The biggest UK brands have begun launching their 2026 Christmas adverts, with Sainsbury's, Tesco, Waitrose and Asda among those competing for attention. This year's crop so far is light on tear-jerkers but high on festive spirit, although John Lewis may have changed that with its latest moving effort. There is also a US brand advert that Metro has labelled the best of this year's bunch, plus a shirtless James Norton for M&S.
Aldi and Argos
Aldi has released the full version of its festive ad after a 10-second teaser, featuring its renowned star Kevin the Carrot. Kevin returns alongside his daughter Chantenay to search for Cauli Dog, who has gone missing. The pair write to Santa in the hopes he might bring Cauli home safe, and spot his telltale paw prints in the snow. The prints lead home, where Cauli has somehow got trapped in a Christmas cracker, and the vegetable gang pull it apart to bring their little floret friend home in time for Christmas. Viewers have also uncovered a secret message hidden within the advert, with a phone number that can actually be called.
Argos's advert, titled Tales of Argos Past, is rooted in nostalgia for the doorstopper catalogue. It is a light spoof of A Christmas Carol with Richard Ayoade in the Scrooge role and phantasmagoric toys Connie and Trevor as the ghosts. The phantoms arrive to help because Ayoade has no idea what to get his mum for Christmas, leading to a flashback of a younger Ayoade circling an Argos catalogue. The conclusion sees Ayoade gift his mother a red light therapy mask. Ayoade said: 'Like many, I live to circle, whether landing a light aircraft, skipping round roundabouts, or marking up the Argos catalogue.'
Arsenal and Asda
Football clubs also have Christmas ads, and reigning Premier League champions Arsenal pulled out all the stops. Love Actually star Colin Firth takes centre stage, celebrating the club's Premier League title win and their FIFA Women's Champions Cup victory. Firth plays an Arsenal fan, echoing his role in Fever Pitch, and walks through North London towards the Emirates Stadium, encountering players including Alessia Russo and Gabriel Magalhães. The ad culminates with the 'Twas the Season title in a banner outside the stadium and the tagline: 'Gifts worth waiting all season for.'
Asda is treating Christmas like a party this year, with an advert set to a remixed version of Martin Garrix's dance anthem Animals. It includes a mum taking a ride on a giant pyro-cracker, in one of four separate 30-second adverts from the supermarket. With the tagline 'All of Christmas at Asda Price. BOOM!', Asda has announced it will give seven families Christmas on the house, with a competition offering a £500 Asda voucher every weekend in the run-up to the big day. Tom Hampson, Group Marketing Director at Asda, said: 'The reality is that our customers don't want less Christmas; they just want Christmas for less.'
Barbour, Debenhams and Disney
Barbour's Christmas advert features Wallace and Gromit, rendered over 90 seconds by Aardman. The duo head out on a snowy walk while their Christmas roast cooks, but things go awry because of Wallace's latest invention, the Walk-o-Matic. When Wallace is left out in the cold, Gromit produces his Christmas present, a Barbour quarter-zip, to keep him warm.
Debenhams dropped its ad back in October, opting for a love story between unlucky-in-love Tina, played by Emily Atack, and Gavin and Stacey star Mathew Horne as the one-who-got-away Chris. The advert opens at a local village hall party where a snowstorm prompts Chris to serenade Tina, with music icon Gabrielle making a surprise appearance. Emily said: 'I loved filming it; the warm, nostalgic vibe of the party in the film felt just perfect and what a fantastically talented and lovely cast to be a part of.'
Disney's 2026 advert, titled The Invisible Horse, comes from Dougal Wilson, famous for the John Lewis advert The Long Wait. It follows a young boy named Jack who is losing interest in the magic of Christmas, but when looking at old family photos and holding his old Woody toy from Toy Story, he finds something invisible leaving tracks in his garden. Jack contacts the mysterious entity, which reminds him of the magic of Christmas. Asad Ayaz, Chief Marketing and Brand Officer at The Walt Disney Company, said: 'Disney has long been part of the traditions, memories, and moments that make the holiday season so special for families around the world.'
Dog's Trust and John Lewis
The Dog's Trust's 2026 Christmas advert follows a young boy who is shocked to discover there are dogs without a home after he meets a rescue dog named Kira. He makes it his mission to find Kira a home for Christmas, with Jack's family ultimately taking in Kira themselves. Owen Sharp, Chief Executive of Dogs Trust, said: 'At Christmas, the importance of family is more significant than ever to many.'
