Get into the festive spirit at a Christmas concert in London.

London's major concert venues all stage performances at Christmas. Many feature world-famous singers and orchestras as well as family-friendly, singalong shows.

Beautiful historic houses and churches in London also have a wide range of recitals to lift the spirits and put everyone in a festive mood.

• 3 Dec: Magic Sparkle Gala at IndigO2, Peninsula Square,  Greenwich,London, SE10 0DX, Tickets from £35
• 5 Dec: Carol Concert 2013 in aid of Blind Veterans UK, St Marylebone Parish Church Marylebone Road,  London, NW1 5LT, Tickets £15
• 6 Dec: Royal Norwegian Annual Christmas Concert at St Martin-In-The-Fields, Trafalgar Square,  Westminster, London,WC2N 4JJ, Tickets from £9
• 7 Dec: Deck The Halls At Keats House at Keats House, Keats Grove Hampstead NW3 2RR
• 8 Dec: Blessing of the Crib in Trafalgar Square, Trafalgar Square,  Westminster, London,WC2N 4JJ, Free
• 10 Dec: LSE Choir And Orchestra Christmas Concert at St Clement Danes, St Clement Danes Church, Strand,London, WC2R 1DH Tickets from £6
• 9 to 21 Dec: Christmas Carols Trafalgar Square, Trafalgar Square,  Westminster, London,WC2N 4JJ, Free
• 14 Dec: New London Singers at St Martin-In-The-Fields, Trafalgar Square,  Westminster, London,WC2N 4JJ, Tickets from £7
  
• 14 to 15 Dec: Christmas Concert at Royal Air Force Museum, Grahame Park Way, Colindale,  Barnet,London, NW9 5LL
• 15 Dec: Christmas Carol Concert with CORO at Strawberry Hill House, Strawberry Hill House, 268 Waldegrave Road, Twickenham, TW1 4SX, Free
• 16 Dec: The BT Christmas Concert, Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, London, SW7 2AP
• 17 Dec: Choir Of King’s College/Philharmonia Chorus/Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Royal Albert Hall: Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, London, SW7 2AP, Tickets from £13.50
• 18 Dec: Watford Philharmonic Society: Christmas Concert at Watford Colosseum Rickmansworth Road,  Watford, Hertfordshire, WD17 3JN, Tickets from £14.00
• 19 Dec: Christmas Carol Concert in aid of Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospitals Charity, St Luke's Church Sydney Street,  London, SW3 6NH, Tickets £20
• 20 Dec: The Griffin and The Grail and The Snow Queen at Cadogan Hall, Cadogan Hall, 5 Sloane Terrace,  London, SW1X 9DQ, Tickets From £15
• 21 Dec: English Chamber Choir at St Martin-In-The-Fields, Trafalgar Square Westminster, London,WC2N 4JJ, Tickets From £7
• 24 Dec: Christmas Carol Service, St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Churchyard, EC4M 8AD, Free

• This annual freezing (not to mention crazy) dip into Parliament Hill Lido takes place on the first Saturday of December. Formerly known as the 'Plum Pudding Plunge', this is the first swim of the season organised by the Outdoor Swimming Society, who each year arrange festive swims as far away and chilly as Scotland.
• Hampton Pool Open from Christmas Eve through to New Years Day, you can wallow in the heated water and take advantage of the lack of custom over the holiday period. There is even a special exclusive swimming slot starting at 6.15am for those that can't keep out of the water even on Christmas Day. Tickets for this session are £10.00, and admission to the pool for this session is on a pre-booked basis only.
  Hampton Pool Christmas opening times
  Opening times for Christmas swimming at Hampton Pool are:
  
  Christmas Eve
  6am - 12pm
  
  Christmas Day
  8am - 12pm
  
  Boxing Day - Saturday 31st December
  8am - 2pm
  
  New Years Day 2014
  11am - 3pm
• Every Christmas Day morning, the members of the Serpentine Swimming Club meet for their annual Christmas Day swim and the "Peter Pan Cup". Only members are allowed to swim in the race as they train weekly to prepare for the icy waters but spectators are very welcome. When: 9am on 25 December.
  Where: The south bank of the Serpentine

There's nothing more exciting than meeting Santa at Christmas. How does Father Christmas manage to be in so many different places at once? Christmas magic, of course! Make sure you catch him with our guide to London's Christmas Grottos.

