London Christmas Lights: Where to See Them and What Else Is On: 88 events this week (14 Sept to 19 Sept)

Regent Street and Oxford Street get the big switch-on and the crowds that come with it. Worth doing once, but go early evening or late, not 6pm on a Saturday.

Quieter versions exist a short walk off the main drag. Carnaby Street does something more playful most years. Covent Garden leans grand, with a big tree and lights strung across the piazza. Marylebone High Street and South Molton Street stay smaller and easier to actually enjoy without shuffling in a crowd.

Lights are free to look at, but the smart move is pairing the walk with something else nearby: a market stall, a late bar, a one-off festive show. That's where a lot of the good stuff hides, mixed in with the general Christmas noise online.

Timing matters more than most guides admit. Weeknights are calmer. Early evening, just after dusk, gives you the lights without the peak crush. December weekends near Oxford Circus are best avoided unless you like being carried by a crowd.

Bring layers. Most of this is outdoors, standing or walking, and London December evenings are properly cold once the sun's gone.