Ramadan and Eid in London 2027: Dates, Ramadan Lights, Open Iftar, Where to Break Fast, Mosques and Eid on the Square

Ramadan 2027 falls in late winter — fasts of about 11 hours and a city that has, since 2023, lit up Piccadilly for the month. These dates follow the astronomical calendar and move a day either way on moon sighting; 2026's programme is the template for events not yet announced.

01 / DATESThe 2027 calendar and the fast

• Ramadan begins on sighting of the new moon around Sunday 7 or Monday 8 February 2027 and ends around 8 March; Eid al-Fitr is expected Tuesday 9 March. Eid al-Adha is expected Sunday 16 or Monday 17 May 2027. Neither Eid is a UK public holiday, but many schools and workplaces grant the day.
• Fajr in London is around 05:30 in early February and 05:00 by March; Maghrib (iftar) around 17:00 rising to 18:00 — the shortest fasts London has seen for years. Prayer times are posted by East London Mosque and London Central Mosque and in the Muslim Pro and Athan apps.
• Taraweeh is held nightly at East London Mosque (Whitechapel), London Central Mosque (Regent's Park), Al Manaar (Notting Hill), Finsbury Park and Tooting; the last ten nights draw crowds — arrive early.

02 / LIGHTSRamadan Lights and the West End

• The Ramadan Lights on Coventry Street between Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square — 30,000 LEDs reading 'Happy Ramadan', switching to 'Happy Eid' — were the first in Western Europe when the Mayor lit them in 2023; they run nightly from the start of the month until after Eid. No ticket, no switch-on event; best viewed after 17:30.
• Ramadan Delights, the West End's iftar food trail (2026: 16 February–20 March), lists restaurants with iftar menus around Piccadilly, Soho and Covent Garden — Imad's Syrian Kitchen, Bubala, Roti King, Halal Guys and others.
• Open Iftar (Ramadan Tent Project): free, open to all faiths, registration online; 2026 venues included Banqueting House (20 February), the National Gallery (6 March), 22 Bishopsgate, Shoreditch Town Hall, Battersea Arts Centre, AFC Wimbledon and the finale in Trafalgar Square (16 March). The 2027 programme is announced in January.

03 / IFTARWhere to break fast

• Edgware Road: Maroush, Ranoush Juice, Al Arez, Beirut Express, Abu Zaad — iftar platters, late hours, shisha terraces; the Lebanese, Iraqi and Gulf heart of the city.
• Whitechapel and Brick Lane: Tayyabs, Lahore Kebab House, Needoo Grill, Al Kahf; the pavement iftar stalls on Whitechapel Road by the East London Mosque; Bengali sweet shops on Brick Lane.
• Green Street, Upton Park and Southall: Pakistani and Indian iftar buffets, samosa and jalebi stalls from 16:00.
• Tooting: Lahore Karahi and Dawat; Tooting Islamic Centre next door.
• Central: Dishoom (all branches, halal), Roti King, Imad's, Zaman, Bake Street; Harrods Food Hall for dates and sweets.
• Suhoor: Edgware Road's 24-hour cafés and Whitechapel's bakeries; most hotels will set aside breakfast boxes if asked.

04 / EIDEid prayers, Eid on the Square and shopping

• Eid prayers: East London Mosque holds multiple congregations from 07:00; London Central Mosque, Al Manaar and Finsbury Park too; parks are used for overflow in good weather — arrive 45 minutes early.
• Eid in Whitechapel, Green Street and Southall: the streets become the festival — new clothes, mehndi, sweet boxes, street food into the night.
• Eid on the Square: the Mayor's free Trafalgar Square festival with food, music and family activities, 12:00–18:00, usually a Saturday after Eid al-Adha (30 May in 2026; 2027 expected late May or June), with bag searches and one-in-one-out at peak.
• Shopping: Green Street and Whitechapel for clothes and jewellery; Harrods and Selfridges run Eid gifting ranges; Westfield Stratford and White City have prayer rooms and Eid events.

05 / PRACTICALVisiting during Ramadan

• London does not slow down for Ramadan; restaurants, pubs and attractions run as normal, so fasting visitors plan iftar and then a late evening out.
• Prayer rooms: Harrods, Westfield, major stations, Heathrow and Gatwick; the big mosques welcome visitors outside prayer times.
• Transport: contactless on Tube and bus; the Tube runs until about 00:30, Night Tube on Fridays and Saturdays for late taraweeh and suhoor; a pre-booked fixed fare with Rushxo for families between Edgware Road, Whitechapel and the hotel at iftar time, when the apps surge.
• Gulf and South Asian visitors: see the guides for Gulf, Saudi, Pakistani and Indian visitors for entry, money and phones.

11 / WINTERWinter 2026/27: dates, prices and what to pack

London in winter is dark by 16:00, 4–10°C, and rains about one day in four — and it is also the best-decorated, best-value and least crowded time to visit, outside the week before Christmas. Everything below is confirmed for 2026 unless marked.

• Lights switch-ons: Carnaby 4 November; Regent Street and St James's 5 November (free street event 17:00–21:00); Knightsbridge 10 November; Marylebone and Old Spitalfields 11 November; Covent Garden 12 November; Leadenhall 19 November; Oxford Street early November.
• Southbank Centre Winter Market: 2 November 2026 – 4 January 2027, daily 11:00–22:00, free entry.
• Skate at Somerset House: 11 November – 10 January, adults £15–28.50, children £11.
• Christmas at Kew: 13 November – 3 January, from about £25 adult, £20 child, under-4s free.
• Hyde Park Winter Wonderland: 19 November 2026 – 3 January 2027 (closed 25 December), 10:00–22:00. Entry is free off-peak (Monday–Thursday in November, must be booked), £5.50 standard, £8.25 peak, or free with £25 of pre-booked rides. Rides and bars are where the money goes.
• Trafalgar Square tree: lit in the first week of December (Norway's annual gift); free carols most evenings until Christmas.
• Christmas Day (Friday 25 December): no public transport at all — no Tube, bus, train or Elizabeth line. Pre-book any car journey weeks ahead. Boxing Day runs a reduced service; sales start 26 December and most stores open with shorter hours. The substitute bank holiday is Monday 28 December.
• New Year's Eve fireworks: ticketed only via Ticketmaster (2025 prices were £40–55; 2026 on-sale date to be announced in October). Westminster Bridge and the riverside are closed without a ticket; Primrose Hill, Greenwich and Alexandra Palace are the free vantage points. Tube is free from 23:45 to 04:30 on the night.
• New Year's Day Parade (1 January, free along Piccadilly, Regent Street, Trafalgar Square and Whitehall); Canary Wharf Winter Lights free in late January; Burns Night 25 January; Chinese New Year 6 February 2027 with the Trafalgar Square and Chinatown celebrations the following weekend; Pancake Day 9 February.
• Pack: a waterproof outer layer, a warm mid-layer, scarf, and waterproof walking shoes. Umbrellas lose to wind; hoods win. Indoors is well heated, so layers you can shed.

On the one day a year with no transport, and on the nights when the apps surge, a pre-booked flat fare is the difference between a good evening and a £90 ride home. Rushxo runs through Christmas Day and New Year's Eve at the price agreed when you book.

Frequently asked questions

Dates and prices were checked in October 2026; items marked "expected" follow the usual pattern and were not yet confirmed by organisers. Confirm with the organiser before you travel.