Christmas at the Royal Albert Hall 2026 runs from Tuesday 1 to Thursday 31 December, with 21 events across the month. Carols at the Royal Albert Hall fills 19–24 December with 15 performances. Before that come Jamie Cullum, Anna Lapwood, Rick Astley, Trevor Nelson’s Soul Christmas, Take That at Heart Christmas Live and Home Alone with a live orchestra. The year closes with Casino Royale and La La Land in concert. Tickets start at £25.
In short
- Dates: 1–31 December 2026. Nothing is on 25–27 December.
- Carols at the Royal Albert Hall: Saturday 19 to Thursday 24 December, 15 shows at 11am, 3pm and 7.30pm, from £25. The BSL-interpreted performances are on Sunday 20 December.
- Headliners: Anna Lapwood (8 Dec), Rick Astley (9 Dec), Jamie Cullum (10–11 Dec), Heart Christmas Live with Take That (14 Dec), Trevor Nelson (17–18 Dec).
- With children: Home Alone in Concert (5–6 Dec), A Christmas Story (13 Dec), and two 45-minute baby concerts in the Elgar Room (8–9 Dec).
- New Year’s Eve: La La Land in Concert, at 1pm and 6pm on 31 December.
- Cheapest tickets: from £25. Prices move with demand, so book early.
- Book: through the Royal Albert Hall box office, or call 020 7589 8212.
Of all the Christmas concerts in London, the Royal Albert Hall’s season is one of the easiest ways into the Christmas mood. There’s no whole day to plan and no ice-rink queue. You book one evening, or one late morning, in the great round hall on Kensington Gore. The Hall sold more than 150,000 Christmas tickets last year, which it calls its most successful Christmas programme ever. Here is every show with its date, times and starting price, which show suits which kind of outing, and the practical details: getting there, children, and how to pay less.
Christmas at the Royal Albert Hall 2026: every show, date and price
The Hall’s press release names 16 headline events for the main auditorium. The Hall’s own listings add five more. These are the Salvation Army’s annual carol concert, Sir John Rutter’s Christmas Celebration, a late-night jazz set and two concerts for babies and toddlers in the smaller Elgar Room. Here are all 21, in date order. Prices are the “from” prices the Hall published in September 2026.
| Date (2026) | Show | Times | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 1 Dec | Christmas with the Salvation Army | 8pm | see Hall |
| Thu 3 Dec | Jazz at the Movies: A Swingin’ Christmas (Elgar Room) | 9.30pm | see Hall |
| Fri 4 Dec | Sir John Rutter’s Christmas Celebration | 3pm, 7.30pm | see Hall |
| Sat 5–Sun 6 Dec | Home Alone in Concert (PG) | Four screenings: 1pm, 2.30pm, 6pm, 7.30pm | £25 |
| Mon 7 Dec | Christmas with the Royal Choral Society | 2.30pm, 7.30pm | £35 |
| Tue 8 Dec | Baby Gospel Christmas (Elgar Room) | 11am | see Hall |
| Tue 8 Dec | Anna Lapwood’s Christmas | 7.30pm | £25 |
| Wed 9 Dec | Baby Broadway Christmas (Elgar Room) | 11am | see Hall |
| Wed 9 Dec | Rick Astley’s Swinging Christmas | 7.30pm | £45 |
| Thu 10–Fri 11 Dec | Jamie Cullum: The Pianoman at Christmas | 7.30pm | £56 |
| Sat 12 Dec | Home Alone 2: Lost in New York in Concert (PG) | 2.30pm, 7.30pm | £25 |
| Sun 13 Dec | A Christmas Story | 1.30pm, 5.15pm | £25 |
| Mon 14 Dec | Heart Christmas Live with NatWest (Take That) | 7.30pm | £45 |
| Tue 15 Dec | John Wilson and Sinfonia of London: A Christmas Songbook | 7.30pm | £40 |
| Wed 16 Dec | London Community Gospel Choir at Christmas | 7.30pm | £30 |
| Thu 17–Fri 18 Dec | Trevor Nelson’s Soul Christmas | 7pm | £68 |
| Sat 19–Thu 24 Dec | Carols at the Royal Albert Hall | 11am, 3pm, 7.30pm (see grid below) | £25 |
| Mon 28 Dec | How to Train Your Dragon 2 in Concert (PG) | 3pm, 7.30pm | £30 |
| Tue 29 Dec | Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl in Concert (12A) | 1pm, 6pm | £30 |
| Wed 30 Dec | Casino Royale in Concert (12A) | 1pm, 6pm | £35 |
| Thu 31 Dec | La La Land in Concert (12A) | 1pm, 6pm | £25 |
Which Royal Albert Hall Christmas concert should you book?