John Lewis went live with its latest Christmas advert this week, in which Kristin Scott Thomas gets a neon pedicab. The Slow Horses star plays glamorous grandma Gloria, puzzling over what to get her grandchildren after a vintage Little Snoopy Pull-Along Toy from her own childhood leaves them unimpressed. The toy is Pickles, voiced by Paul Whitehouse, who insists Gloria should do more than stuff an envelope with cash. A magical pedicab takes her on a phantasmagorical ride under the Northern Lights, ending at the doors of John Lewis. With the tagline 'Don't give up on giving', the advert reveals the answer is the 'Gran Cave', a room adorned with streamers, disco balls and sparkling lights so Gloria can dance with her grandchildren.
Lidl, M&S and Quince
Lidl has brought out the Barry-oke this year, with EastEnders actor Shaun Williamson leading the campaign. The star features a re-worked version of Slade's classic Christmas song Merry Christmas Everybody, joined by ex-footballer Chris Kamara, Capital FM presenter Kemi Rodgers and comedian Abi Clarke. Williamson said: 'Christmas is all about bringing people together, having fun and spreading a little festive cheer, so I jumped at the chance to help Lidl kick off the festive season in style!'
M&S brought out its A-game and A-listers for this year's advert. The three-minute ad includes a topless James Norton as an undercover Santa Claus, alongside a very glamorous Mrs Claus played by Amandaland's Lucy Punch. Santa shaves his beard to go incognito, does very regular things like seeing Katherine Jenkins at a school choir, and ends the experience changed, agreeing with Mrs Claus it will be beard no more going forward.
Quince's advert features Friends star David Schwimmer, who playfully pokes fun at one of his most famous moments in the sitcom. Schwimmer ventures out to find the perfect red sweater for Christmas, which has made fans think of The One With the Red Sweater, the episode where Ross found out he was the father of Rachel's baby. The actor said he 'thought it was really funny', adding: 'After all, a red sweater and I go back a long way.'
Sainsbury's, Shelter, Tesco, Waitrose and Walmart
Sainsbury's has returned to Roald Dahl's BFG for a third year in a row. The Big Friendly Giant catches a cold and is forced to stay inside on his own, missing out on company at Christmas. Sainsbury's employee Annie is determined the BFG isn't alone, so she and her colleague race across Giant Country, facing menacing Giants, to bring a delicious dinner straight to his door.
Homeless charity Shelter has launched its 2026 winter appeal with a moving film highlighting how more than 177,000 children face waking up homeless in temporary accommodation this Christmas, up five per cent in a year. Told through the eyes of a mother and daughter, the ad features a twist on the festive countdown, revealing they are counting down to the day they can move out of their temporary accommodation. The film closes with the pair receiving keys to their new social home, thanks to help from Shelter.
Tesco's new festive campaign sees Roisin Conaty play Polly, a delivery driver shocked when she recognises the name of the person she's delivering Christmas food to. That person is Lizzie, played by Anna Maxwell Martin, an old school friend she hasn't seen in years. After a broken-down car, Polly drives Lizzie home in her delivery van, reminiscing on fun times they used to share, and later receives a text asking her to join their meal.
Waitrose has gone the sequel route, reuniting Keira Knightley and Joe Wilkinson as an unlikely couple facing a new challenge. A love triangle forms as Rivals star Alex Hassell enters as a handsome groom who looks set to marry Keira, unless Phil can do something about it. Phil, sporting an enormous beard, becomes determined to win Keira back, making the beef Wellington of his life before dashing to stop the wedding. Directed by Molly Manners, Jennifer Rush's The Power of Love scores the festive love story as Keira and Phil share a passionate kiss in the kitchen. Keira said: 'I absolutely loved the chance to revisit our relationship this Christmas, although I wasn't expecting to find myself caught between two men and a beef Wellington!'
Walmart's advert, titled A Who Knew? Carol, brings back the 1992 film The Muppet Christmas Carol for a sequel of sorts. Metro's Tori Brazier labelled it 'the best Christmas TV advert of the year'. The gang are all back together: Gonzo as Dickens, Rizzo the Rat as his assistant, Kermit as Bob Cratchit, Miss Piggy as his wife Emily and Fozzie Bear as 'Fozziwig'. Scrooge is revealed to be Fallout actor Walton Goggins, who also played the Grinch for Walmart in a prior Christmas advert. Brazier wrote: 'I'm impressed by how closely this advert stayed to the feel of The Muppet Christmas Carol – no doubt thanks to plenty of millennials involved in the advertising efforts who knew just how carefully to handle this precious IP.'
