St. Pancras International unveils their iconic Christmas tree

Lighting up the station and bringing an abundance of festive cheer to London, the 2023 Christmas Tree is inspired by the magical ability of both books and train travel to transport people to exciting new places.

Standing at 12 metres tall, the Christmas tree features a winding staircase, wrapping around 270 shelves with an impressive array of more than 3,800 books, which have been hand-painted and inscribed with titles of Christmas Classics such as Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”, C.S. Lewis’ “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe” and many more.

Within the tree, there are eight cubby holes where children and adults alike can sit and fully immerse themselves in the magic of Christmas, both metaphorically and physically. In each booth, there are speakers which allow customers to select a five minute excerpt from an audiobook or reading provided exclusively by Penguin Books, featuring authors including Charles Dickens, Beatrix Potter, Zadie Smith, Robin Stevens, Gabrielle Zevin, Alice Winn, Rick Riordan, Michael Morpurgo, Richard Osman and Tom Fletcher. With each booth having two options, guests will be able to choose from sixteen different audios. These cubby holes are a great free attraction for the whole family or the perfect place to take five and relax while travelling through St. Pancras.

Celebrating Literature and St. Pancras International

BookTok and other social media trends stimulated a 25% increase in reading for young people last year*. With reading on the rise and multiple studies noting the positive impact immersing yourself in a good book can have on mental health, St. Pancras and Hatchards have partnered on this inspiring festive tree design in the hope that it will inspire people to switch away from screens and disconnect.

The St. Pancras International Tree is located in the St. Pancras Arcade until January 2024.

Click here to see their trees of Christmas past.