Come Christmas and scores of special events and shows further liven up the festive mood in London. These shows are full of razzmatazz of the theatre and take you on a trip to a land of fairytales, enchant you with their stories, and bring a smile to your face.

The festive season is marked by a lot of shows in London. Theatre groups from all over the world come to perform here and help people create fond Christmas memories.

Check out some of the most famous Christmas shows in London!

All the Angels

This is a beautiful depiction of a musical journey with lights, colour, and sentiment. Once you see this play with your family, you are sure to get entwined in the culture milieu of the tales set in the year 1972. The stunning songs, the display of emotions, and the camaraderie among the actors is brilliant. The play will leave you enthralled.

The Little Match Girl

This is another classic Christmas play written by Hans Christian Anderson and is played in London during Christmas time. It is a tale that casts a glance on the poor and the homeless who are struggling to make it through the cold winter nights when we are cosy in our snug beds and heated homes. It is a sad tale and makes you think how you can do your bit for the betterment of society. The musical leaves you questioning your choices as a person.

Baddies

This one is more for the younger audience. It’s a modern take on the age old classic fairy tale villains hated by kids – The Big Bad Wolf, The Ugly Sisters, Captain Hook, and so on. The freshness that this new take has brought to the classic fairytales that we all grew up watching and reading is the fun element of this play. It’s a hit amongst kids and grownups alike! If you’re in London looking for a fun show to watch with your family, this could be a great option.
Besides, many ballets, ballads, and pantomimes are hosted across London. These shows are entertaining and tend to bring families closer together.

The festive winter season again brings the Hyde Park Winter Wonderland – an extravagant event held in the heart of London every year. Each year, the Hyde Park in London, UK, is decorated to look like a bustling wonderland of lively festivities.

This year, the Hyde Park Winter Wonderland began on 18th November, 2016 and will run till 2nd January, 2017, with a break on Christmas Day. The 2016-17 event marks the 10th anniversary of this fantastic celebratory fair.

Ice Skating

Probably one of the most popular attractions of the event is the open air ice rink at Winter Wonderland. Skate to your heart’s content alone or with that special someone or with family and friends at the largest open air ice rink across the UK right here. Skaters can enjoy skating around the Victorian bandstand of the Hyde Park under glittering lights during night or glide around the ice under the glistening afternoon sun. It is the perfect winter activity for locals and tourists alike.

The Magical Ice Kingdom

Celebrating its 10th year in 2016, the Winter Wonderland has introduced this new attraction – the Magical Ice Kingdom. Visitors can enjoy exploring this walk-through attraction full of ice and snow sculptures at their own leisure for around 30 minutes. Moving around a frozen island full of icebergs and a shipwreck in the middle of an arctic ice floe feels like as if you have become part of an Arctic adventure. The attraction offers plenty of photo opportunities as well.

The Nutcracker on Ice

Enjoy a world-class ice show, the Nutcracker on Ice, at this amazing winter destination. The ice theatre showcases stunning ice dancing and is a pleasure for visitors of all ages. The ice-dancing show is around 60 minutes long and includes world-class skating, stunning projected scenery, beautiful costumes, thrilling flying sequences, acrobatics, and fire shows.

Bar Ice

Operated in association with Smirnoff, it’s a fun place to be. Visitors get an exciting opportunity to sample fantastic cocktails in a thrilling Arctic ambience with sub-zero temperatures. This year, two ice bars have been sculpted to offer double fun to visitors, who will be further thrilled by the complimentary cocktail in ice glass that comes with the ticket price. The bar also offers an extensive array of non-alcoholic drinks.

Zippos Christmas Circus

The Hyde Park Winter Wonderland boasts of being the biggest circus tent across the UK. Apart from this, the circus acts performed here will truly take your breath away. The shows are held during daytime and feature awe-inspiring aerial acts, colourful clowns, and brilliant jugglers. The show is also suited for kids as it runs for just about 45 minutes.