Here are the shows grouped by the kind of outing they suit.
For small children
Start with the two Elgar Room baby concerts. Baby Gospel Christmas is on Tuesday 8 December and Baby Broadway Christmas is on Wednesday 9 December, both at 11am. Each lasts about 45 minutes and is open to everyone from newborns up. West End singers perform songs from Elf, White Christmas, The Snowman and Frozen, with bubbles, bells and puppetry, and festive fancy dress is encouraged. For slightly older children, Home Alone in Concert (PG, 5–6 December) is the obvious draw. So is A Christmas Story on Sunday 13 December, a carol-filled nativity based on Michael Morpurgo’s book On Angel Wings. Its performances at 1.30pm and 5.15pm are both early enough for bedtimes. Several of the auditorium concerts carry a “not recommended for children under 5” note, so check the listing before you book for a toddler.
For a traditional Christmas, or a grandparent’s treat
Tradition is well served. Christmas with the Royal Choral Society on Monday 7 December will be the choir’s 154th annual Christmas performance, presented by Alexander Armstrong. It has a 2.30pm matinee, which is kinder than a late night for many older visitors. Sir John Rutter’s Christmas Celebration (4 December), presented by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, is built around the composer behind many of the best-loved modern carols. Anna Lapwood’s Christmas (8 December) brings back the TikTok star who is also Organist of the Royal Albert Hall, after her 2025 show sold out. It has special guests, new arrangements of Christmas classics and film music, with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra.
John Wilson and the Sinfonia of London (15 December) is the one for anyone who loves a lush orchestral sound. The programme includes The Nutcracker, a Mary Poppins suite, and Let It Snow!, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and White Christmas, with the West End singer Louise Dearman. Then there’s Carols at the Royal Albert Hall itself (more below).
For a night out with friends
Go for Heart Christmas Live with NatWest on 14 December, hosted by Amanda Holden and Jamie Theakston, with Take That the first act announced. Trevor Nelson’s Soul Christmas (17–18 December) marks his 30 years at the BBC with festive versions of soul and R&B classics, the BBC Concert Orchestra and special guests. Rick Astley’s Swinging Christmas (9 December) is a big-band show, and the London Community Gospel Choir (16 December) has been a fixture of the Hall’s Christmas since 2018.
For a date night: Jamie Cullum, jazz and La La Land
Jamie Cullum’s The Pianoman at Christmas (10–11 December) is jazz with his band, two nights running. For something smaller and later, Jazz at the Movies: A Swingin’ Christmas starts at 9.30pm on 3 December in the Elgar Room, with the singer Joanna Eden and the Chris Ingham Quartet. The Hall describes it as an annual sell-out. And La La Land in Concert on New Year’s Eve ends the year with the film’s own composer conducting.
For film lovers
Six films get the live-orchestra treatment, with 14 screenings in all: Home Alone, Home Alone 2 (its UK premiere in this format), How to Train Your Dragon 2, Pirates of the Caribbean, Casino Royale and La La Land. How they work is explained further down.
