Christmas in London 2017: What's on at museums and art galleries this festive season

Fancy something a little different this Christmas? These museums and galleries are putting on some great festive events.

Christmas events at Charles Dickens Museum, WC1
Until Feb 25

The Victorian novelist’s home gets into the seasonal spirit, with period decorations and events including readings of A Christmas Carol and an exhibition featuring costumes from The Man Who Invented Christmas. Visit on Christmas Eve and enjoy a drink and a mince pie (tickets £18). dickensmuseum.com

Sounds Like Christmas at the V&A, SW7
Until Jan 6

Sound is the V&A’s festive theme this year, with an interactive musical Christmas tree, commissioned sound installations and a display about Christmas number one songs. vam.ac.uk

Gold Christmas at National Gallery, WC2
Saturday

The highlight of the gallery’s festive series is this morning workshop (tickets £75) in which participants will use liquid gold to make prints inspired by the Wilton Diptych. nationalgallery.org.uk

Music at the museum at the British Museum, WC1
Friday and Saturday

Among the museum’s Christmas events are two concerts, Friday’s featuring medieval devotional music and Saturday’s members’ evening of seasonal songs sung by the London Philharmonic Choir. britishmuseum.org

Childhood Revisited at the V&A Museum of Childhood, E2
Dec 20

Ensemble Perpetuo lead an evening promenade through the museum playing music inspired by childhood. vam.ac.uk

Christmas Past at the Geffrye Museum, E2
Until Jan 7

The museum’s room sets are decorated in period style to illustrate changes in traditions from 1600 to the present. Special events include a late-night opening this Thursday, with music, street food, craft market and workshops. geffrye-museum. org.uk

A Moomin Winter’s Day at Dulwich Picture Gallery, SE21
Saturday and Sunday

The gallery hosts a Moomin-themed weekend of workshops and fun for all the family, with Scandi folk stories, street food, puppet shows and more. dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk

Late Shift at National Portrait Gallery, WC2
Dec 22, 6.30pm-9pm

The NPG gets into the spirit with a free party featuring a leftfield performance by jazz-classical-rock group Dollyman. npg.org.uk

Snow and Tell at Science Museum, SW7
Saturday and Sunday, then Dec 27, 28, 29 and Jan 1 & 2

Join one of these children’s snowflake making workshops and build a blizzard at the museum. Drop-in workshops take place on selected dates at 11.30am and 3.30pm. sciencemuseum.org.uk

Tasty Talks at Kensington Palace, W8
Sunday

Join a talk on the origins of royal Christmas food including pudding and roast goose. Includes a glass of spiced cider. Free with entry ticket. hrp.org.uk

Elizabethan Christmas at Hampton Court Palace, Richmond
Dec 22, 23 & 27 to Jan 1

Follow Queen Elizabeth I and her court around the Tudor palace as a promenade Christmas story unfolds. Free with admission ticket. hrp.org.uk

​Christmas films BFI, SE1
Until Dec 30

A Matter of Life and Death, Meet Me in St Louis and It’s a Wonderful Life are among the festive favourites in rep in the BFI’s Christmas season. bfi.org.uk

Simon Callow’s Dickensian Christmas at St Luke’s Church, SW3
Dec 21, 2pm

The actor joins the BBC Singers for an afternoon of readings from Dickens’s Christmas stories, Victorian carols, mulled wine and mince pies. A Barbican event. barbican.org.uk

Santa’s Grotto at Museum of London, EC2
Until Dec 23

Travel back in time to 19th-century London and visit Santa in his grotto, accompanied by period decorations and carols. Every child receives a gift. Tickets from £10, booking essential. museumoflondon.org.uk

Handel’s Messiah at Barbican Hall, EC2
Dec 20

Richard Egarr directs the Academy of Ancient Music’s recital of this classic, first performed in 1742 and played here on original instruments. barbican.org.uk