For those who live to eat, the next few months will bring lots of treats! Travel to these 10 destinations across the UK to witness some of the most entertaining and tempting food festivals of the country.

International Cheese Show, Nantwich

The quaint town of Nantwich in Cheshire, England, will host the International Cheese Show on 26th and 27th July, 2016. The world’s biggest cheese show will act as a melting point for some 4000 odd varieties of cheese and dairy produce from over 24 countries.

Bolsover Food and Drink Festival 2016, Bolsover

Visit the Bolsover Food and Drink Festival 2016 in the historic town of Bolsover in England on 30th and 31st July. Apart from food and drink stalls, the event will also feature live entertainment, family activities and cookery demonstrations.

Cardigan River and Food Festival 2016, Cardigan

Enjoy great food and have fun at the Cardigan River & Food Festival 2016, which will be held in the town of Cardigan next to River Teifi in Mid Wales, on 6th August, 2016. The event will include food and drinks at the Food Court, cookery demonstrations, river events, live music, dancing and family activities.

Great British Beer Festival, London

The Great British Beer Festival will be held at Olympia in West London from 9th to13th August, 2016. The festival offers visitors a chance to choose from more than 900 real ales, ciders, perries and international beers. There is lots of cheerful entertainment, delicious food, tutored tastings and traditional pub games.

Bakewell Baking Festival, Derbyshire

To be a part of the world’s first and the country’s leading baking event, visit the Bakewell Showground at Bakewell in Derbyshire on 13th and 14th August, 2016 to attend the Bakewell Baking Festival, 2016. The festival includes more than 75 baking and vintage stalls, baking theatres, demonstrations by renowned bakers and Mr. Darcy Custard Pie Fight among others.

Newlyn Fish Festival, Cornwall

The seaside town of Newlyn in Cornwall will host the Newlyn fish festival, which is the biggest fish festival in the UK, on 27th August, 2016. Travellers visiting this festival will enjoy some quirky events such as fish auction, live music, cooking demonstrations, and even a Lugger Rowing Championship.

Meatopia, London

A meat lover’s ultimate fest, the Meatopia will be held in London from 2nd to 4th September, 2016. Visit this epic meat event to experience fantastic dishes made from local, ethically sourced meat. Barbecued perfectly on wood and charcoal, some of the meat dishes are simply irresistible.

Liverpool Whisky Festival, Liverpool

The Liverpool Whisky Festival will be organised at The Crypt in Liverpool, the UK on 3rd September, 2016. The festival, which is in its 6th year, gives visitor’s a chance to taste the best whiskies from across Scotland and also the world.

Leeds Castle Food Festival

The Leeds Castle Food Festival is a food and drinks festival held on the grounds of Leeds Castle in Kent, England from 9th to 11th September, 2016. Travellers can enjoy fresh, regional produce in the form of gourmet burgers, ice creams, artisan beers, artisan cheesemakers, bakers, and wood fired pizzas from Italian, Spanish, Indian, German and Mediterranean kitchens.

Galway Oyster Festival, Ireland

Visit the Galway Oyster Festival 2016 from 23rd to 25th September in Ireland. The event includes a seafood safari and the Bollinger World Oyster Opening Championship among others.

Some good news for travellers looking for fun time with the family – Camp Bestival 2016, the best family carnival, is just round the corner!

Camp Bestival 2016 is slated to be held from 28th -31st July at Lulworth Castle in Dorset, UK. The festival revolves around a new theme every year, and this year’s theme is ‘Outer Space’.

For the uninitiated, Camp Bestival is a gala, British music festival that is targeted at families with small children. The 4-day festival features numerous activities, entertaining performances, comedy shows, literature programmes, workshops and different dedicated play areas for children of various age groups. There are plenty of food stalls selling lip-smacking food and a well-looked after campsite for a wholesome family festival experience.

Kids Are Kings!!