• 22 Nov to 5 Jan Winter Wonderland at London's Hyde Park. Meet Santa from 10am to 6pm. Entry is free but the queue will close at 4pm on busy days.
  Opening Times: Daily 10:00 - 22:00. Closed Christmas Day
• 6 Nov to 24 Dec ZSL London Zoo, Regent's Park. Meet Santa and the Zoo’s reindeers! Lend a hand at the daily Keeper’s Little Helpers sessions. Here children can prepare treats and presents for the Zoo’s animals before settling down for storytelling with Mother Christmas.
  Tickets £25.50
• 2 Nov to 24 Dec Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Road,Knightsbridge Meet Father Christmas in the magical library setting. Each child can take home an exclusive Harrods book, badge and Christmas chocolate. Only Harrods Rewards members can book Christmas Grotto tickets.
  December 6th - December 23rd: Mon - Sat: 10:00am - 8:30pm, Sun: 12:00pm - 5.30pm December 24th (Christmas Eve): Mon: 10:00am - 3.30pm
• 21 Nov to 24 Dec Santa's 5D Grotto at Westfield London

• Nov 28 - Jan 4. Christmas at Kew: During the evening openings of Kew's lovely Christmas celebrations there are plenty of family-friendly attractions, including a Victorian carousel and vintage rides, Santa's grotto, a boutique Christmas market with foodie treats and live festive music. These lates, set within Kew Gardens, promise to be a perfect way to get into the Christmas spirit.
• Dec 13 - Dec 15, Handmade Christmas at O2: Avoid the mad rush in the week before Christmas to gather up your presents and head to the Handmade Christmas Fair at the O2, where there'll be one-of-a-kind pieces made by independent designers, crafters, hobbyists and food and drink connoisseurs.
• Nov 22 - Jan 5 Hyde Park Winter Wonderland: The traditional Christmas Market with wooden chalets and various Bavarian-style bars and cafes is a hoot, as is the Spiegel Saloon, a large, festive and fully covered restaurant. Don't go with an empty wallet because while the whole thing is not cheap, it's such fun you'll want to get into the spirit and spend.
• Nov 15 - Dec 24 Southbank Centre Christmas Market: The traditional German-style wooden huts of the Southbank Centre Christmas Market return to Queen's walk along the river this season. Browse a large selection of toys and gifts, and sample a variety of festive food and drink, including glühwein, bratwurst and gingerbread. The Designers Makers Christmas Market is also on (Dec 16-22, open daily 11am-8pm) with over 50 British designers selling jewellery, ceramics, textiles, homewares, and prints.
• Dec 10 Snowy Fingers Vintage Market: Round Chapel 1D Glenarm Rd, E5 0LY From the folks behind the fantastic Dusty Fingers Vintage night markets comes a snowy twist on a classic. There is a vintage kilo-sale where you can buy Christmas gifts by weight, cake decorating for the mandatory holiday family dinners, and the usual selection of trinkets, furs, fashion, and homewares. Keep an eye out for the impressive selection of cheesy '80s festive jumpers.
• Dec 3 - Tue Dec 24 Berwick Street Christmas Market: Aiming to celebrate 'the independent and original spirit of Soho', Berwick Street Market has been a Soho fixture for years, earning it the label of one of the capital's oldest markets, if not the most abundant in stalls. Now, Berwick Street is inviting hand picked traders to form the first ever Christmas edition of the market.
• Dec 22 Boxpark Christmas Market: To celebrate the festive period, Shoreditch's pop-up mall Boxpark will be hosting a series of events in its refurbished shipping containers. Jewellery brand Love Bullets will be kicking off the festivities by unveiling their Christmas tree adorned with jewellery on the 28th of November. Following this, on the 2nd to the 8th of December Ganache Macarons will be popping up in the Boxpark, offering classes on how to make your own version of their sweet treats.
• Dec 8 Christmas at the Village Green Market: The Village Market is hosting its Christmas edition at The Hackney Downs Studios, packed full of festive delights. Stalls offering a selection of gifts and stocking-fillers will be in attendance, including jewellery, homeware, furniture and artwork as well as vintage items. Hackney Downs Studios.
•  Dec 7- Dec 8 Crafty Fox Christmas Market - Brixton: Crafty Fox Market, the family-run hub for emerging designers and crafters, is hosting a specially festive event this year, with over forty different handpicked designer/makers selling a range of crafts, locally made goods, and art. If you’re more interested in making your own gifts, you can participate in screenprinting workshops as well as spinning and letter-press demonstrations. The Dogstar.
• Dec 4 - Dec 21 Columbia Road Christmas Wednesdays: The road famous for its flower market is fast becoming known for its annual late night Christmas events too. Now in its eighth year, this Wednesday evening shopping event boasts over 50 participating shops. Columbia Road
• Dec 13 - 15 Dec Christmas Chocolate Festival: The festival returns to Southbank Centre with an array of chocolatiers and artisan delights to tickle your taste buds. Create your perfect chocolate bar with help from ChocoMe, learn how to make salted caramel pecan brownies with Rachels' Kitchen, indulge in Jaz and Julss award-winning organic hot chocolate and feast on Valrhona Chocolate Afternoon Tea.
• Dec 19 to 22 Dec Real Food Christmas Market Located in the square on the Waterloo Station side of the Southbank Centre, the Christmas Real Food Market will boast a whole range of seasonal produce such as wild game, ham, charcuterie, pies, cheeses, chutneys, pickles, cakes and chocolates as well as Christmas staples like mince pies and mulled wine. This is high quality but affordable stuff – and with kind staff from carefully selected producers, plus a taste-before-you-buy policy.

