Things to do in London in December 2020

The ianVisits guide to December's unusual events, tours, lectures and exhibitions happening around London.

Coronavirus: Events may be cancelled and venues closed at short notice, you are advised to check on their websites before making a trip.

Tuesday 1st December

Online events / webinars

Free Science Breaks: Engineering chocolate

Join Professor Maria Charalambides for Science Breaks as she discusses her work on engineering better-tasting, healthier chocolate.

12:30pm to 1:30pm

Free A Tale of Medieval Arms & Armour

Wee Willie & the King’s Silver Trousers: A Tale of Medieval Arms & Armour from the Society of Antiquaries Library

1pm to :

Free Online Talk: Haunted London

This talk deals with some of the City’s top spooks, plus a few more from all over London.

2pm to 3pm

Free Seeing China Through Its Media

This lecture will use examples – from a report on Coronavirus to a popular soap about rural life – to explore and compare with Western beliefs.

6pm to 7pm

Free First light: Switching on stars at the dawn of time

Emma Chapman will tell us what happened after the Big Bang what it can teach us about the Universe today.

7pm to 8:30pm

More London events on Tuesday 1st December

Wednesday 2nd December

Online events / webinars

Free Masterclass: Northfield Farm

Butchers from Borough Market’s Northfield Farm to show off different ways of preparing a classic porchetta.

1pm to 1:45pm

£5.00 Philip Clissett and the 'Bodger' Conundrum'

A talk about an iconic chair in the Emery Walker House, but was it made by a bodger?

3pm to 5:30pm

£8.00 Restoring Horace Walpole's 'little gothic castle', with Michael Snodin and Carole Patey

10 Years since its restoration,Michel Snodin and Carole Patey, both Trustees in 2010 and central figures in the restoration, discuss the hurdles and triumphs in rebuilding Horace Walpole’s inspirational ‘little gothic castle’.

6pm to :

Free England’s Unwanted Reformation

This lecture looks at how this dramatic change was pushed through despite formidable opposition.

6pm to 7pm

More London events on Wednesday 2nd December

Thursday 3rd December

Online events / webinars

Free You and the planet: technology

Join our panel of experts to address this question and discover the incredible opportunities provided by digital technologies in mitigating climate change and helping us to achieve net zero.

6pm to 7pm

£5.00 Zandra Rhodes In Conversation

Zandra will be in conversation with the Fashion Museum's Head of Exhibitions, Dennis Nothdruft.

6pm to 7:30pm

Free Who Investigates Sudden Death?

How do we investigate violent and unexpected deaths at the inquest?

6pm to 7pm

Free The World of Isaac Newton with Tony Mount

Toni Mount discusses how a Lincolnshire farm boy became one of the most influential scientists of all time

6pm to 7pm

Free National Service: A Generation in Uniform

Discover the reality of peacetime conscription and its impact on Britain with Professor Richard Vinen.

6:30pm to :

Free Magnetic North: voices from the Indigenous Arctic

Celebrate the cultural diversity of the Arctic and its importance to us all at this special Online Late.

6:30pm to 8pm

£11.37 Brixton - Look Up London Virtual Walking Tour

A virtual tour to explore themes of identity, art, immigration and social change in one of London most dynamic areas.

7pm to 8pm

£4.00 Stoke Newington History Talks

An evening of three talks about Stoke Newington's history from different perspectives

7pm to 8:30pm

Free Revolution at Limehouse: The Power of Water

A talk about the Limehouse hydraulic accumulator tower and the history of hydraulic power.

7:30pm to :

More London events on Thursday 3rd December

Friday 4th December

Online events / webinars

Free Reconstruction, Renewal and Reconciliation in Occupied Germany

Join Dr Christopher Knowles as he looks at the roles of four British individuals shaping the British occupation in Germany following the Second World War.

12pm to :

Free Potatoes, Plum Pudding and Peacock: eating with the Victorians at Christmas

While we can give the era a grateful nod for the Christmas tree, carols and crackers, let’s be honest - it’s really all about the food.

2pm to 3pm

Free The Other Side of the Picture: Soviet City & Countryside in 1930s Britain

Nick Hall looks at British tourists' views of the USSR.

6pm to 7:30pm

More London events on Friday 4th December

Saturday 5th December

Free Vintage buses running along Route 159

Watch a fleet of vintage Routemaster buses on route 159

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Free Christmas fair weekend

Fulham Palace's outdoor/indoor Christmas market which includes fine foods and gifts, perfect for buying some thoughtful presents.

