Christmas magic

ELF THE MUSICAL A joyous stage version of the beloved film, with Buddy’s journey to New York full of laughs, singing and festive magic. ✣ Tickets from £39.50; elflondon.com. 28 October 2025-3 January

If you’re driving north, be careful of the reindeer,” said Father Christmas as I sat beside him at Santa Claus’s Main Post Office in Rovaniemi. “We have 230,000 reindeer here in Finland,” he said, “bu

(and some you might not have thought about)

This is prime trekking country. It’s a joy to crunch snow underfoot on a bright winter-day walk – and find a snug pub amid the handsome towns and villages. In this official Dark Sky Reserve, on cold c

It calls itself the ‘capital of Christmas’, and this city in north-east France has hosted a festive market for 450 years – so it could be right! The markets spread out across the centre of the town, f

Mark the Christmas season with a break in this tiny European nation