• Harrods. Always first off the mark when it comes to retail matters, Harrods opened Christmas World – covering 2,000 sq ft of shop floor – back in July. With its opulent red carpets and gold trimmings, it’s as gaudy and glitzy as you might expect, boasting Elliot Raffit and Michael Aram luxury decorations and a 6ft model Santa Claus – yours for £3,999. Don’t miss out on this year’s red cardigan-clad Harrods bear, Sebastian, £24.95. They usually sell out in the run up to Christmas so get yours early. Brompton Rd
• Selfridges. Up on the fourth floor between the excellent new toy department and Food Garden café, the Selfridges Christmas shop is bursting with everything you could require for a stylish Yuletide including knitted pudding decorations, traditional advent calendars and luxury Christmas crackers. Just look for the life-sized Polar bears. Oxford Street
• Fortnum & Mason. The entire store becomes a winter wonderland bedecked in opulent decorations and the most glorious foodie treats, from specialist biscuits presented in Christmas Merry-Go-Round tins to children’s hampers, from £45, featuring traditional sweets and fashion crackers by London designer Holly Fulton. Piccadilly
• Liberty. The Christmas shop, open from Sept 7, sits on the fourth floor in the East Gallery and East Atrium. Look out for old-fashioned Christmas wreaths, stuffed toys and baubles galore, including framed pictures of the Queen. Liberty crackers are among the most pretty on the market, too. Regent Street
• The Conran Shop. Christmas decorations don’t get smarter than those you’ll find at the Conran Shop; coloured-Perspex deers, Missoni-esque glitter balls and retro-style glass sea horses. The Blue Room has been transformed into a stylish Christmas market. Fulham Road
• Heal's. This year the Christmas shop will inhabit the ground floor from Oct 24 while real fir trees, some of them strewn with customers’ wishes, will decorate the inside and outside of the store. Go here for statement decorations and super-stocking fillers like gorgeously packaged Italian soaps and Missoni face cloths. Tottenham Court Road
• Paperchase. When it comes to buying your festive trappings, Paperchase has it covered. Come here for a glittering selection of decorations from traditional tartan covered baubles to glass pugs and retro disco balls. Tottenham Court Road
• V&A Shop. Find a lovely array of classic decorations, cards – including vintage Harper’s Bazaar covers – and a fine selection of stocking fillers. As well as a mighty selection of beautiful art, fashion and design books, you’ll find all sorts of crafty delights such as handmade felt puppets for kids, Indian floor cushions and accessories by Welsh textiles label Melin Tregwynt. Cromwell Rd
• John Lewis. London’s least intimidating department store has everything you could ever require to make Christmas go with a bang. As well as the vast selection of tree decorations, wrapping paper and baubles, you’ll find the best range of fake Christmas trees – and, at 10ft, the tallest – on the high street. It's also ace for table decorations. Oxford Street
• Debenhams. The flagship Oxford Street branch has just undergone a huge £25million renovation due to be complete just in time for Christmas shopping. Until then, you’ll have to walk through the hoardings. The Christmas shop will be open from mid-September on the fourth floor and will feature a good supply of festive trimmings including Christmas stockings, table top trees, garlands, wooden advent calendars and felt trees. Look out for lots of three-for-two offers. Oxford Street

