Covent Garden sparkles with Christmas spirit as its festive celebrations begin

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8th November 2022

  • Covent Garden is London’s most festive destination as its world-famous Christmas tree and lights re switched on and its festive programme of celebrations begin
  • The iconic Christmas tree is taller than ever, reaching over 60ft this year and is decorated with over 30,000 lights. The Covent Garden estate sparkles with 115,000 lights across the Market Building, Piazza and adjoining streets
  • Italian fashion house Dolce&Gabbana has taken over the Piazza with an immersive pop-up space selling bags, knit accessories, sneakers, small leather goods and an exclusive Covent Garden t-shirt
  • The Winter Warmer Mulled Wine Festival is running from 8th - 20th November with festive drinks and new takes on mulled wine from Frenchie, Cora Pearl, Ladurée, Ave Mario and more
  • Other new retailers joining the estate especially for the festive season include Jaeger-LeCoultre, Missoma, Lounge Underwear and L’Or Coffee
  • A brand new christmas sleigh is the Instagram photo moment of choice this year, alongside the Insta-famous snowfall returning on 1st December
  • Weekly Festive Thursdays on the estate will also host in-store offers, workshops, discounts and events from Jo Malone London, Mulberry, Free People, UGG and more, plus live performances from the London International Gospel Choir
  • The ‘Gift for Good’ Christmas Charity Auction returns with over £10,000 worth of auction lots including a 5-course tasting menu at Frenchie, weekend stay at the Henrietta Hotel, dinner and drinks at The NoMad, gifts and shopping experiences from Dolce&Gabbana, Mulberry, Tiffany & Co., Charlotte Tilbury and more all raising money to combat homelessness in London

Covent Garden has launched its magical Christmas celebrations with a dazzling estate-wide festive display and a programme of exciting events. The world-famous Christmas tree is now lit with 30,000 lights, and over 115,000 lights sparkle across its historic streets. Visitors can explore a brand new Dolce&Gabbana pop up on the iconic Piazza, the third year of London’s Winter Warmer Mulled Wine Festival, new stores from Missoma and Lounge Underwear, exciting family photo moments, weekly shopping evenings with gospel choir performances, festive performances at the Royal Opera House, the ultimate dining experiences and so much more.

Dolce&Gabbana has launched an exclusive pop-up bringing a taste of Italy to the heart of central London, which will be in open until 15th January 2023. The Italian luxury and lifestyle brand will play host to a Christmas Market including food and drinks, Dolce&Gabbana Casa gift ideas, ready-to-wear fashion, sneakers and an exclusive Covent-Garden-only t-shirt with a London print. The pop-up will also include products from Dolce&Gabbana partners Bialetti, Fiasconaro, Donna Fugata, Pasta Di Martino and Baci Perugina. As part of the partnership Covent Garden’s Insta-famous swing will also be given a seasonal Italian makeover by the brand and a weekly D&G festive market cart selling Panettone will also be in the Market Building.

For visitors looking to get into the festive season, Covent Garden’s third annual Winter Warmer Mulled Wine Festival is now running until 20th November, with an array of festive drinks with a twist for everyone to enjoy. There are over 100 varieties of hot toddies, hot chocolates, mulled wine and more served across the estate, including The Ivy Market Grill and Frenchie’s House Mulled Wine, Cora Pearl’s Spiced Kitty, Avo Bar’s Gingerbread latte, and Apple Pie Punch, Mariage Frere’s tea infused Mulled Wine and Ave Mario’s Mulled Old Fashioned. There will also be special offers at Lilly’s Winter Terrace with two-for-one offers on mulled wine with a heated Piazza seat overlooking the Christmas tree. The much loved traditional Christmas mulled wine cart in the Market Building will also serve mulled wine and mince pies throughout the festive season.

Also launching in Covent Garden for the festive season are jewellery brand Missoma at 8 Market Building with their first ever standalone store in late November and Lounge Underwear is also opening their first standalone store at 7 James Street in early December. Jaeger-LeCoultre will be popping up on the Piazza from 15th - 24th December, with an exhibition paying homage to its iconic Reverso timepiece; plus L‘Or coffee are opening at 4 Henrietta St from 21st November until 23rd December to showcase their coffee machines, a mocktail bar and Patisserie.

For the ultimate Christmas photo moments, London’s favourite festive neighbourhood continues to sparkle each day. The much-loved handpicked British grown Christmas tree sits at 60ft tall this year and accompanies the Market Building’s decorative scheme with giant snowball-inspired baubles, mistletoe and mirror balls. The festive lights will sparkle daily from 11am - midnight from 8th November until 3rd January 2023. A new photo moment for Christmas 2022 is the Covent Garden Christmas Sleigh. Parked up in the South Hall of the Market Building the Sleigh is a traditionally decorated 1884 carriage hand painted by British artist James Gemmill. The Market Building will also play host to the Wonder Wood - a forest of trees decorated by the Covent Garden horticultural team. This year for the first time visitors are invited to scan QR codes amongst the trees, to make a direct donation to children’s charity Cash4Kids. From 29th November, donations will go towards the charity’s ‘Mission Christmas’ which ensures that no child goes without a present under the tree on Christmas Day. From 1st – 31st December, Covent Garden will be the ultimate winter wonderland as the area’s much loved daily snowfall will return, with hourly flurries from midday – 9pm, in front of Covent Garden’s Christmas tree.