9am to 5pm

Fulham

Free Wyrd Winter Fayre!

Independent artists and makers have gathered to present some of their most wonderful creations.

12pm to 8pm

Clerkenwell

£10.00 Christmas Candlelit Photography Evening with Organ

Southwark Cathedral invite all amateur and professional photographers to spend an atmospheric evening in the Cathedral during advent.

6pm to 8:30pm

Southwark

Online events / webinars

£10.00 18th Annual LGBTQ+ Conference: UNORTHODOX

10am to 5:30pm

£20.00 The Spirit of Spitalfields - London Walking Tour

Fun and fascinating walk through Spitalfields' hidden history

11am to 12:30pm

£10.00 IWM In Conversation: Christmas at War & Painting 1940s London

Get behind the scenes at IWM as two curators discuss their new books and share their experience of diving into the collections.

3pm to 4:30pm

More London events on Saturday 5th December

Sunday 6th December

Free Monthly open day at Croydon Airport museum

Monthly open day at the museum to London's first international airport - in Croydon.

All Day

Croydon

Free Christmas fair weekend

Fulham Palace's outdoor/indoor Christmas market which includes fine foods and gifts, perfect for buying some thoughtful presents.

9am to 5pm

Fulham

£5.00 Monthly cheap entry to the Painted Hall

Better than half price entry to the Painted Hall on the first Sunday of the month.

10am to 5pm

Greenwich

£6.00 Monthly open day at Croydon Airport

Monthly opening of London's original international airport - in Croydon.

10am to 4pm

Croydon

£8.00 Monthly open day at the Kirkaldy Testing Museum

A monthly opening of the Victorian museum of industrial testing equipment.

11am to 5pm

Southwark

Free Wyrd Winter Fayre!

Independent artists and makers have gathered to present some of their most wonderful creations.

12pm to 8pm

Clerkenwell

More London events on Sunday 6th December

Monday 7th December

Free Geoengineering: in case of emergency, break glass

Geoengineering is the large-scale intervention of the earth’s climate systems with the aim to counteract climate change, could this solution reverse large-scale greenhouse-gas production?

6pm to 9pm

Strand

Online events / webinars

Free Bowel Cancer and Digestive Cancers

This lecture will consider the prevention and treatment of these cancers.

6pm to 7pm

Free The what, the how and the why of the pandemic

A panel of expert scientists explore the science behind the pandemic, and discuss what it is about this particular virus that makes it so infectious and potentially life-threatening on an unprecedented global scale.

6:15pm to 7:15pm

More London events on Monday 7th December

Tuesday 8th December

Online events / webinars

Free Folklore of Underground London with Antony Clayton

A glimpse into secret tunnels, abandoned stations and haunted lines running under our great city.

6:30pm to 7:30pm

Free Whose health is it anyway?

Dame Sally Davies and Jonathan Pearson-Stuttard discuss the future of public health

7pm to 8:30pm

More London events on Tuesday 8th December

Wednesday 9th December

Online events / webinars

Free Extraordinary Stories from the Petrie Museum

This Virtual Private View will launch the Petrie Museum’s brand new Entrance Gallery and tell the story of the cast of characters who were influential in creating the museum.

3pm to 4pm

Free Christmas Lies and Legends

Is Santa really Dutch? Were Christmas Trees introduced by Prince Albert? Was Christmas once a time of faith, rather than riotous feasting?

6pm to 7pm

Free Dressed to Kill: The West End tailors who suited James Bond

Find out how James Bond got his style from the tailors of Westminster.

6:30pm to 7:30pm

More London events on Wednesday 9th December

Thursday 10th December

£10.00 Company Wayne McGregor Live at the Design Museum

Join Company Wayne McGregor for a performance and talk at the Design Museum in response to Electronic: From Kraftwerk to The Chemical Brothers.

7pm to :

Online events / webinars

Free Tibetan yoga: practices and principles

Join Ian Baker, author of Tibetan Yoga: Principles and Practices, alongside Tibetan Buddhist teacher and traditional doctor Nida Chenagtsang, for an exploration into this lesser-known tradition.

2pm to 3pm

Free Boris Ord‘s King’s College Carols

This lecture shows how Ord built on Arthur Mann’s pioneering work with King’s Choir and created a singing style that transformed choral performance internationally.

6pm to 7pm

Free How to walk on water and climb up walls

David Hu shows how animals have adapted and evolved to traverse their environments, taking advantage of physical laws with results that are startling and ingenious.

