The Strange History of London’s First Christmas Lights and Why They Almost Didn’t Happen
If you’ve ever stood under London’s Christmas lights and thought,
“Wow, this feels like a movie,”
you’re not wrong.
What almost nobody realises is that the story behind those lights actually is pure drama.
Because for a long time, London at Christmas wasn’t sparkly at all. It was dark, smoggy, a bit depressed, and full of people arguing about whether festive lights were a waste of money, a safety risk or just plain “frivolous”.
And London’s first proper Christmas lights?
They almost didn’t happen.
Let’s walk through the strange, slightly chaotic history behind them, and then I’ll show you exactly where to go in London now to stand on the same streets where this all began plus how to get there without stress, especially if you’re a first-timer.
All info is checked and accurate as of November 2025, but always double-check timings, transport and events before you go.
Before the sparkle: London’s winters were genuinely dark
When we talk about “first Christmas lights” in London, we’re not saying nobody ever put a candle in a window before 1954. But for most of its history, London in winter was:
Dark
Smoky
And not in a romantic Dickens-film way
Until public street lighting really developed, large parts of London were often “impenetrably black” at night. Then came the industrial era and coal fires and with them, infamous “pea-souper” smogs. The worst was the Great Smog of 1952, when a thick blanket of pollution sat over the city for days and is now estimated to have caused around 10,000–12,000 deaths.
So when you imagine the 1940s and early 1950s, think:
Wartime blackouts
Rationing
Smog
And streets that felt grey and tired, not festive
Christmas in central London wasn’t all lights and adverts. It was a lot of dim shop windows, fog, and people just trying to get on with life.
There were early hints of glamour. Department stores, especially Selfridges on Oxford Street, experimented with illuminated exterior decorations as early as 1935, lighting up their façade and planting the idea that Christmas could be a spectacle, not just a few wreaths.
But the big, coordinated, over-the-street Christmas lights we recognise today? Those came later and not everyone wanted them.
1954: When Regent Street decided London was too depressing
The turning point came in the early 1950s, when London was still deep in post-war austerity. Rationing didn’t fully end until 1954. Money was tight, and the city, frankly, looked a bit miserable in winter.
Then a newspaper article in The Daily Telegraph hit a nerve. It basically asked: why does London look so drab at Christmas compared to cities abroad?
The shopkeepers and businesses along Regent Street were not having that.
Through the Regent Street Association the group representing local retailers they came together and said:
“Fine. If no one else will brighten up London, we will.”
In 1954, they funded and organised what’s widely recognised as London’s first proper, large-scale, coordinated Christmas lights display along a major shopping street.
The lights were designed by Jill Greenwood, a creative who had also worked on decorations for the Festival of Britain in 1951.
The original scheme featured illuminated angels, appearing to float over the street a theme that Regent Street still echoes today with its “Spirit of Christmas” displays.
For Londoners at the time, these weren’t just pretty decorations. They were a statement:
“Post-war London doesn’t have to be sad and grey forever.”
But this wasn’t an easy yes from everyone.
Why those first Christmas lights almost didn’t happen
Today, we treat Christmas lights as a cute bit of seasonal magic. In 1954, they raised some serious questions.
1. “Is this really how we should be spending money?”
Post-war Britain was still in recovery mode. People were worried about being seen as wasteful or extravagant while the country was still getting back on its feet.
The Regent Street illuminations weren’t funded by the government. They were paid for by local businesses, who took on the cost themselves to brighten the area and attract shoppers back to the West End.
There were critics who felt that running elaborate light displays during a time of lingering austerity felt wrong like a frivolous luxury.
2. “Won’t this use too much electricity?”
Electricity wasn’t as cheap or taken-for-granted as it is now (and even today, people argue about power use and Christmas lights). The idea of strings of lights burning for hours over one of London’s busiest shopping streets made some people uncomfortable.
Modern analyses show that today’s LED-based lights use far less energy up to around 90% less versus traditional incandescent bulbs but that’s a very recent upgrade.
Back in the 1950s, the technology was less efficient and the memory of wartime restrictions was still fresh.
3. Councils were nervous especially about Oxford Street
Regent Street pulled it off in 1954. The lights were such a hit that nearby areas, like Oxford Street, wanted in.
But there was a problem: the local council.
Oxford Street falls under what was then the Marylebone Council area, and they were much more cautious. When Oxford Street shops tried in the mid-1950s to extend decorations (including across Oxford Circus), the council initially refused permission, citing safety concerns about decorations suspended above busy roads.
They were worried about:
Heavy decorations falling onto traffic or pedestrians
Distraction for drivers
The general idea of “stuff hanging over streets full of buses and cars”
By 1958, Oxford Street traders proposed a dramatic “Archway of Light” running almost the entire length of the street. Again, the council said no.
And when they finally did allow more ambitious decorations, something unlucky happened that kind of proved their fears right: on New Year’s Day, a 20-foot revolving decoration near the Cumberland Hotel fell and hit a passer-by.