Covent Garden will host Festive Thursday shopping evenings every Thursday through November and December, with weekly offers and exclusive discounts for visitors. Surprise and delight gospel performances from London International Gospel Choir will also take place each week, and there will be extra special offers and experiences at stores - Mulberry has joined forces with London-based floral artists SAGE to create fresh bespoke wreaths which will be given to customers who purchase a Mulberry bag between 24th – 17th November, NARS will offer ‘Brush Along’ tutorials and free gifts when spending over £50; there will be demos, free gifts and a disco each week at Charlotte Tilbury; Wine and cheese evenings weekly at Aesop; festive mixology and calligraphy masterclasses at Jo Malone London and calligraphy personalisation at Penhaligon’s. VASHI will also offer a series of workshops in-store exploring fine jewellery and diamonds, while Radley will offer in-store personalisation on their leather handbag tags. The Petersham will also host wine-tasting evenings each week at the Deli focused on Italian classics. Lilly’s Cafe will offer a Winter Terrace Fondue and Hot Drinks package for £20 overlooking the Christmas tree, plus two-for-one cocktails and Buns n Buns and NaNa Café will offer 30% off food each week. Fashion and accessory retailers Strathberry, Mulberry, N.peal, Free People, Tudor and Bucherer will offer a mix of champagne, festive cocktails, gift wrapping and personalisation in store, while Reformation and UGG and will be offering up to 20% discounts in store too. From 21st November to 24th December Covent Garden will offer a shopping incentive to American Express customers, shoppers will get £10 cash back when spending £50 on the estate.

Visitors to Covent Garden will be spoilt for choice when celebrating this season, with extra special festive menus from restaurants across the estate and weatherproof seating options at 55 al-fresco dining terraces. Lilly’s is launching a festive fondue menu for visitors, while kitsch favourite Miracle at Henrietta will return once again to the Henrietta Hotel. Mrs Riot has gone all out with Christmas decorations and festive drinks and new late-night venue Stereo from the Experimental Group will open in late December for the ultimate festive celebration. Chestnut Bakery will offer a range of festive bakery treats for visitors including a mince pie danish and Blondies Kitchen will offer a range of Christmas cookies including ‘mince pie cookie cups’. Festive and New Year’s Eve menus will also be available at Frenchie, Balthazar, The Ivy Market Grill, Da Henrietta, Mariage Freres, Cinnamon Bazaar, VyTa, Avobar, Din Tai Fung, Pivot and more, while Cora Pearl will serve hot dogs, mince pies and chocolate cake outside the restaurant to dine al fresco or take away.

For a take-away treat, visitors can head to the East Piazza from 21st November – 11th December for Dirty Martini and Tanqueray’s pop up winter terrace. Guests can enjoy hot cranberry and clementine punch, Bailey’s hot chocolate, Belsazar mulled wine and more.

Covent Garden will once more celebrate its Christmas Sandwich Festival, from 3rd to 10th December. Visitors will be able to choose unique takes on the Christmas favourite - recipes for this year include a cookie dough sandwich from Blondies Kitchen, smoked salmon on dark rye from Lilly’s Cafe, a winter tartine from Chez Antoinette, festive veggie tacos from Avobar, a traditional favourite from Chestnut Bakery and a Brillat-Savarin, ham and black truffle sandwich from Frenchie. Options will all be available for takeaway or dine-in at restaurants.

The estate will once again host the Gift For Good charity auction from 24th – 27th November. For the third year in a row, the auction will be in partnership with charity Only A Pavement Away which works alongside Crisis on its mission to end homelessness. This year’s prizes, worth over £10,000, include; One night stay at the Henrietta Hotel; Five-course tasting menu at Frenchie; exclusive palettes from Lisa Eldridge, Rose Inc.; Dinner and drinks at NoMad, Din Tai Fung, Ave Mario, Avobar, Miracle at Henrietta, Buns & Buns; tickets to ELF the musical; vouchers from Free People and jewellery box including a full collection from APM Monaco. All proceeds will go to people in need this Christmas. More items are to be revealed.

An exciting partnership with ELF the Musical will spread Christmas cheer with Buddy, Jovie and the full cast performing in the heart of the Piazza in the afternoon of Wednesday 14th December to celebrate the musical coming to central London this Christmas. Families will also be able to visit the Royal Opera House to enjoy a magical festive programme of events and experiences including ballet The Nutcracker throughout December.

For shoppers looking for gift inspiration during the festive season Dior, Jo Malone, Bucherer, , Paul Smith, Mulberry, Lacoste, Tiffany & Co will all be offering shoppers exclusive personalisation for the ultimate gift, while the Royal Opera House Shop which will have memorabilia and apparel available. The very best fashion, beauty and lifestyle brands will also be offering festive gifts including Tom Ford, Dior, Chanel and Lisa Eldrige in the Market Building, as well as Paul Smith, Apple, Vashi, Ganni, Reformation, Sandro, ba&sh, A.P.C, , and more to choose from.

For further information on new openings, experiences, shopping and dining visit Coventgarden.london

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