A cursory wikipedia search reveals that the earliest carols, sung in 4th century Rome, were “austere statements of the theological doctrine of the Incarnation in opposition to Arianism.”
Things have perked up a bit since then.
Come December, London is awash with Christmassy music. And yes, a lot of it is pumped out of Oxford Street pedicabs at 200 decibels. But there’s also dozens of magical Christmas concerts, gigs and carol singalongs across the city, some of which won’t even cost you a penny.
Whether you’re into gospel choirs in an iconic concert hall, rowdy Mariah singalongs, festive screenings with a live soundtrack or candlelit carolling in a Grade II listed church, you’re guaranteed to find something in this list that hits the right note.
Even if you don’t.
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Xmas Massaoke
What is massaoke, you ask? Or, at least, we think you did, because we can’t hear you over the joyous crowds simultaneously singing along to some of the best Christmas songs ever written, played live on stage alongside projections of the lyrics and full-on pyrotechnics, creating one of the most euphoric mass-bonding experiences of your life. Maybe you just said ‘stop knocking my beer’.
Details: 29th Nov, 6th, 7th & 20th December | Camden, Clapham & the Southbank | £22
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Christmas Carols at St. Paul’s Cathedral
It doesn’t get more classic than this: huge, twinkly trees; a professional choir and one of London’s most iconic settings. Most of the carol services at St. Paul’s Cathedral are free and unticketed, so prepare to have your morals tested when trying to get a seat.
Details: 30th Nov, 1st, 5th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 17th, 21st December | St. Paul’s Cathedral, London EC4M 8AD | Free/charity concerts from £20
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Carols at The Ned
The cathedral-like interiors of The Ned make for a pretty epic setting for Christmas. This year, you can settle in for a Christmassy meal at one of their four restaurants; enjoy a festive afternoon tea; or soak up the dulcet tones of Gareth Malone’s choir while you enjoy drinks and canapés at The Nickel Bar.
Details: 1st, 8th, 15th & 22nd December, from 8pm till late | The Ned, 27 Poultry, EC2R 8AJ | £60 standing, or £175 inc. three-course meal or bites & drinks
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Christmas at Southwark Cathedral
There’s plenty of carolling at Southwark Cathedral this December, including celebrity-studded charity concerts in aid of Marie Curie (4th Dec), Trussel foodbanks (11th Dec) and free concerts for Crisis (14th Dec) and Mercy Ships (5th Dec); a candlelit Swedish carol concert (8th Dec); a cheery community carol singalong (19th Dec); and the big kahuna: carols and Handel’s Messiah sung by the cathedral’s own choir, with mince pies & mulled wine in the interval (20th Dec). And we’ll just leave you with the reminder that Borough Market is just down the road, with mulled wine stalls, The Black Pig’s famous Christmas sandwiches, and plenty of free cheese samples…
Details: 4th – 25th December | Southwark Cathedral, London Bridge, SE1 9DA | Free – £25
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Christmas at The Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall goes big on Christmas concerts. This year you can choose from Christmas music played by the Salvation Army; big band nights; singalong carols; a glittering night of gospel; a live orchestral play-along with Home Alone; a 150 year-old running tradition of choral carol singing; festive soul with Trevor Nelson; Christmassy jazz with Jamie Cullum; and John Rutter’s epic evening of orchestral tunes from Messiah to Sleigh Ride. Oh, and this year, Sandi Claus is Coming To Town, with a little help from the London Gay Men’s Chorus.
Details: Throughout December | Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, SW7 2AP | ~£17-350
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The Walmer Castle
This beautiful Notting Hill pub is going full Richard Curtis with a little festive carol-singing this December. The Soul Sanctuary gospel choir will gather everyone outside the pub for a singalong, while the staff keep you plied with mulled wine to stay warm. And if you need to thaw out afterwards? There’s a roaring fire inside…
Details: 4th December | 58 Ledbury Road, Notting Hill, W11 2AJ | Free
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Together At Christmas
The Sick Children’s Trust is putting on a charity carol concert in the spectacular St Marylebone Parish Church, with performances from the likes of The London Show Choir and The Tootsie Rollers, upbeat singalongs, mulled wine, mince pies, and moving readings from an all-star line-up including Rochelle Humes, Jenni Falconer and Emilia Fox.
Details: 4th December, 6.30-8.30pm | St. Marylebone Parish Church, 17 Marylebone Rd, London, NW1 5LT | £25
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Christmas Concert at Dulwich Picture Gallery
If you fancy listening to some Christmassy music in an unusual setting, Dulwich Picture Gallery‘s tiny chapel is the perfect place to hang. They’ll be welcoming in The Fourth Choir for an evening of classics as well as lesser-known bangers.