“We really are the home of Christmas in London.” — Matt Todd, Director of Programming, Royal Albert Hall
Carols at the Royal Albert Hall 2026: London’s best-known carol concerts, times and tickets
Carols at the Royal Albert Hall 2026 runs from Saturday 19 to Thursday 24 December, with 15 performances: the Hall’s own run of Christmas carol concerts. The music is a mix of traditional carols and modern festive favourites, with a full orchestra, choirs, presenters and soloists, and plenty of chances to sing along. The Hall lists the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the National Youth Choir, the Royal Choral Society and the British Imperial Military Band. The Hall’s own advice is to wear your Christmas jumper.
| Day | 11am | 3pm | 7.30pm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat 19 Dec | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sun 20 Dec | – | ✓ BSL | ✓ BSL |
| Mon 21 Dec | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Tue 22 Dec | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Wed 23 Dec | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thu 24 Dec | ✓ | ✓ | – |
Doors open 45 minutes before each start: 10.15am, 2.15pm and 6.45pm. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s listing gives a 25-minute interval. The Hall hasn’t published a total running time, so allow the whole afternoon or evening rather than booking a table straight after.
Which performance to choose. The weekday 11am shows on 21–24 December are the best fit for younger children and anyone who’d rather be home before dark. Christmas Eve has no evening show, so the 3pm on the 24th is the last carols of the year. On Sunday 20 December both performances are British Sign Language interpreted. BSL seats are in Stalls G, H and K, and a companion ticket is free.
Children. Anyone aged 14 or under must be with an adult aged 18 or over. The same rule appears on the Hall’s other Christmas listings, and a few add a “not recommended for under-5s” note.
Groups. Book ten or more tickets and there’s a 10% discount on Stalls and Rausing Circle seats for certain performances, by phone on 020 7589 8212. That’s useful for an office, choir or family outing.
Price. The Hall’s release gives Carols tickets from £25. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s own listing quotes from £22, so compare both before you book.
Premium options. Festive brunch boxes for the morning shows, private dining, and VIP lounges and boxes with food and drink are all sold as packages.
Home Alone, La La Land and more: what is a Films in Concert show?
The whole film is shown on a big screen above the stage while a full orchestra plays the score live, in time with the picture. You still hear the dialogue and sound effects as normal, but the music moves from background to centre stage. The Royal Albert Hall has made this a speciality.
- Home Alone (5–6 December): John Williams’ score, played by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra with the Crouch End Festival Chorus. It opens the season with four screenings.
- Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (12 December): its UK premiere as a film-in-concert, with two screenings.
- How to Train Your Dragon 2 (28 December): John Powell’s score, conducted by Ben Palmer, with London Voices.
- Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (29 December): Klaus Badelt’s score, played by the Academy of St Martin in the Fields with London Voices and conducted by David Mahoney.
- Casino Royale (30 December): Daniel Craig’s first Bond film, 20 years old this year, with David Arnold’s score conducted by Anthony Gabriele.
- La La Land (31 December): ten years on, conducted by the film’s own composer, Justin Hurwitz. The jazz band plays live, and so do the piano solos.
Note the certificates. Home Alone, Home Alone 2 and How to Train Your Dragon 2 are PG. Pirates, Casino Royale and La La Land are 12A.
How to get cheaper Royal Albert Hall Christmas tickets
A night at the Hall needn’t be expensive if you plan it.
- Book early. The Hall prices by demand and reviews prices up to once a day. Its own advice is to book as early as you can for the best choice of seats at the best prices.
- Pick the £25 shows. These are Home Alone, Home Alone 2, Anna Lapwood, A Christmas Story, Carols and La La Land. Of the shows with published prices, Trevor Nelson (£68) and Jamie Cullum (£56) are the priciest.
- Pick a matinee. The 11am and 3pm Carols and the film matinees make a full outing without a restaurant bill afterwards.
- Go in a group. Ten or more tickets bring 10% off Stalls and Rausing Circle seats for certain Carols performances.
- Consider membership if you go every year. Friends of the Hall, from £60, get priority booking, which matters for the shows that sell out.
- Buy resale safely. The Hall only accepts tickets bought from its box office, from approved agents, from Members of the charity, or through its official resale partner, Twickets.
- Make the rest of the day free. The Natural History Museum, the V&A and the Science Museum on Exhibition Road are free to enter and a short walk away. The Albert Memorial and Kensington Gardens are directly opposite the Hall.