•  Dec 3 - Jan 6 Carnaby Christmas. The Year of the Robin: The 13 streets that make up this prime west Soho shopping area always make a fuss for Christmas - and this year is no exception. Expect a flock of giant robins to start bobbing along from Nov14, when the lights on the arches of Carnaby Street itself will also be switched on.
•  Dec 8 - Dec 22 Trafalgar Square. A huge Christmas tree has been a seasonal symbol in Trafalgar Square since 1947, taking pride of place there until Twelfth Night (Jan 6), when it is taken down for recycling. The tree is decorated in traditional Norwegian fashion, using vertical strings of energy-efficient bulbs, switched on December 5. On December 8, there will be a torchlit procession for the Blessing of the Crib on the steps of St Martin-in-the-Fields. Designed by Tomaki Suzuki, the crib will remain on display through December. Carols are performed each evening from December 9 to 22 (4-8pm Mon-Fri; 2-6pm Sat, Sun) by a variety of London choral groups, with any donations for the performance going to charity.
•  Dec 3 - Dec 24 Covent Garden: Centred around the piazza but also taking in some of the streets radiating from it, Covent Garden Christmas offers a wide range of festive treats, all of them beginning on Nov 6 when the lights are switched on at 6pm.
• Dec 5 Fayre of St James and the Jermyn Street Christmas Lights: Enjoy a Victorian Christmas tonight with a 500-strong crowd in the heart of London. The Fayre of St James returns for another year of Dickensian carols and festive readings. After the church concert, the audience will view the switching on of the Jermyn Street Christmas lights, followed by a party at Fortnum & Mason with food and drinks. Money raised will go to Rays of Sunshine, a charity that grants wishes for seriously ill children across the UK.
• Dec 3 - Jan 6The Oxford Street Christmas Lights: have been revamped this year to the tune of £1.5m - and will be illuminated to the, er, tunes of Jessie J, Conor Maynard, X-Factor 2012 winner James Arthur, and Capital FM DJs Lisa Snowdon and Dave Berry. Local girl Jessie gets to pull the switch - from a temporary stage outside Selfridges - at 5pm, when 750,000 LEDs will transform the prime shopping street into a gentle storm of falling snowflakes.
• Dec 3 - Jan 6 The Regent Street Christmas lights: will this year be themed around DreamWorks' new time-travelling comedy adventure 'Mr Peabody and Sherman'.
• Dec 3 - Jan 6 Westfield Stratford City Christmas lights: are this year to be snapped on by CBBC stars Dick and Dom - with, of course, Santa himself in attendance - but only after a parade along The Street outside M&S with a 12 Days of Christmas theme: 12 drummers, 11 bagpipers, even a partridge in a pear tree, a Bollywood ladies dancing and seven swan-costumed ballerinas. There will be live music on the Chestnut Plaza from 4pm. Face-painting and other kids' activities will carry on all day, while festivities come to a close with a fireworks display.
• Dec 16 - Jan 25 Winter Lights at Canary Wharf: Dutch artist Rombout Frieling has created some rather unusual wind-powered illuminations for Middle Dock’s winter display this year. The little fluttering lights are called Flumens and are arranged in the shape of sails that are responsive to the breeze. Head down after dusk to catch the full effect. Viewable 24 hours a day.

Shopaholics are limbering up to battle the mayhem of the January sales. In London, the key areas to target for a Boxing day bargain hunt are Oxford Street, some of the major department stores and a couple of the big shopping malls. Oxford street is the shopping heart of London and is home to all the major highstreet labels including the flagship Topshop, Primark and Niketown.

Most of the big department stores will be open and gearing up for the January rush,Selfridges and Harvey Nicks are always good for bagging yourself some designer deals. Debenhams usually opens its doors at a rather ungodly hour on the 26th, where as John Lewis allow their employees an extra day of rest and remains closed on Boxing Day.

Westfield in Stratford opens back up for business from 8am-11pm on the 26th, and the Westfield in Shepherd's Bush opens from 9am-11pm.

