Your guide to Canary Wharf this winter
By Grant Sweeney
Last updated November 04, 2026
Canary Wharf in winter is something special: towers glowing against the dark, lights dancing on the docks, and a real buzz in the air as Christmas gets closer.
Here's our guide to what's on from November 2026 to January 2027, from festive shopping, Christmas parties and cosy GoBoat Pod trips on the docks to the free Winter Lights festival. One heads-up: the Canary Wharf ice rink isn't running this year, but we've found some lovely alternatives.
Canary Wharf Winter Lights 2027 (19 to 30 January)
Just when January starts to drag, Canary Wharf lights up. Winter Lights returns from 19 to 30 January 2027 for its 11th year, themed RE(IMAGINE). It's free, runs daily from 5pm to 10pm, and there's no need to book.
Expect glowing, interactive installations from UK and international artists right across the estate. It draws hundreds of thousands of visitors, so here's how to enjoy it:
- Go midweek for smaller crowds and better photos.
- Wrap up warm and grab a hot drink from the pop-up stalls along the trail.
- See it from the water. Several of the artworks sit on bridges and quaysides around the docks, and lights reflected on the water look magical from a GoBoat Pod. Book an evening slot between 5pm and 10pm, while the lights are on.
Christmas in Canary Wharf 2026
From mid-November, Canary Wharf feels properly festive, without the West End crush.
Christmas shopping without the stress
More than 300 shops, restaurants and bars sit across five shopping malls, so you can tick off your list without getting soaked. Shopped out? Rest your feet with a free mulled wine on the heated seats of a GoBoat Pod, just a short walk from the malls.
Santa's Grotto
London Museum Docklands at West India Quay hosts a Victorian Santa's Grotto from 20 November to 23 December, from £15 per child. Book ahead online. Make a family day of it: meet Santa, then let the kids help captain a GoBoat Pod.
Live music and festive nights out
Boisdale of Canary Wharf hosts Nate Simpson's Marvin Gaye show on 26 November, plus Sunday Soul Sessions, a DJ-led brunch, on Sundays through December. Make a night of it with a cruise on the docks beforehand.
Christmas parties your team will actually remember
Most work Christmas parties blur into one, so take yours onto the water. Each GoBoat Pod seats up to 8 and comes with a charcuterie Christmas tree and a free mulled wine for every adult, and bigger teams can book a few and cruise together. To plan it, email our events team at events@goboat.co.uk.
Is there an ice rink in Canary Wharf in 2026?
Sadly not. After 20 years in Canada Square Park, Ice Rink Canary Wharf is taking a break for winter 2026, and we'll miss it too. The nearest rink is at the Queen's House in Greenwich (18 November to 3 January), a short trip on the DLR to Cutty Sark or by Uber Boat from Canary Wharf Pier to Greenwich.
New winter traditions to try instead
- Drive a GoBoat Pod. Swap the ice for the water: heated, covered and no experience needed. Kids love being captain, and there's no landing on your bum. Book your Pod
- Take the GoBoat Cruise. Sit back while our crew takes up to 8 of you out for 1 or 2 hours. Book the Cruise
- Crossrail Place Roof Garden. A free, leafy hideaway on top of the Elizabeth line station, and a calm stop before your cruise.
- London Museum Docklands. Free, open 10am to 5pm at West India Quay, and full of stories about the docks you'll be cruising on.
- The public art trail. The UK's largest free-to-view public art collection, with over 100 works dotted around the estate.
Looking for igloos in Canary Wharf? Meet the GoBoat Pod
There's nothing better on a freezing night than being tucked up somewhere warm with your favourite people and a drink in hand. The GoBoat Pod gives you all that igloo-style cosiness, but out on the water, with you as captain.
- Every Pod this winter comes with a charcuterie Christmas tree and a free cup of mulled wine for each adult
- Up to 8 people, with heated seats
- 2-hour slots, open until 10pm
- No experience or licence needed
- Drinks welcome when bought from GoBoat
- Dressed for winter: perfect for dates, birthdays, family days and Christmas get-togethers
December weekends go fast, so book early.
Cosy waterside dining
Make a night of it with dinner before or after your GoBoat Pod cruise:
- The Sipping Room, West India Quay: a waterside terrace with fairy lights, blankets and heated private spaces for up to 8.
- Boisdale of Canary Wharf, Cabot Square: a heated garden terrace bar overlooking the fountain, with DJ nights Thursday to Saturday.
New Year's Eve and January in Canary Wharf
New Year's Eve in Canary Wharf
Many of Canary Wharf's bars and restaurants put on parties and set dinners on 31 December, so book early. Heading to the Thames fireworks? You'll need a ticket, and the Elizabeth and Jubilee lines take you straight into central London.
We're open until 10pm on both New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Raise a glass to the last sunset of 2026 from a heated GoBoat Pod before the party starts, or blow away the cobwebs on 1 January with a gentle cruise round the docks.
January: chase away the winter blues
January can feel endless, but in Canary Wharf it's when the magic happens. The day after Blue Monday (18 January 2027), Winter Lights switches on until 30 January. Or beat Blue Monday itself with a cruise: nothing lifts the mood like being out on the water.
It's quieter on the water too, so it's a great time to grab a GoBoat Pod at short notice for a catch-up, a birthday or a date night under the lights. You've earned it.
Getting to Canary Wharf and winter tips
Canary Wharf station is served by the Jubilee line, Elizabeth line and DLR.
- By bus: the D3, D7, D8, 135, 277 and N550 all stop at Canary Wharf.
- By river: Uber Boat by Thames Clippers stops at Canary Wharf Pier.
- Finding GoBoat: meet us at the GoBoat kiosk on Bellmouth Passage, Churchill Place (E14 5RE). It's just 5 minutes' walk from all of Canary Wharf's stations: Jubilee line, Elizabeth line and DLR.
Our winter tips:
- Layer up. It's colder by the water after dark.
- Book early for December weekends and Winter Lights week.
- Rain? No problem. The malls are all indoors, and the GoBoat Pod keeps you dry.
Make this winter one to remember
The best winter memories are the unplanned ones: the friend who insists on steering, the moment everyone goes quiet because the lights on the water are too beautiful to talk over. Come and see Canary Wharf from the water this winter. We can't wait to welcome you aboard.
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