Trafalgar Square set to blaze with light as ChanukahLIVE! brings joy to the capital

Organisers promise an evening of joy, music and community spirit as the capital gathers for a renewed Chanukah celebration

This year, we’re turning up the volume on joy, and you’re invited to be part of something unforgettable. If you’ve missed Chanukah in the Square, you’re going to love ChanukahLIVE! On Tuesday, 16 December, join us for live music, dancing and doughnuts, as Europe’s tallest menorah lights up Trafalgar Square.

At a time when our community has had more than its share of challenges, this year’s celebration is designed to bring exactly what we all need: light, joy and a sense of coming together in the heart of our capital. Experience the unmistakable spark of our community’s spirit – the kind of energy only we can bring.

This year, we’re not holding back. Our line-up brings together some of the community’s favourite performers for an evening guaranteed to lift spirits higher than the menorah itself. First up, the decks belong to DJ Dan Kraines, who will transform Trafalgar Square into London’s liveliest dancefloor. He’ll be joined by the sensational Avi Kraus, whose voice has been known to warm even the frostiest December night.

But the stars of the night might just be the smallest performers on the biggest stage, as pupils from Jewish primary schools across London, including Mathilda Marks-Kennedy, Clore Tikva, Rimon, Mosaic, Etz Chaim and Wolfson Hillel, will unite to form one giant ChanukahLIVE! children’s choir. Expertly conducted by Stephen Melzack, they’ll perform Ma’oz Tzur as you’ve never heard it before.

And it’s not just the performers who will make the night special. Designed by Richard Robins of Lit Event Group, London’s menorah will beam hundreds of metres into the night sky beside the iconic Nelson’s Column.

Friendly faces will also be on hand to welcome attendees, hand out doughnuts, and make sure everyone feels part of the celebration. That’s what makes ChanukahLIVE! more than just an event – it’s a reminder of what our community does best: showing up for one another, celebrating our heritage with pride, and bringing light when it’s needed most.

Chanukah has always been a story of light overcoming darkness. Throughout history, the Jewish people have always refused to bow to fear, choosing instead to bring light, share it, and spread it. ChanukahLIVE! will be a celebration of that everlasting resilience.

And this isn’t just a Jewish event. Londoners of all faiths and none, who uphold the values of decency, tolerance and respect, are welcome to join the celebration. Because when allies show up, when they sing with us, dance with us, or simply stand beside our community, it sends a message that echoes far beyond Trafalgar Square. It shows us that we’re not alone. It tells those who seek to intimidate us that they will fail. And it tells our children that they can grow up Jewish and British without compromising either identity.

So come for the candle lighting, stay for the music, eat a few doughnuts, and leave with the distinct feeling that you’ve been part of something wonderfully uplifting.