• Dec 3 - Jan 5Natural History Museum Ice Rink :, Natural History Museum Cromwell Rd, SW7 5BD Alfred Waterhouse's stunning Natural History Museum is the backdrop for the 1,000-metre-square outdoor ice rink, featuring a Christmas tree at its centre, and a smaller rink for children. Spectators can take in the scene with a hot chocolate or mulled wine from the balcony café bar overlooking the ice. See the website for wheelchair-user sessions. Note the rink is occasionally closed for private functions.
• Dec 3 - Feb 16Canary Wharf Ice Rink. Canada Square Park Canary Wharf, E14 5AH. Surrounded by soaring towers, skaters can glide across the 1100-metre-square rink. There's also a skate path through trees lit by fairy lights. Under-13s must be accompanied on the ice by an adult.
• Dec 3 - Jan 5 Eyeskate EDF Energy London Eye Jubilee Gardens, SE1 7PB. The open-air Eyeskate rink is situated in Jubilee Gardens, in the shadow of the London Eye. You don't need to book a flight on the Eye in order to skate but various packages are on offer for those who wish to do so. Sessions last 45 minutes. Under-8s must be accompanied on the ice by an adult.
• Dec 3 - Jan 12 Hampton Court Palace Ice Rink. Hampton Court Palace East Molesey, Surrey, KT8 9AU: Set in front of Henry VIII's picturesque old pad, this 900-metre-square rink has space for 250 skaters. Sessions last an hour and wheelchairs are welcome on the ice except during the last session of the day. Ice guides are available for supervised group skating (£32 per session). Skating lessons for 5-16 year-olds are also available (and sell out fast so early booking is advised). Online booking is recommended.
• Dec 3 - Sun Jan 5 Hyde Park Winter Wonderland. Hyde Park: he central London park will be kitted out with rides and attractions, including a Giant Observation Wheel and two circuses – 'Christmas Circus' and 'Cirque Berserk' – from the family-friendly Zippos Circus. Plus Winter Wonderland's ice rink, which is the biggest outdoor rink in the UK, surrounds the Victorian bandstand and is illuminated with more than 100,000 lights.
• Dec 4 - Jan 5 Somerset House: the grand eighteenth-century courtyard at Somerset House provides this 900-metre-square ice rink with one of the most impressive skating backdrops in town. The skate school offers lessons for beginners and there are special Penguin Club sessions for children, as well as late-night skates and club nights with DJs on selected dates. Tom's Skate Lounge, a rinkside bar and lounge open to both ticket and non ticket holders, serves drinks and snacks throughout the day and a christmas arcade provides ample opportunity to splurge on yuletride.
• Dec 3 - Jan 5 The Tower of London ice rink Tower of London Tower Hill, EC3N 4AB: offers a grand historical setting for seasonal skating sessions, along with views of London's ancient fortress. Ice guides are available for supervised group skating (£32 per session). As with fellow Historic Royal Palace Hampton Court, sessions last an hour and wheelchairs are welcome on the ice except during the last session of the day. Online booking is advised.
• Dec 3 - Jan 5 Westfield London Ice Rink. Westfield London Ariel Way, W12 7SL: Westfield London's atrium is home to a 540-metre-square ice rink with a capacity of 160 skaters. Sessions last 45 minutes. Under-12s must be accompanied.

London's spectacular New Year's Eve fireworks display at the EDF Energy London Eye is famous around the world.

At  midnight, Big Ben's famous "bongs" will ring out, followed by the UK's largest annual fireworks display.

Celebrations will continue until 12:45am with a live DJ set – staying until the end will make it easier to leave the viewing areas and go home.

Each year around 250,000 people watch the fireworks in central London.

There are designated viewing areas, which will close once full. The best views are from Victoria Embankment, the South Bank, and Westminster Bridge and Waterloo Bridge. Hungerford Bridge is closed after 8pm and there's also no entry to Westminster Bridge after this time.

Visitors will be re-directed to other viewing areas as they fill up. If you are not in a designated viewing area by 10:30pm you will not be able to see the fireworks.

If you are travelling into Central London on New Year's Eve, make sure you plan your journey in advance. There will be major changes to regular Tube and train services, plus road and bridge closures.

There will be queuing systems and may be different routes and station exits on the night.You may not be able to travel home using the same route that you took in.

Plan your journey in advance with Transport for London (TfL), and make sure you follow the directions of stewards and police on the night.

Transport on all TfL journeys is free between 11.45pm on New Year's Eve, and 4:30am on New Year's Day.

Public transport will be extremely busy – your journey will take much longer than usual, and queues of up to 90 minutes are expected at stations close to the fireworks once they've finished. Consider walking part of your journey home.

Venue: London Eye, Jubilee Gardens, South Bank, South Bank, London, SE1 7PB
Tickets:  £18 (Adults), £10 (Concs), £5 (11-16 yrs), FREE (U11s) £25 (Family)
Public Transport: Tube: Embankment Underground Station, Westminster Station, Waterloo