St. Pancras Trees of Christmas Past

2013: Fortnum & Mason

In 2013, Fortnum & Mason opened their St. Pancras store; their first new shop in the UK for more than three centuries.

Fortnum's St Pancras opened on the main concourse, designed to serve the country's travellers. Unveiled by intrepid traveller Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Fortnum's St. Pancras quickly became the perfect place to enjoy a cup of tea, a glass of wine or a light meal at the beginning or end of a journey. So is there a better way to celebrate an opening year at St. Pancras than designing our Christmas tree?

2014: Eurostar

Christmas 2014 was a year of fantastic French festivity; Raymond Blanc OBE turned on the lights to the station's Christmas tree, which was sponsored by Eurostar as part of their 20th birthday. The tree itself celebrated the station’s amazing international connections by highlighting hundreds of Christmas inspired markets across Europe.

2015: Disney

Singer, TV presenter and Britain's Got Talent Judge, Alesha Dixon, unveiled the world’s biggest Disney Junior Christmas Tree at St. Pancras, created entirely from Disney soft toys and with Mickey Mouse at the top, bringing the magic of Christmas to commuters and families.  

But the magic didn't end there! Our spectacular 14-metre high tree was brought to life with snowflakes magically falling from the top of the tree every four minutes, the snowflakes were specifically designed to dissolve as they reach the ground without leaving a trace. 

The magic continued long after the tree was taken down as the 2,000 soft toys provided by The Disney Store were donated to KIDS, a leading charity which cares for disabled children, young people and their families.

2016: Cirque du Soleil

Oxfam supporter Sara Cox officially switched on the lights of our 2016 Cirque du Soleil Amaluna Christmas tree, followed by a breath-taking performance in the station by the cast of the critically-acclaimed production.

This festive season, the Amaluna Christmas tree raised awareness and money for Oxfam's women's rights campaigning. The 12-meter-high tree includes Amaluna's famous Water Bowl at its centre, and featured moving underwater projections of the cast and acts from the show.

Throughout the festive season, St. Pancras shoppers spending £50 or more in stores and at restaurants had the opportunity to receive a 20% discount on tickets to see Amaluna. 

2017: Moyses Stevens

In November 2017, we unveiled a spectacular 47ft floral Christmas tree; delighting commuters, Londoners, and tourists alike with a hand-crafted seasonal sensation, created by the station’s very own luxury florist, Moyses Stevens.

Made from over 15,000 flowers and taking 1,151 expert man hours to bring the unique design to life, the floral tree certainly brought a festive flourish to the station.

2018: Tiffany & Co.

For 2018, we partnered up with Tiffany & Co. to unveil our first scented Christmas tree and fragrance shop in the heart of the station's Arcade, offering a touch of sparkle, sophistication and magic for the holiday season.

The tree stood at a magnificent 43-foot and had over 1,800 decorations. The sparkling floral scent of Tiffany's Signature Eau de Parfum fragrance diffused from the tree at key intervals each day, creating a unique immersive sensorial experience for holiday shoppers.

2019: Lancôme

In 2019, we teamed up with perfume and beauty brand Lancôme to unveil the station's 2019 sparkling festive installation, inspired by Paris’ most iconic landmark - The Eiffel Tower.

The magnifique 36-foot installation embodied the elegance and cheerful spirit of the world’s largest French beauty brand, brightening up the station with Lancôme’s signature pink pantone. The breath-taking creation was adorned with over 1,500 bottles of the brand’s signature fragrance, La Vie Est Belle; a scent that captures free-spirited and fulfilled femininity, perfectly embodied by Lancôme’s Global Ambassador and face of the fragrance, Julia Roberts.

The Lancôme Christmas installation also brought the magic of Paris to the station with a magical light show – mirroring the original tower’s iconic display. The show, with over 1,300 flashing LED lights, was visible almost 600 times during the festive season. 

2020: EL&N Cafe

For Christmas 2020, we teamed up with Instagrammable London café brand EL&N London to present a very special Tree of Hope - a carousel themed Christmas tree which casts a magical pink glow over St. Pancras.

2020 was the world come together in strength and unity. Our nation will be forever grateful for the commitment, compassion and selflessness shown by NHS staff, key workers and carers. To celebrate these heroes, the tree was decorated with 1,200 meters of festive ribbon printed with quotes of love and hope from the fantastic team members at Imperial College Healthcare, Guy’s & St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, NHS Ambulance Service and the Royal Mail. 

Visitors could also enjoy EL&N’s grab-and-go menu options. Alongside their magical tree, EL&N celebrated a Season of Sweetness across all eight of their London cafés with a new festive menu, including a pink Tree of Hope cake from which 10% of all sales going to FareShare.

2021: ZSL London Zoo 

In 2021, we teamed up with the iconic ZSL London Zoo to present a family friendly festive display, bringing to life the wonderful, remarkable story of London Zoo and some of its famous residents.

To thank those who have continued to support the Zoo’s charity projects and the welfare of its animals over the last year, we have teamed up to create the traditional pop-up story book creation, featuring some familiar characters which have inspired more children’s stories than any other.

Visitors could enjoy the full effect of the lights and sounds of the Zoo’s animals as part of the display, and could even spot some additional animals around the station - as if they have leapt from the pages of the story book!

2022: The Prince's Trust

Last year, we teamed up with The Prince's Trust to present a family friendly festive display, to light up the station and bring festive cheer to passers by. Through this partnership, we hoped to share the wonderful work of the charity that helps tens of thousands of young people each year realise their potential by providing them with the skills and confidence they need to find meaningful employment.

Taking inspiration from the London skyline of which the station has been part of since its opening in 1868, the 33ft tree featured terrace houses, department stores, ferris wheels, bridges, skyscrapers, and monuments. Visitors enjoyed the full effect of the lights which were inspired by house tealight decorations, exuding warm amber light. With building windows of all shapes and sizes, visitors could peak inside to see a variety of typical Christmas scenes within.

2023: Hatchards

For Christmas 2023, visitors got to experience the magic of the season like never before with our display in collaboration with Hatchards. This 12 metre tall masterpiece was not just a festive centrepiece; it was a literary wonderland inspired by the enchanting realms created by authors. 

The tree featured a whimsical design with a winding staircase and 270 shelves adorned with over 3,800 hand-painted books, including timeless classics like Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" and C.S. Lewis' "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe."

The majestic tree featured eight cosy nooks where visitors, young and old, could immerse themselves in the magic of Christmas, figuratively and literally. Each booth was equipped with speakers allowing you to select a five-minute excerpt from an audiobook, exclusively provided by Penguin Books.