So when we say London’s first Christmas lights almost didn’t happen, we’re talking about a mix of:
Nervous local councils
Safety worries
Money and electricity debates
And a city still getting over war and smog
Regent Street went ahead anyway and that gamble changed what London Christmas looks like forever.
Oxford Street joins in and the West End turns into a Christmas postcard
Once Regent Street lit up the sky in 1954, it didn’t take long for others to follow.
By 1959, Oxford Street finally managed its own full-length Christmas light display, with symbolic Christmas-tree decorations down the centre of the street.
Over the next decade:
More and more central streets added lights.
The West End started to become known internationally for its festive displays.
Turning on the lights became an event, often with celebrities pressing the big switch for Oxford Street and Regent Street.
There were wobbles economic recessions in the 1970s meant some years with no lights on Oxford Street at all, until they returned with 1978’s experimental laser display.
But the basic story stuck:
Local businesses paid.
Millions of people came.
London’s Christmas identity shifted from dark and gloomy to bright, commercial, and glittering.
And that first decision on Regent Street to ignore the gloom, spend money, and wire angels across a post-war street is what kicked it all off.
From coal fog to LEDs: the lights go greener (kind of)
You might be wondering how this fits with modern worries about the environment and energy.
Today’s major London displays like Regent Street, Oxford Street and Covent Garden use LED lights, which cut energy use dramatically compared with old-school bulbs. Some estimates suggest up to around 90% savings on electricity.
There are still debates about light pollution and manufacturing impact, but purely in terms of running power, the big central displays are now much more efficient than they used to be.
And those original angels?
They’ve been reborn as a modern LED version called the “Spirit of Christmas” lights a direct nod to the 1954 scheme, now floating in high definition above Regent Street.
So when you stand under them now, you’re not just seeing a pretty Instagram background. You’re literally standing under a 70-year-old argument that the shopkeepers won.
How to visit the “birthplace” of London’s Christmas lights today
If you’re coming to London (or already here) and you want to walk through this history, here’s how to do it like a local rather than a stressed-out tourist.
Regent Street where the tradition began
Regent Street is the original star of this story. It runs between Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus, sweeping past beautiful curved terraces and big-name stores.
How to get there:
Oxford Circus station (Central, Victoria and Bakerloo lines) drops you right at the top, perfect if you want to walk down under the angels towards Piccadilly.
Piccadilly Circus station (Piccadilly and Bakerloo lines) puts you at the south end of Regent Street, near the famous screens at Piccadilly Circus.
Lights usually switch on in mid-November and run through early January; exact dates change each year, so check just before you travel.
If you’d like to be able to walk back to your room without wrestling with the Tube after dark, staying somewhere near Oxford Circus, Piccadilly or Soho makes life much easier, and you could pick any HOTEL that lets you step out, look up at the lights, and stroll back in under 10 minutes.
Oxford Street the follow-up act
Oxford Street is just around the corner and now has one of the biggest and most famous light displays in the world, with new designs each year.
How to get there:
Oxford Circus in the middle.
Bond Street (Central and Elizabeth lines) towards the west end.
Marble Arch (Central line) at the far west corner.
The classic local move is:
Start at Oxford Circus
Wander down Regent Street under the angels
Loop through Carnaby Street’s quirky decorations
Then drift back onto Oxford Street for its main display
If you’re coming in from outside London just for the evening, it’s worth timing your return train carefully and maybe pre-booking for the last leg between your hotel and station, especially if you’re with kids or don’t love the post-shopping crowds.
Why this story matters (and why I love telling it)
I love that London’s first big Christmas lights weren’t started by a council committee or a PR agency.
They were started by people who were:
Tired of walking down gloomy streets
Embarrassed by the idea that London looked dull at Christmas
Brave enough to put their own money into making things brighter
They did it in a city still recovering from bombs, smog and ration books. And they had to push past people saying, “Is this really sensible?” and “What if it’s dangerous?” and “Isn’t this a bit much?”
So when you’re here in December, and you’re standing under the Regent Street angels or looking up at Oxford Street’s latest design, you’re not just looking at decorations.
You’re standing in the middle of one of London’s favourite arguments:
Should we play it safe and stay grey, or take a risk and light up the dark?
Every year, London chooses to light up the dark again.
Let’s keep exploring London’s weird little stories together
If this made you see the Christmas lights a bit differently if you can now imagine those 1950s shopkeepers arguing with the council while you’re taking photos on Regent Street I’d genuinely love to keep hanging out with you online.
I share more of these “hidden London” stories, cosy corners, Christmas walks, first-timer tips, and real-life experiences of what it’s actually like to explore the city (not just the polished version in postcards).
So if you’re planning a trip, already live here, or you’re just low-key obsessed with London:
Come say hi and follow @london.yaar on Instagram think of it as having a local friend in your pocket, ready to tell you why that random street, statue or string of lights matters more than you think.