Travellers will enjoy the plethora of fun activities and games spread across the site for every age group – from 2 to 62. There is a Toddlers’ Area and an Upper Kids’ Garden for young kids. Some of the highlights are a Bouncy Castle, bikes, go-carts and the BigTopMania – a place to learn circus skills. The Lower Kids’ Garden is for slightly older children, with activities such as Art Town, Kids’ Catwalk, fairground rides, face painting, a Soft Play Tent and Sandpit. The festival has a pioneering area for teenagers (13-17) called The Den.

There are family games and activity areas such as the upper Magic Meadow and The Dingly Dell amidst numerous food stalls, cafes, and bars. Besides, there are talk sessions and music stages to make sure that adults visiting the festival also stay entertained.

Music Line Up

Get enchanted by the festival’s fantastic live music performances at its various stages, including Castle Stage and Big Top. This year’s notable line-up acts include Fatboy Slim, DJ Yoda, rockers Squeeze, Jodi Ann Bickley, Reggie N Bollie, Folk Idol and KT Tunstall.

Other Acts

At Camp Bestival, fun doesn’t stop with live music and games. There are comedy acts, including one act by the hilarious Rob Auton. Furthermore, there are DJs, theatre shows, a yoga and restorative therapies area, talks by select speakers, authors, poets, journalists, scientists and philosophers at the Guardian Literary Institute.

Fun N Food

There are amazing food options to choose from. Meals are offered in two tents; The Feast Collective and Hotpoint Festival Kitchen. The Feast Collective will feature a special Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen supper club, which will introduce visiting families and children to Ghanaian cuisine. The Hotpoint Festival Kitchen will be a centre for fun along with food, with themes such as Cuisine+Colour, which will display delicious food as a visual delight. There will also be The Little Gloster’s Breakfast Clubs, which will teach young visitors how to prepare delicious breakfasts.

Family Camping Sites

To make the festival experience truly wholesome, Camp Bestival has some well-looked after campsites. The festival offers many types of camping fields, campervan area and caravan/trailer tent area, each with its own showers, eco-friendly loos, recycling points and much more.

There are a number of music festivals that are celebrated in UK but some of them are simply amazing and must watch at least once. In August, there are some major music events taking place. People who are booking their flights tickets can be a part of these events. Here are just four of those events enthusiasts are eagerly waiting for.

The Green Man Festival

The Green Man Festival by Nicholas Smale/ CC BY

Americana, psychedelic, indie, folk – The Green Man Festival brings it all. Some of the popular DJs are playing everything that ranges from modern electro and stoner rock to dub-reggae and psychedlia. It is a four day event that includes three days of music. There will be more than hundred acts playing different genres across 5 stages.

Shambala Festival

Shambala Festival by cybermunkee/ CC BY

Shambala Festival is four days of sheer fun. As the event is family friendly, anyone who is up for some fun can join. Masses of workshops, woodland antics, roaming theatrics, crazy carnivals and a lot more is going to take place at a secret location. There is a large area dedicated for kids’ play in case parents are wondering.  The festival will start from 21st August and continue till 24th August.

Bestival

Bestival by Mike Mantin/ CC BY

This festival is all about fancy dresses, secret stages, colours and loads of fun. Those who are looking for some really great time should definitely be a part of this. It is a multi-award winning 4 day music festival that offers a line-up of great music names and scene setters. Boutique campsite, Bollywood Cocktail Bar, ancy dress en-mass and a lot more will ensure a unique experience. The Country Park on the Isle of Dates is slated from 4th to 7th September.

Creamfields

Creamfields by Gerardo Lazzari/ CC BY

With about 60,000 ravers coming to join the adrenaline rush, Creamfields is world’s large scale outdoor event that draws people from all around the world. It is a hugely popular British dance music festival featuring top DJs and live acts. A number of travellers book tickets on flights to UK to be a part of this event. It is three days of crazy fun that will remain unforgettable in your heart. The fun starts on Friday 22nd and will go on until Sunday 24th August.