Details: 4th December, 7.30pm | Dulwich Picture Gallery, Gallery Road, London SE21 7AD | £25
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Secret Christmas Concert at DEBUT
DEBUT is known for staging spine-tingling live concerts in magical settings, and this winter they’re putting on a Secret Christmas Concert in the Victorian tunnel shaft beneath The Midnight Apothecary. So, obviously, being secret, we can’t confirm that it’s going to be an enchanting evening of live music, singalong carols and hot toddies. But it’s also not not that…
Details: 5th December | Brunel Tunnel Shaft, Railway Ave, London SE16 4LF | £45
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Battersea Dogs & Cats Home Carols
This annual charity night has all the classic carols, mulled wine and mince pies you could want – but what really sets it apart is the guard of honour formed by the canine residents of Battersea Dogs & Cats Home.
Details: 5th & 6th December | St Luke’s & Christ Church, Sydney Street, London, SW3 6NH | Sold out, but check here for cancellations
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London Gay Men’s Chorus: Christmas Bop
Crowd into the Southbank Centre for a throwback Christmas concert filled with back-to-back vintage classics like Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree and Jingle Bell Rock, all performed by the festively bedecked London Gay Men’s Chorus.
Details: 6th & 7th December | Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX | £25+
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St Martin-in-the-Fields
With a grandiose, candlelit setting just off Trafalgar Square and its twinkling Norwegian Christmas tree, St. Martin-in-the-Fields is a handy spot to go carol singing in central London. There are Christmassy music recitals taking place throughout December with choirs and brass bands, but the headliners are the atmospheric candlelit carol concerts.
Details: 7th, 8th, 14th, 18th, 19th, 21st, 22nd & 23rd December | St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 4JJ | £10-38
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Christmas at the Barbican
This year the Barbican’s iconic hall will play host to the world-famous choir from King’s College Cambridge; singalongs of classic carols and festive tunes; candlelit concerts; gospel carols; brass bands; and a rambunctious Christmas party bringing Christmas pop songs to life with a talented cast of singers and musicians. Not all at the same time, unfortunately.
Details: 7th, 8th, 20th – 23rd, 27th December | Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS | £15-56
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Basement Orchestra
Sure, Big Penny Social might not technically have a basement. What it does have is 82 taps pouring tank-fresh beers; curling lanes; long bierkeller-style tables perfect for big groups… and for one night only, the Basement Orchestra. They’ll be taking over the whole warehouse-style taproom for a raucous Christmas gig, in which their 50-strong flock of musicians and singers will play through jazzy twists on The Nutcracker, pop anthems and singalong carols.
Details: 8th December, 7-9pm | Big Penny Social, 1 Priestley Way, London, E17 6AL | £7+
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Nordoff & Robbins Carol Service
As a music therapy charity, you might expect big things from Nordoff & Robins’ carol concert – and you won’t be disappointed, because this year they’ll be taking over the dramatic St. Luke’s Church in Chelsea for an evening of festive cheer with performances by Lemar, Jamie Cullum, and East 17’s Tony Mortimer (who’ll somehow be celebrating the 30th anniversary of his Christmas no. 1, Stay Another Day).
Details: 10th December, 7pm | St. Luke’s Church, Sydney St, London SW3 6NH | £60
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Organoke
Everyone loves a big organ. And the one at St. Giles in Camberwell is huge. All the better than to bang out some tunes for a night of Organoke this Christmas. And yes, Organoke is exactly what it sounds like – a portmanteau of ‘organ karaoke’, in which a classically trained organist quite literally pulls out the stops to provide live accompaniment for a raucous evening of sing-a-long bangers.
Details: 12th, 14th & 15th December | St. Giles Church, Camberwell Church Street, SE5 8RB | £29
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Christmas Carols by Candlelight
The MS Society’s charity carol concert is set to be a fairly fancy event: there’ll be carol singing, stunning performances by the choir, and readings from mystery celebrity guests…
Details: 12th December, 7pm | Westminster Chapel, Buckingham Gate, London, SW1E 6BS | £10-45
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All Souls Carols
It’s a colourful, upbeat, and entirely free series of carol concerts slap bang in Central London – so when you’ve officially lost the plot navigating Christmas shopping on Oxford Street, you can slip into this stunning church for an hour of brass band-led carols, festive readings, and free mince pies & hot punch.
Details: 12th – 22nd December | All Souls Church, Langham Place, London, W1B 3DA | Free, just turn up
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Carols and Ices
Here’s one to firmly tick the ‘something a little different’ box. Camden’s Canal Museum is hosting an atmospheric Christmas late, with carol singers making the most of the acoustics of its Victorian ice well. There’ll also be Edwardian-style mincemeat ice cream making, boat trips along the canal, and wine & mince pies by candlelight.