7pm to 8:30pm

£1.00 A Victorian Valhalla: Eleanor Marx, Adam Worth, John Atcheler

An unusual opportunity to hear tales of some of the most fascinating and inspirational people in history who are buried at Highgate Cemetery

7pm to 8pm

£5.00 The Wassail

Apples Wassails, Doll Wassails, Visiting Wassails & the Bowl will be discussed in an online slideshow followed by a Zoom session with storytelling & song.

8pm to 10pm

More London events on Thursday 10th December

Friday 11th December

£24.50 Festive Fayre at Hampton Court Palace

Hampton Court Palace courtyards and East Front gardens will be transformed into a food-lover's Christmas wonderland.

10am to 4:30pm

East Molesey

£10.00 Late opening at the Garden Museum

Late-night opening of the museum along with the Derek Jarman exhibition and a floodlit church.

5:30pm to 8pm

Southwark

Online events / webinars

Free British Army Music in the Interwar Years

David Hammond explores the role and influence, both cultural and military, of British Army music between the two world wars.

12pm to :

Free Mount Everest: A 45 Year Perspective

This presentation will also touch upon five decades of change since and how far Everest links are to be found in the City and surrounding areas.

2pm to 3pm

More London events on Friday 11th December

Saturday 12th December

£24.50 Festive Fayre at Hampton Court Palace

Hampton Court Palace courtyards and East Front gardens will be transformed into a food-lover's Christmas wonderland.

10am to 4:30pm

East Molesey

Free Victorian steam engine - steaming day

Open day at the restored Victorian steam powered pumping station, with the machine running regularly throughout the day.

11am to 5pm

South Tottenham

Online events / webinars

£20.00 Bermondsey: Off The Beaten Track - Look Up London Walking Tour

Fun and fascinating walk showcasing Bermondsey's hidden history

11am to 12:30pm

More London events on Saturday 12th December

Sunday 13th December

£24.50 Festive Fayre at Hampton Court Palace

Hampton Court Palace courtyards and East Front gardens will be transformed into a food-lover's Christmas wonderland.

10am to 4:30pm

East Molesey

£20.00 The Cosmos with Professor Brian Cox & BBC SO

A mind-bending musical voyage through space and time, set to a soundtrack inspired by the great unknowns of the Universe.

8pm to :

Barbican

Online events / webinars

£20.00 Secrets of Fleet Street - London Walking Tour

Fun-filled walks uncovering Fleet Street's hidden history

11am to 12:30pm

More London events on Sunday 13th December

Monday 14th December

Unfortunately, there seems to be nothing special happening today. Sorry about that!

More London events on Monday 14th December

Tuesday 15th December

Online events / webinars

Free Burning the Books: Richard Ovenden and Edmund de Waal in conversation

Their conversation will explore the historic destruction of libraries and archives, many of the names of which are written into the walls of the library of exile.

5:30pm to 6:30pm

Free Owls of the Eastern Ice, with Jonathan Slaght

Jonathan Slaght, conservationist, researcher and expert on Blakiston's fish owl, tells the story of how he saved the world's largest owl.

6pm to 7:30pm

Free ART DECO NEW YORK - 42nd Street East to West with

A virtual tour of Art Deco New York with author Anthony Robins

6:30pm to 7:30pm

Free What's the point: why maths really matters

From the edge of our solar system to battling an artificial intelligence takeover, we will see the point of mathematics after all.

7pm to 8:30pm

More London events on Tuesday 15th December

Wednesday 16th December

Online events / webinars

Free Christmas through the ages

Lucy Worsley is joined by food historian, Richard Fitch and Public Historian, Charles Farris for a whistle-stop tour of Christmas traditions through the ages.

7pm to :

More London events on Wednesday 16th December

Thursday 17th December

Free Thames and Barking barrier monthly closures

A notice that the Thames Barrier and the Barking Barrier will have their monthly test closures today.

8:30am to 11:10am

Online events / webinars

Free Can the world become net carbon zero? Mark Carney in conversation

Julia Black, as she interviews former Governor of the Bank of England and UN Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance, Mark Carney.

5:30pm to 6:30pm

£1.00 A Victorian Valhalla: ‘Numismafia’, Radclyffe Hall, Robert Liston

An unusual opportunity to hear tales of some of the most fascinating and inspirational people in history who are buried at Highgate Cemetery

7pm to 8pm

£6.00 Abney Park's Duelling Wizards with Sam Perrin

The talk will include some of the often hilarious threats from one magician to the other, as well as examine magic's enormous popularity in the nineteenth century until Barney's dramatic finale in 1858.

7pm to 8pm