We're all aglow for the Oxford Christmas Light Festival this weekend, but there's plenty of ways to brighten up your week within, from wassailing to panto...

Light, Heat and Indie Treats

It’s the most sparkly time of the year! Oxford Christmas Light Festival signals the true start of the Christmas shopping season with the city lights being switched on, but we love it for the lanterns, the parades, the trails, the workshops, the Victorian market and the combination of Santa and Diwali. We have our eye on Pegasus Theatre on Saturday, for a theatrical adventure, Oxford Downs Syndrome Choir at lunchtime in the city centre, a Dhol performance that evening, and lantern making at Fusion Arts on Sunday. With online events and the market too, there is something happening all weekend.

For truly beautiful, handmade art, join the East Oxford Art Collective on Saturday as they exhibit in Greyfriar’s Church Hall on Iffley Road. Meet printmakers, ceramicists, painters, portrait artists, jewellers, and their gorgeous wares. For something unique, locally made, and drop-dead gorgeous under the tree or gracing the table, this is where you should head.

Saturday night sees things hot up (to over 1,000 Fahrenheit) at Helen and Douglas House’s fundraising event Ignite the Night . Are you brave enough to walk barefoot over hot coals? Whether you’re taking part or just watching the walkers and fire dancer, while enjoying the food and festivities, this is a heart-in-your-mouth event to support this amazing children’s hospice.

Exam Schools plays host to two more Christmas markets this weekend. Catch By Beautiful Brands on Saturday, a curated collection of indie brands, and the Etsy Christmas Market on Sunday, with 80 different stalls plus a choir performance. Early birds can feather their Christmas stockings, though of course there’s nothing to say you can’t get yourself a pretty thing or two!

Oxford's Christmas Light Festival 2025: Oxford City Centre (various venues) - see individual events for details. Fri 14th - Sun 16th Nov

East Oxford Art Collective Winter Market: Greyfriars Church Hall (Iffley Road), Sat 15th Nov, 10am - 4pm. Free entry.

Ignite the Night Firewalk: Chipping Norton Rugby Club (OX7 5UY), Sat 15th Nov, 4-8.30pm. Entry: £25 fundraising ticket, with minimum £50 fundraising target. £100 self-funded ticket.

by Beautiful Brands: Examination Schools, Sat 15th Nov, 10am-4pm. Free entry.

Etsy Christmas Market: Examination Schools, Sun 16th Nov, 10am-4pm. Free entry.

The Food of Love

Nothing brings people together quite like the power of song, especially as we creep ever closer towards the festive season. Over at the Oxford Playhouse, Eliza Carthy and Jon Boden bring their folk talents to the ancient practice of the wassail, with two hours of seasonal song to bring health and good cheer.

Next, a cathartic and ethereal treat at the Truck Store as Genevieve Miles releases her latest EP, then it gets worse. Miles processes the pangs of loss through hallucinatory production with an alt-rock sensibility, with support from Dolly Mavies.

Hip-hop royalty graces the Tap Social with its presence in the form of rap legend Masta Ace and producer Marco Polo. Both seasoned veterans of the rap game, their collab ‘P.P.E’ was released to critical acclaim in June of last year, and this Saturday they’re looking to bring the same heat.

And Hannah Aldridge turns an evening at the Jericho Tavern into a shot of southern comfort, recording her latest album live on her European tour. Aldridge’s discography is a lyrical testament to the contradictions and complexity of living in Bible-belt America, sung with the perfect blend of honey and grit.

Eliza Carthy and Jon Boden's Wassail: Fri 14th Nov, 7:30pm. Tickets £29.

Genevieve Miles w. Dolly Mavies: Truck Store, Fri 14th Nov, 6pm. Free entry, pre-order album to guarantee.

Masta Ace and Marco Polo: Tap Social Movement, Sat 15th Nov, 7pm. Tickets £25.

Hannah Aldridge: The Jericho Tavern, Thurs 20th Nov, 7pm. Tickets £20.

Wales, Rome and Arabia

Come, open your ears, to Cartesian Productions’ new staging of Under Milk Wood this week. Picture the starless, moonless, bible-black night on the Welsh coast, in the village of Llareggub. Glimpse the mundane community and its extraordinary individuals, brought to life with Foley, puppetry, a live folk band, and a little magic.

Opera Anywhere have taken their name literally, with a new Mikado set in Ancient Rome! Familiar characters, including the Lord High Executioner, Koko and Nanki-Poo, find themselves in a new setting, though sadly for them the emperor still has a volatile temper and losing their heads is still on the cards. Sing-along with all your favourite songs, in the much-loved Players Theatre.

And next week we start the panto season in style, with Aladdin, his brother Nigel, and their mysterious ‘Uncle’ Abanazar. Boo, cheer, and hunt for intriguing lamps, along with the usual topsy turvy cast of panto favourites, in this brand new production, written by Liz Riley.

Under Milk Wood: O'Reilly Theatre (Keble College), Thurs 13th - Sat 15th Nov, 7.30pm. Tickets: £9/£7 conc, excl. booking fee.

The Mikado: Players Theatre, Thame, Sat 15th Nov, 3pm, 7.45pm. Tickets: Adults £20, concessions £18, under 16s £10.

Aladdin: The Mill Arts Centre, Banbury, Thu 20th - Sun 23rd Nov. Thu-Fri 7pm, Sat 2pm & 6pm, Sun 3pm relaxed performance with BSL signing. Tickets: £15.50.

And Finally

Oxford residents of all cultures and creeds will be gathering on Sunday to stand against the rise of right wing hate groups across the UK. Responding to demonstrations targeting refugees and migrants, the Oxford Unity March and Rally brings together local residents, unions and mutual aid organisations to celebrate the diversity and community spirit that makes Oxford special.

The demo will begin at 12:30pm on Barns Road, Templars Square, before marching to Bonn Square for a rally. Meeting points for people with limited mobility will be at Manzil Way Green at 1:30 and 2:15 at St. Mary the Virgin Church. Bring placards, loud voices and masks to keep other attendees safe; tips on protest safety can be found here.

Follow Oxford Stand Up To Racism’s Facebook and Instagram page for further updates.

Image credits: Oxford Light Festival, Oxford Playhouse, Cartesian Productions, Oxford Stand Up To Racism