# Skate Leicester Square and Christmas Market 2026 > Skate Leicester Square and Christmas Market runs 31 October 2026 to 3 January 2027 in London. Closed on Fri 25 Dec. Opening times, where it is and entry cost, checked against the organiser on 11 October 2026. Source: https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/markets/leicester-square/ London, Greater London Runs Saturday 31 October to Sunday 3 January 2027 | Dates | Saturday 31 October 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027 (64 open days) | | --- | --- | | Days Closed | Closed on Fri 25 Dec | | Opening Times | Daily: **10am to 10pm** These are the organiser's standard market hours. The rink opens at 12:00 on weekdays until 26 November, shuts at 18:00 on Christmas Eve and opens at 12:00 on Boxing Day and New Year's Day; the stalls may follow | | Where | Leicester Square gardens in the West End, around a circular ice rink WC2H 7LU [Open in Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=51.5103,-0.1301) | | Entry | No ticket is mentioned on the official page | | Organiser | Underbelly. [Official page](https://www.christmasinleicestersquare.com/) | ## Checked Against the Source These dates and times come from the organiser's own page, not from another guide. - [Skate Leicester Square (Underbelly)](https://skateleicestersquare.co.uk/about/), checked 11 October 2026 - [Skate Leicester Square (Underbelly)](https://www.christmasinleicestersquare.com/), checked 11 October 2026 Organisers sometimes change hours or close early in bad weather. On the day, check the [official page](https://www.christmasinleicestersquare.com/). Spotted something out of date? [Tell us](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/contact/). ## Skate Leicester Square and Christmas Market: Quick Answers ### When does Skate Leicester Square and Christmas Market start in 2026? It opens on Saturday 31 October 2026. ### When does Skate Leicester Square and Christmas Market end? The last day is Sunday 3 January 2027. ### What time does Skate Leicester Square and Christmas Market open and close? Daily 10am to 10pm. These are the organiser's standard market hours. The rink opens at 12:00 on weekdays until 26 November, shuts at 18:00 on Christmas Eve and opens at 12:00 on Boxing Day and New Year's Day; the stalls may follow. ### Is Skate Leicester Square and Christmas Market open every day? No. Closed on Fri 25 Dec. ### Where is Skate Leicester Square and Christmas Market? Leicester Square gardens in the West End, around a circular ice rink, London WC2H 7LU. ## About Skate Leicester Square and Christmas Market Christmas market stalls and a seasonal bar set around an ice rink in Leicester Square, run by Underbelly. The site was previously branded Christmas in Leicester Square. [Add the Dates to Your Calendar](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/markets/leicester-square/dates.ics) ## Where Is Skate Leicester Square and Christmas Market? Leicester Square gardens in the West End, around a circular ice rink, London WC2H 7LU. The other dots are nearby markets. ![A gantry sign reading Christmas in Leicester Square over red entrance kiosks and a red hut, with people walking through the square.](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/assets/photos/christmas-in-leicester-square-entrance-960.webp) *The entrance to Christmas in Leicester Square, November 2019. Photo: [Daniel](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Leicester_Square_(49070856026).jpg), CC BY 2.0.* ## Getting There and Parking ### By Train Leicester Square Underground station, on the Northern and Piccadilly lines, is the one to use: the organiser puts it a one-minute walk from the rink and stalls. Piccadilly Circus (Bakerloo and Piccadilly lines) is about four minutes away on the organiser's figures, and Charing Cross (Bakerloo and Northern lines) is the third station it lists. For main line trains, London Charing Cross is about a third of a mile away in a straight line (worked out from the coordinates, not a walking distance). Source: [Skate Leicester Square (Underbelly)](https://skateleicestersquare.co.uk/about/), [page 2](https://skateleicestersquare.co.uk/faqs/), checked 11 October 2026; [National Rail](https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/london-charing-cross/), checked 11 October 2026. ### Parking The organiser's travel advice is all Tube and bus, and it names no car park. Its access page says only that some car parks near the square have Blue Badge bays and that these fill quickly at busy times. If you do drive into the West End, check the postcode on TfL's page first: the Congestion Charge is £18 a day if paid on the day or in advance (October 2026), charged 7am to 6pm on weekdays and noon to 6pm at weekends and bank holidays, and the ULEZ charge is a further £12.50 a day (October 2026) for vehicles that do not meet the standard. Source: [Skate Leicester Square (Underbelly)](https://skateleicestersquare.co.uk/854-2/), checked 11 October 2026; [Transport for London](https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/congestion-charge), [page 