Details: 12th December, 6-9pm | London Canal Museum, 12-13 New Wharf Road, London, N1 9RT | £10/14 inc. boat trip (pre-book)
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Handel’s Messiah
The Southbank Centre‘s putting on the biggest concert the place can Handel – the epic Philharmonia Orchestra and Philharmonia Chorus will be joining forces to belt out the Baroque composer’s full festive banger (it’s where the famous Hallelujah chorus comes from).
Details: 13th December, 7pm | Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX | £30+
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The Rat Pack at Christmas
Ok, so it’s not The Rat Pack, but it’s a bloody good tribute act, who’ll be serenading you with Let It Snow, Baby It’s Cold Outside, and a couple of other classics like New York, New York.
Details: 14th December, 2.30pm and 7.30pm | Cadogan Hall, 5 Sloane Terrace, London SW1X 9DQ | £25-45
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Christmas Classics
If you’re nervous about anyone catching wind of your bung notes, this epic Christmas singalong is a safe bet – you’ll be trilling away in an audience of 2,000 alongside the Philharmonic Orchestra, who’ll be interspersing the traditional carols with Mariah.
Details: 14th & 15th December | Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX | £30+
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Philharmonia Brass at Ally Pally
Alexandra Palace‘s dilapidated Victorian theatre is one of the most atmospheric settings in the city, and this Christmas they’ll be breathing new life into its historic walls with an exuberant carol concert led by a full brass band.
Details: 16th December, 7.30-9.30pm | Alexandra Palace, Alexandra Palace Way, N22 7AY | £22-33
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A Dickensian Christmas
What the Dickens can you expect at this concert? Well, a load of Victorian Christmas carols played by a full brass band, interspersed with snippets from A Christmas Carol read by Mark Williams (a.k.a. Arthur Weasley).
Details: 18th December, 7.30pm | Cadogan Hall, 5 Sloane Terrace, London SW1X 9DQ | £30-55
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Signature Brew’s Christmas Singalong
Organising a piss-up in a brewery? That’s easy. But organising a party without any booze? That requires a wholesome singalong around a big yellow piano, with cocktails by Botivo. And ironically, Signature Brew is the place to go for it.
Details: 18th December | Signature Brew, Blackhorse Lane, Walthamstow, E17 5QJ | Free
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The Snowman
Now a regular festive fixture, the Mozart Symphony Orchestra are ditching their namesake for the day to play a live soundtrack to accompany this screening of The Snowman. Bring tissues.
Details: 22nd December, 1.30 & 4.30pm | Cadogan Hall, 5 Sloane Terrace, London SW1X 9DQ | £18-34
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Carols by Candlelight at Union Chapel
Emile Holba
One of the most popular carol services in London returns this year, illuminating the vast, grade II listed Union Chapel in Highbury with the glow of thousands of candles. There’ll be performances of classic carols and parts of Handel’s Messiah sung by the Union Chapel Voices choir, accompanied by the church’s amazing organ, as well as well-known carols to sing along to.
Details: 22nd December, 6pm for 7pm start | Union Chapel, Compton Terrace, Islington, N1 2UN | Free, arrive early to get seats
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Candlelit Carols at Cadogan
Chelsea’s Cadogan Hall looks eminently cheery at Christmas time, with lights strung up and a big sparkly tree above the stage. And this year, their festive programme culminates in a magical evening of candlelit carol singing with the Mozart Festival Orchestra… and more readings by Arthur Weasley.
Details: 23rd December, 3 & 7.30pm | Cadogan Hall, 5 Sloane Terrace, London SW1X 9DQ | £30-50
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Christmas at Westminster Abbey
Join Elizabeth I, Charles Dickens and Sir Isaac Newton for a festive bonanza in an iconic setting. Granted, they won’t be doing much singing, but you and the Westminster Abbey choir will probably make up for it.
Details: 23rd & 24th December | Westminster Abbey, London, SW1P 3PA | Free
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The Actors’ Church
As you’d expect, The Actors’ Church in Covent Garden has no shortage of talent to draw on for festive concerts. There’s something on pretty much every day in the run-up to Christmas, but highlights include West End stars singing musical theatre songs & carols, alongside charity carol services in aid of Children with Cancer and The Food Chain; a relaxed Christmassy singalong; and an atmospheric evening of Ukrainian Christmas music.
Details: Throughout December | St. Paul’s Church, Bedford Street, London, WC2E 9ED | Individually ticketed
Feeling festive? Crack your shopping list at London’s best Christmas markets