Make a day of it: festive food at the Hall
The Hall runs its own Christmas menus this year. Coda’s Christmas Afternoon Tea runs from 23 November to 18 December. The Hall hasn’t published a price yet. Pair it with a matinee: the Royal Choral Society at 2.30pm on 7 December, John Rutter at 3pm on 4 December, or Home Alone 2 at 2.30pm on 12 December. It makes a civilised Christmas treat with no late night. Verdi serves classic Italian dishes, and the Elgar Room has a modern British brasserie-style festive menu from chef Kerth Gumbs through December. Book a table ahead for any evening in the week before Christmas.
If you’d like more of London’s Christmas on the same trip, our UK Christmas markets directory lists this year’s London markets with dates and opening times. The Christmas fairs guide covers the big shopping fairs.
Getting to the Royal Albert Hall
The Hall is on Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AP, on the south side of Kensington Gardens. The nearest Underground stations are South Kensington (Circle, District and Piccadilly lines) and High Street Kensington (Circle and District lines). Each is a 10–15-minute walk. Neither has step-free access. The nearest step-free station is Green Park, and the Hall suggests taking the number 9 bus from there. If you’re coming by car or taxi, the easiest set-down point is outside Albert Hall Mansions on Kensington Gore. On a December evening, the walk from South Kensington up Exhibition Road, past the museums, is a good way in.
Royal Albert Hall at Christmas: your questions answered
When is Carols at the Royal Albert Hall 2026?
Saturday 19 to Thursday 24 December 2026, with 15 performances. Shows start at 11am (21–24 December), 3pm (every day) and 7.30pm (19–23 December). Tickets start at £25.
How long is Carols at the Royal Albert Hall?
The Hall hasn’t published a total running time. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s listing gives a 25-minute interval, and doors open 45 minutes before the start, so allow the whole morning, afternoon or evening.
Can children go to the Royal Albert Hall Christmas concerts?
Yes. Anyone aged 14 or under must come with an adult aged 18 or over. Some auditorium concerts aren’t recommended for under-5s. The two Elgar Room baby concerts on 8 and 9 December are designed for newborns upwards.
Is there a BSL-interpreted carol concert?
Yes. Both Carols at the Royal Albert Hall performances on Sunday 20 December 2026 are British Sign Language interpreted, with BSL seats in Stalls G, H and K and free companion tickets.
What is on at the Royal Albert Hall on New Year’s Eve 2026?
La La Land in Concert, at 1pm and 6pm on Thursday 31 December. Justin Hurwitz conducts the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra and a jazz band, playing the score live to the film. Tickets start at £25.
What is the cheapest Christmas show at the Royal Albert Hall?
Of the shows with published prices, six start at £25: Home Alone, Home Alone 2, Anna Lapwood’s Christmas, A Christmas Story, Carols at the Royal Albert Hall and La La Land. Prices rise with demand, so book early for the lowest price.
How much are tickets for Carols at the Royal Albert Hall?
From £25 in the Hall’s release (the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra lists from £22). Prices are set by demand and reviewed up to once a day. Groups of ten or more get 10% off Stalls and Rausing Circle seats for certain performances.
Is there a relaxed carol concert at the Royal Albert Hall in 2026?
At the time of writing, the Hall hasn’t announced a relaxed performance for 2026. The 11am weekday shows on 21–24 December are the gentlest option for young children.
What should I wear to Carols at the Royal Albert Hall?
Something comfortable and festive. The Hall’s own listing tells audiences to put on their Christmas jumpers and get ready to sing along.
When is the Royal Albert Hall Christmas afternoon tea?
Coda’s Christmas Afternoon Tea runs from 23 November to 18 December 2026. The Hall hasn’t published the 2026 price yet.
More Christmas days out
- UK Christmas markets 2026: dates and opening times, London included.
- Santa’s grottos 2026: where to meet Father Christmas, county by county.
- UK Christmas fairs 2026: craft and gift fairs worth the trip.
- Your December Christmas to-do list, for fitting a night out around everything else.
- How many days until Christmas? The live countdown.
By Linda Garrould · Published 26 September 2026 · Updated 26 September 2026. Dates, times and “from” prices come from the Royal Albert Hall’s press release of 22 September 2026 and its published event listings. The Carols interval is from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Prices move with demand, so check your date when booking. Photographs courtesy of the Royal Albert Hall. Christmas Countdown has no commercial relationship with the Royal Albert Hall.
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