Covent Garden Christmas lights 2018 brought a festive glow to the Piazza, and I went along for switch-on night. The Christmas tree, decorated Market Building and illuminated reindeer gave me plenty to explore with the camera. Around them, crowds filled the cobbled spaces and the covered walkways.

The lights switched on on Tuesday 13 November 2018. My film premiered the following day, 14 November, which is the archive date for this article. It follows the evening on foot, from the surrounding streets to the Piazza and back out among the lights.

Watch my Covent Garden Christmas lights 2018 walk

An evening around the Piazza

I began with a walk through Covent Garden after dark. Bright shop windows lined the route, while the streets led towards the larger gathering around the market. The film takes its time getting there, with the approach forming part of the evening.

The switch-on celebrations included performances by The Kingdom Choir and the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Matilda The Musical. My original account of the visit notes both performances. Music and the gathering crowd made this an occasion as well as a chance to see the decorations.

Once the lights were on, I continued around the Piazza. There were different views in every direction: the tree above the crowd, the market’s glowing shopfronts and people moving beneath the arches.

The Christmas tree and smaller details

The tall Christmas tree was the centrepiece of the walk. Its lights stood out against the dark sky, with people gathered around its base. In the film, I return to it from several angles as I move around the market.

However, the smaller displays were worth a look too. One photograph shows a little car carrying its own decorated tree outside the shops. It offered a playful detail alongside the much larger tree on the Piazza.

That contrast is part of the pleasure of walking through Covent Garden at Christmas. A wide view gives you the whole scene, then a few steps bring a shop window or decoration into focus. The camera follows both.

The reindeer and Market Building lights

Over on the East Piazza, the illuminated reindeer rose above the visitors. Its outline was easy to pick out against the night sky. Behind it, garlands traced the Market Building and linked the brightly lit shopfronts.

Elsewhere, the red telephone boxes and pale stone arches gave the lights a familiar London setting. I paused for another view across the Piazza, with the tree still visible beyond the market roofline. Together, these details make the film a record of the place as well as the event.

The decorations changed the feel of the buildings after dark. The arches framed the crowds, while the garlands drew the eye along the roof. There was plenty to see simply by continuing around the outside.

A final walk through the festive streets

After the Piazza, the film continues along the nearby streets. More decorations hang above the road, extending the Christmas scene beyond the main gathering. A final festive greeting closes the walk.

For more from the same season, explore my November in London 2018 film. The archive also includes a later Christmas walk through Covent Garden, South Bank and Battersea.