 9PD.

Claridge’s

Claridge’s Christmas Tree in collaboration with Sir Paul Smith.

#FLODown: Always highly anticipated, Claridge’s Christmas Tree for 2024 is designed by the renowned British fashion designer Sir Paul Smith, marking a collaboration between two iconic British names. The traditional 19-foot Christmas tree is adorned with 100 bespoke birdhouses, each featuring a playful Paul Smith twist. The designer has collaborated with British architect Nik Ramage to create a series of mechanical birdhouses, adding an interactive element to the display.

Location: Claridge’s, Brook St, London W1K 4HR.

Battersea Power Station

Wallace and Gromit bring Christmas cheer to Battersea Power Station.

#FLODown: Following on from last year’s David Hockney animation, this year the Battersea towers pay homage to the beloved claymation characters Wallace and Gromit. Every day, from 5pm to 10.30pm, an animation created by Aardman lights up the two wash towers on the landmark’s river-facing facade. During the show, you’ll see Wallace and Gromit decorate Christmas trees in their own inimitable styles, despite the intervention of the mischievous Feathers McGraw.

Location: Battersea Power Station, Circus Rd W, Nine Elms, London SW11 8DD.

South Bank

Dichroic Sphere by Jakob Kvist. Photo credit Christoffer Askman.

#FLODown: South Bank showcases Winter Light, a free, open-air exhibition featuring an electric array of lightworks by artists from around the world, using light, colour and film to deal with issues and topics surrounding nature, technology, urban life and spirituality. Works include Dichroic Sphere, a light sculpture powered by a single energy-efficient bulb, Sphere, a gas-filled tube that rotates to produce a giant glowing orb illusion, and Cosmic Bloom, an installation of 1,300 digital artworks projected onto the Royal Festival Hall.

Location: Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.

St. Pancras International

Wicked themed tree at St Pancras International. Photo by MTotoe.

#FLODown: For 2024, the station has partnered with Universal Pictures UK to create a ‘Wicked’-themed tree, standing 11 meters high and featuring immersive elements from the film. The tree is a stunning tribute to the Emerald City from ‘Wicked,’ standing 11 meters high and featuring a striking green and opulent gold colour scheme. The structure includes over 100 intricately illuminated towers with more than 200 lights woven into the display and it took 20 expert craftspeople over 4,000 hours to create.

Location: St Pancras International, Euston Rd., London N1C 4QP.

Bond Street

Bond Street x Chanel N°5.

#FLODown: Visitors to Bond Street this Christmas will be welcomed by a particularly stylish sight: the Chanel N°5 illuminations – a celebration of beauty and the iconic fragrance bottle, and a reflection of the famed street’s entwined heritage with the luxury house. The twinkling installation is part of a collaboration between Chanel Fragrance & Beauty and the New West End Company.

Location: New Bond Street, Mayfair, London, W1S.