Your London Christmas Pop-Ups Guide
London is a phenomenal city to visit at any time of year, being a sprawling city of multitudes that contains some things (plural) for everyone. But there is something innately magical about London at Christmas; beyond the heightened levels of cheer amongst its residents, London seems to spring into festive life with events and activities galore. Some of the most exciting of these are especially exciting for their temporariness, as festive pop-ups give you the chance to experience some truly special things for one night only. But which are the best?
Humbug Festive Dive Bar
Our first pop-up destination is the one and only Humbug! – a festive dive bar tucked away in the arches of one of London’s most famous railway stations. This unique bar concept is at once a special drinking hole and an immersive story, set around a Father Christmas lacking in his trademark cheer. Later in the evening, there is live music and DJs to complement your bespoke Christmassy cocktails. Humbug! is not merely a stone’s throw from Waterloo Station, but tucked away under it – its speakeasy-style archway location is accessible from Leake Street. Be warned, however, that you’ll need tickets in advance to guarantee entry…
Midnight Apothecary
The Midnight Apothecary is another wondrous pop-up venue concept, but this time trading the gaudy festivities of conventional Christmas for something much more stylish – and trading the basement dive-bar idea for the exact opposite. This is because the Midnight Apothecary is a roof garden cocktail bar, trucking in the Nordic philosophy of ‘friluftsliv’ or ‘open-air living’. The cocktail menu is nothing short of stunning, and for those not quite ready to leave the dankness of London’s underground world behind there is the opportunity to tour Brunel’s Thames Tunnel too.
Miracle at Henrietta
Cocktails are de rigeur at Christmas nowadays, and this fantastical pop-up at the Henrietta Hotel is going all in. Their maximalist cocktail menu is not the only thing they’ve gone all-in on, though, as the Miracle at Henrietta pop-up brings some of the gaudiest decorations you have seen this side of Christmas 1980. Sparkling, shimmering light-up adornments hem you in on all sides at this unabashedly loud Christmas knees-up.
Club Curling
Last but certainly not least, we come to something with a bit more interactivity: Club Curling. Club Curling is back at Coal Drops Yard, the supermassive King’s Cross boutique a short hop from the train station itself. This is an opportunity for you to flex your curling muscles, and put to bed once and for all whether you can actually ‘do that’ like they do at the Olympics. Here, though, there are cocktails and DJs to sweeten the deal!
Looking for more festive ideas? Check out our family-friendly Christmas bucket list for 20 things to tick off this season!