2](https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/ultra-low-emission-zone), checked 11 October 2026. ### Accessibility The organiser says every entrance is step-free and the site is ramped throughout with no stairs. It suggests the south-east entrance if you need help, as that is nearest the accessible toilet, the box office and the rink entrance; ask staff at the gate to open the toilet. Wheelchair users can go on the ice, with powered chairs switched off. Assistance dogs are welcome in the outdoor areas, and one companion can have a free personal assistant ticket, arranged at the box office, by email or by phone. It is a temporary site, so surfaces differ from a permanent venue. Source: [Skate Leicester Square (Underbelly)](https://skateleicestersquare.co.uk/854-2/), checked 11 October 2026. ### What Else Is On Covent Garden, a few minutes' walk east, switches its Christmas lights on on Thursday 12 November 2026. Skate at Somerset House, on the Strand, runs from 11 November 2026 to 10 January 2027. Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, which needs a pre-booked entry ticket, is open from 19 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 except Christmas Day. **Making a day of it?** Christmas lights tours by bus, bike and on foot run in London through the season and can be booked ahead. [Christmas tours in London on Viator](https://www.viator.com/London-tours/Christmas/d737-g7-c22?pid=P00325279&mcid=42383&medium=link&campaign=bcm-leicester-square) [affiliate link](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/affiliate-disclosure/) Source: [Covent Garden (Shaftesbury Capital)](https://www.coventgarden.london/experience/christmas-in-covent-garden), checked 11 October 2026; [Somerset House](https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/skate-somerset-house), checked 11 October 2026; [Hyde Park Winter Wonderland](https://hydeparkwinterwonderland.com/getting-here/), checked 11 October 2026. ### Where to Stay Leicester Square sits in the middle of the West End, so Soho, Chinatown, Covent Garden and the streets around Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus are all a short walk from the stalls. Staying anywhere on the Northern or Piccadilly lines gives a direct Tube to Leicester Square station. **Staying the night?** See hotels and rooms near the stalls on a map, priced for Saturday 31 October. Map by Stay22. [affiliate](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/affiliate-disclosure/) **Making a weekend of it?** A cottage within reach of the market gives you an early start before the day trippers arrive. [Holiday cottages from Sykes](https://www.sykescottages.co.uk/) ## Questions People Ask **When is the Leicester Square Christmas market open in 2026?** Skate Leicester Square and its market stalls are open every day from Saturday 31 October 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027, except Christmas Day. The organiser's standard market hours are 10am to 10pm. **Do you need a ticket for the Leicester Square Christmas market?** Skating is ticketed, and tickets can be bought on the day if sessions are left, though the organiser recommends booking ahead. The organiser's pages do not mention any charge for the market stalls, which stand in the open square. **What is the nearest Tube station?** Leicester Square, on the Northern and Piccadilly lines, which the organiser gives as a one-minute walk. Piccadilly Circus is about four minutes away. **Is it open on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day?** Yes, with shorter hours. In 2026 the site is open 10am to 6pm on 24 December, closed on 25 December, and open noon to 10pm on 26 December and on 1 January. **Are dogs allowed?** The organiser states that assistance dogs are welcome in all outdoor areas of the site. It says nothing about pet dogs. ## Have You Been to Skate Leicester Square and Christmas Market? Tell other visitors whether it was worth the trip. One vote per market, no account needed. ## Other Christmas Markets Nearby [Trafalgar Square Christmas Market London, Greater London 2026 dates not yet announced Under a mile away](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/markets/trafalgar-square/) [Mayfair Christmas Market London, Greater London 26 to 28 Nov 2026 Under a mile away](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/markets/mayfair/) [SoLo Craft Fair South Bank Christmas Market London, Greater London 15 Nov to 20 Dec 2026 Open Sundays only Under a mile away](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/markets/solo-craft-fair-south-bank/) [Southbank Centre Winter Market London, Greater London 2 Nov 2026 to 4 Jan 2027 Closed on Fri 25 Dec, Thu 31 Dec Under a mile away](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/markets/southbank/) [Hyde Park Winter Wonderland London, Greater London 19 Nov 2026 to 3 Jan 2027 Closed on Fri 25 Dec 1 mile away](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/markets/hyde-park-winter-wonderland/) More in [London](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/regions/london/), or see [every market's 2026 dates](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/dates/).