Venue
Hyde Park, London W2 2UH, United Kingdom
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Hyde Park Winter Wonderland guide
Rides, rinks and beer halls in Hyde Park.
In short
Hyde Park Winter Wonderland runs from 19 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 on the Parade Ground, open daily except Christmas Day. It suits families, thrill-seekers and groups of friends, with Santa Land, skating, circus tents, bars and market stalls. Evenings and weekends are busiest, so book timed attractions in advance.
Hyde Park Winter Wonderland is London's big Christmas fair, a temporary town of rides, ice attractions, circus tents, bars and market stalls built on the Parade Ground of Hyde Park each winter. It runs for about six weeks and draws millions of people from across the city and well beyond.
Part funfair, part Christmas market and part night out, it works for very different crowds. Families come for Santa Land and the skating, teenagers for the thrill rides, and groups of friends for the beer halls and the lights after dark.
Since its first season in 2007 it has become one of the fixtures of a London December, and it sits within walking distance of Mayfair, Knightsbridge and the West End shops.
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Key Facts & Stats:
Ends: Sunday, 3 January 2027
Where: London, United Kingdom
Venue: Parade Ground
Held: Every year
Type of event: Leisure Events, Winter Festivals, Fair
Nearest airport: London (LHR) · 2 flight routes
Currency: Pound sterling (£ GBP)
Time zone: GMT (UTC+0), BST (UTC+1) from late March to late October
Language: English
Map
Close to the venue
- Hyde Park Attraction · 410 m
- Buckingham Palace Attraction · 1.3 km
- Natural History Museum, London Attraction · 1.8 km
- National Gallery Attraction · 2 km
- The Savoy Hotel · 2.6 km
Getting around
Hotels near the venue fill up around the event dates.
Ticket rules for children and babies
The fair is a closed site: nobody gets in without a ticket, including babes in arms. Children aged 16 and under must come with at least one adult, and that adult needs a ticket too, even if they are not riding anything. Rides and attractions have their own height and age limits, so check them before you promise a child a particular ride.
Each ticket is for a one-hour arrival slot, so time your journey to reach the gate inside that hour.
Bag restrictions and security checks
Travel light. Big bags and luggage are strongly discouraged, and at the charity preview night nothing larger than A4 was allowed through. Leave shopping bags and suitcases at the hotel and check the official help pages for the current list of banned items before you set out.
- Wear warm, waterproof layers and shoes with grip in case the ground is wet.
- Keep phones and wallets zipped away in crowded areas.
- Agree a meeting point by a landmark such as the Giant Wheel in case the group splits up.
Accessibility and step-free travel
Visitors with access needs should read the accessibility section of the official help centre before booking, since it covers access tickets and support on site. Every London bus is accessible and there are stops right beside the event, which can be easier than a crowded Tube platform. Blue badge holders who need to drive can ring the event team on 020 8233 5400 for parking advice. Plan a rest stop or two, as the site is large and busy at peak times.
Budgeting for rides, food and drink
Rides, food and drink add up fast. Decide on your must-do attractions at home and buy them with your entry ticket: spending £25 in one transaction makes entry free, and booking ahead is cheaper than paying on the day. Klarna instalments are offered on orders over £50.
Set a budget for the stalls and bars before you go in, and consider an off-peak November visit for the lowest entry price.
What happens on the day
- 10:00
Gates open
The usual opening time. Some days start later: noon on 19 and 20 November and 23 to 26 November, and 11:00 from 7 to 11 December and from 28 December to 1 January.
- Afternoon
Daylight on the rides
An afternoon slot lets you see the park in daylight and stay on for the lights.
- Until 20:00
Hourly entry slots
Entry is sold in one-hour arrival slots, priced off-peak, standard or peak. Peak pricing applies chiefly late in the day and at weekends.
- From 19:00
Bar Ice for over-12s
The ice bar is open only to visitors aged 12 and over in the evening.
- 21:30 and 22:00
Last entry and close
Last entry is half an hour before the site closes at 22:00.
Booking an entry slot and saving on the gate fee
Nobody walks in on a whim any more. Entry is sold in one-hour arrival slots, colour-coded by price. Off-peak sessions on Monday to Thursday in November cost £1.00. A standard slot is £5.50, while peak times cost £8.25. Booking online in advance saves up to 25%.
The smarter move is to decide what you want to do before you book. Put £25 of rides or food deals in the same order and the entry fee disappears. Skating and the Ice Kingdom are sold as separate attractions, so add them at the same time, because space on the day is not guaranteed.
For a first visit, pick an afternoon slot that lets you see the park in daylight and stay on for the lights. If you are building a longer trip, our London city guide covers neighbourhoods and sights beyond the park.
Hyde Park's history and the fair's growth
Hyde Park has been public land since 1637, a century after Henry VIII took it from Westminster Abbey for hunting. The Christmas event is far newer. A small funfair ran at the edge of the park from 2005, and in 2007 AEG Live and PWR Events were asked by The Royal Parks to build something larger. The first Winter Wonderland opened on 11 December that year. It drew 14 million people in its first decade and now attracts about 2.5 million visitors a season.
