It’s 2.39pm on a cold but sunny Thursday in November, and my senses are being attacked from all sides. Neon lights are flashing. Adrenaline fiends scream from fairground rides. The air is thick with the smell of oil and the shrill blare of vintage Black Eyed Peas. It’s been five years since I last visited Winter Wonderland, one of London’s most popular Christmas attractions. Or tourist trap, depending on who you ask. To be honest, I didn’t see myself coming back. There are people for whom Christmas doesn’t begin until you’ve visited Hyde Park’s festive labyrinth. I’ve always felt the opposite: Winter Wonderland is a commercial hellscape I would rather avoid.
When Winter Wonderland began in Hyde Park in 2005, it took the form of a small and relatively innocuous winter funfair. Following a financial injection from a number of major events companies, it grew into what it is today: an expansive village of rides, games, shows, food stalls and German-themed markets. Year after year, the event has got bigger, with throngs flocking to its ice rink and its London Eye-style wheel. It’s now one of those things you just have to do in London at Christmas, as synonymous with the festive season as mince pies and office party hangovers.