The layout borrows from German and Alpine Christmas traditions. The Bavarian Village gives the site its beer-hall corner. Christmas market stalls line the walkways, and Market Square near the west gate is the place to shop for gifts. Santa Land is aimed at younger children.
The rest is pure funfair, with more than 100 rides and attractions. The 70m Giant Wheel in Thrillville looks across the park, rides such as Munich Looping and Euro Coaster supply the adrenaline, and new for 2026 is Gandeys K-Pop Dragon Circus. This year the ice attraction is Magical Ice Kingdom presents Neverland. From 7pm Bar Ice is for over-12s only, and a cocktail comes with the ticket.
Getting there
Flying in
From London Heathrow, the Heathrow Express reaches Paddington non-stop in about 15 minutes; the Elizabeth line from Terminal 3 takes 28 minutes.
By Tube
Marble Arch and Hyde Park Corner are nearest but get crowded and sometimes close at busy times. Bond Street (about 14 minutes' walk) and Green Park (about 17) have step-free access. Paddington is about 12 minutes from the north gate.
Boxing Day
The Elizabeth line does not run on 26 December, so plan another route.
Which gate
Red Gate (east) for Bond Street and Marble Arch; Blue Gate (south) for Hyde Park Corner, Green Park and Victoria; Green Gate (west) for Knightsbridge and the Bavarian Village; Gold Gate (north) for Marble Arch and Paddington.
From Eurostar
Take the Piccadilly line from St Pancras to Hyde Park Corner or Knightsbridge.
Where to stay during the festival
Mayfair and Knightsbridge, both on the edge of Hyde Park, put the gates within walking distance. Paddington, north of the park, is the handy choice if you arrive on the Heathrow Express and is about 12 minutes' walk from the Gold Gate.
December weekends are busy across central London, so book early if your dates include one.
Weather and what to pack
London in late November and December is cold, grey and damp. Across west London stations, December averages a high of about 9°C and a low of about 2°C, with rain on eleven or so days in the month (1991-2020 normals for Kew Gardens and Northolt).
Daylight ends around 16:00 in December, so the lights are on for most of an afternoon visit.
Worth packing
- A warm coat, hat and gloves
- Waterproof shoes for muddy park paths
- A card or phone for payment at stalls and rides
Flights to London for Hyde Park Winter Wonderland
The busiest routes into London (LHR).
FromTo DAC LHR DhakaLondon Available airlines1 airline- Biman Bangladesh Airlines
FromTo ZYL LHR SylhetLondon Available airlines1 airline- Biman Bangladesh Airlines
Car hire in London
Airport transfer to Hyde Park Winter Wonderland
Met at arrivals at London Heathrow Airport (LHR) and driven door to door to Parade Ground.
- London Heathrow Airport (LHR) → Parade Ground
- 26 km · 40 min
Restaurants and food in United Kingdom
Places to eat in United Kingdom before or after the celebrations.
Magpie Café
14 Pier Road, Whitby YO21 3PU, United Kingdom
Cuisine:SeafoodFish and chips
- Dine-in
- Takeaway
Ubiquitous Chip
12 Ashton Lane, Glasgow G12 8SJ, United Kingdom
Cuisine:ScottishModern British
- Dine-in
- Bar
The Kitchin
78 Commercial Quay, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6LX, United Kingdom
Cuisine:Modern ScottishSeasonal
- Dine-in
Dishoom Covent Garden
12 Upper St Martin's Lane, London WC2H 9FB, United Kingdom
Cuisine:IndianBombay café
- Dine-in
- Bar
- Outdoor seating
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
General
Not on its own. Entry costs from £1.00 off-peak up to £8.25 at peak times, but it becomes free if you add £25 or more of rides, attractions or food deals to the same booking.
No. Christmas Day is the only day of the season when the gates stay shut. It reopens on Boxing Day, when the Elizabeth line is not running, so plan another route.
The Green Gate on the west side, near Knightsbridge and High Street Kensington stations. Market Square is close to the same gate.
The Gold Gate on the north side, reached from Marble Arch or Paddington, opens near the Arctic Circle zone where the ice attraction stands, along with Luminarie Lane.
The rink is in Skater's Corner, close to the Blue Gate on the south side, which also serves Show Town. Skaters must be at least 3 years old.
Only once since it began in 2007. The 2020 season was called off because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the rides returned to the Parade Ground in November 2021.
The organisers would rather you came by public transport. Drivers are pointed to the Q-Park Park Lane car park, and asked to keep out of the residential streets around the park.
Coaches can set down at Cumberland Gate southbound, north of North Row, for up to 20 minutes, or at three spaces on Park Lane southbound by the Dorchester Hotel.
After 7pm it is open only to visitors aged 12 and over. A cocktail is included in the price of the Bar Ice ticket.
Timing & weather
Every evening at 10pm; see the day timeline above for last entry and the days with later openings.
Getting there
The closest black cab rank, on Park Lane opposite Brook House, is usually busy. Ranks at Hamilton Place, Portman Square or Oxford Street are often quicker. Minicabs must be booked in advance.