This year’s John Lewis Christmas advert dropped on 3 November 2026, and it goes straight to the heart. Here’s what you need to know, what you’re hearing, and how to borrow a bit of that sparkle for your own festive season.
Key Takeaways
The 2026 John Lewis Christmas advert is titled “Gloria and Pickles” and marks the 20th edition of John Lewis Christmas campaigns. Dame Kristin Scott Thomas plays grandmother Gloria, with comedian Paul Whitehouse voicing a toy dog called Pickles.
Sam Fender’s brand new cover of the Rolling Stones classic “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” provides the soundtrack, re recorded with a children’s choir and the award winning Easington Colliery Band.
The advert culminates in a transformed Gran Cave, a room full of sparkling lights, disco balls and music, built for Gloria and her grandchildren to share on Christmas morning.
The turntable shown in Gloria’s fun room is the Audio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB, a proper direct-drive deck that needs external speakers to work.
Below, we cover the music, the advert’s story, and practical ideas for creating a Gran Cave-inspired Christmas party setup with sound, lighting and mirror balls.
Watch the John Lewis Christmas advert 2026 now
This year’s Lewis Christmas advert, “Gloria and Pickles”, is the official John Lewis Christmas ad for 2026. It stars Dame Kristin as Gloria, a grandmother who retrieves her childhood pull along wooden dog named Pickles to entertain her bored grandchildren, only for the toy dog to spring to life and nudge her toward a more thoughtful gift than putting cash in cards.
Watch the John Lewis Christmas advert 2026 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbdvIoLx_BQ
The advert premiered on November 3, 2026, at 07:30 UK time across John Lewis social channels, with TV slots during Coronation Street and Great British Bake Off that evening.
What happens in "Gloria and Pickles"?
On Christmas Eve, grandmother Gloria is preparing her home, fussing over the perfect Christmas tree and a Christmas pudding, waiting for her daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren to arrive. A young boy and a young girl turn up restless, quickly bored by Gloria’s old toys. Feeling unsure what this younger generation actually wants as a Christmas present, she slips money into cards. That’s when the toy dog springs to life. Working alongside Pickles, Gloria sets off on a whimsical last-minute gift mission through London in a tuk-tuk, eventually visiting the John Lewis store itself.
Gloria’s journey captured the idea that you shouldn’t give up on giving. The campaign returns to the beloved tradition of using a lovable, magical companion character, a common trope in John Lewis Christmas adverts. By Christmas morning, instead of cash, the grandchildren find a key. Behind the door is the Gran Cave: a room designed not around a single object but around togetherness. It’s a heartwarming advert about the importance of thoughtful gift-giving over monetary gifts, directed by Lucy Forbes. The tagline says it plainly: “Don’t give up on giving.”
What is the song from the John Lewis Christmas advert 2026?
Sam Fender covers “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”, originally by the Rolling Stones. A familiar song, performed by different generations, fits a story about a grandmother finding a way to connect with her grandchildren. His vocal sits alongside a children’s choir made up of pupils from his old school, John Spence Community High School, with brass from the Easington Colliery Band. Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger praised Sam Fender’s interpretation of the track, which says plenty about the quality of the recording.
Profits from physical releases of the single support good causes. John Lewis profits from copies sold through the John Lewis store go to UK leading charity Action for Children, while Fender’s own record sold through his site benefits Teenage Cancer Trust. Sam Fender provides vocals that feel warm and communal rather than polished, and it fits the ad’s themes perfectly.
The Gran Cave: disco balls, turntable and together-time
The emotional centre of this Lewis Christmas advert is the Gran Cave reveal. Gloria’s fun room is filled with sparkling lights disco balls, coloured spot effects, fairy lights, comfy velvet seating and a turntable loaded with records. If you’ve ever watched children turn a tucked-away corner into a camp with a few cuddly toys and a pillow, you’ll recognise the appeal. The Gran Cave has that same sense of a special place, with music, lights and room for their gran to join in. The ad brings that idea home with absolute joy on every face in the room, each grandchild wearing a big smile.
Research cited by John Lewis found that over half of grandparents give cash as gifts because they aren’t sure what children want. So many parents and grandparents can relate. The 2026 campaign celebrates the emotional connection between generations during Christmas and aims to restore the nation’s gift giving confidence. Rather than chasing the perfect gift as a single object, the Gran Cave suggests the answer is a space to create lasting memories together.
The John Lewis Gran Cave turntable: what deck is it and how does it work?
The turntable in the advert is listed among John Lewis products as the Audio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB USB Conversion Turntable in silver. It’s a direct-drive manual deck with switchable phono and line outputs. In plain terms, it’s not an all-in-one novelty player with built-in speakers. You’ll need either a hi-fi amplifier with passive speakers or a pair of active speakers to hear anything from it.
For a Christmas party where vinyl might sit alongside a Spotify playlist, we’d suggest pairing a decent turntable with a small PA or mixer setup so you can switch smoothly between records and digital tracks. That’s something we help with regularly for events.
Mirror balls and lighting: how to get that John Lewis Christmas Gran Cave sparkle
The Gran Cave look relies on mirror balls catching focused light and scattering reflections across the room. Aim a focused spotlight at a mirror ball to create those moving dots of reflected light across the room. That detail makes the difference between a decoration and an effect.
For living rooms or small venues, a 30 cm mirror ball paired with a single spot gives you the look without overwhelming the space. Add warm fairy lights along shelving or window edges, maybe a colour-wash LED in a corner, and you’re close to that Gran Cave feel. For bigger venues, we stock 40 cm mirror balls and 50 cm mirror balls. If you’re hanging anything overhead, talk to us about suitable supports rather than guessing at fittings and fixings.
From TV advert to real-world Christmas party: sound and lighting ideas
Most people won’t build a full Gran Cave, but plenty will want that atmosphere for a gathering this festive season. A compact PA or quality active speakers with a line input will handle playlists for a living room or office do. For slightly larger groups, a small DJ mixer lets you fade between Sam Fender, Rolling Stones classics and whatever else keeps people dancing on Christmas Day or any other night.
We can help with speaker hire and lighting for Christmas parties without over-specifying gear or blowing your budget. If you’re not sure what fits your room, get in touch and we’ll talk it through.
A quick look back: John Lewis Christmas adverts, music and nostalgia
John Lewis Christmas adverts have become such a cherished part of the season that each year’s advert is an event in itself. The use of distinctive covers and unexpected guest artists is a beloved tradition.
2013: “The Bear and the Hare” featured Lily Allen covering Keane’s “Somewhere Only We Know”
2014: “Monty the Penguin” with Tom Odell covering “Real Love”
2015: “The Man on the Moon” with Aurora’s “Half the World Away”
2018: “The Boy and the Piano” starring Sir Elton John
2025: last year’s advert, “Where Love Lives”, used Alison Limerick’s track
You can browse the full collection at the official John Lewis Christmas advert archive, which currently covers 2007 through 2025.
Taking it further: adding festive snow effects (not in the advert, but fun for events)
Snow machines don’t appear in the 2026 John Lewis Christmas advert, but if you’re planning something with a bit more theatre, a burst of artificial snow as guests arrive or at midnight can be a memorable touch for a Christmas event. We stock professional options including the SnowBoy Stage Whisper and a Premium High Output Snow Machine with wireless remote, available through our snow machine hire. If you’re considering snow effects, talk to us about your venue and setup so we can suggest what’s appropriate for the space.
FAQ
Quick answers to common questions about the 2026 John Lewis Christmas advert and creating a similar atmosphere for events.
Who stars in the John Lewis Christmas advert 2026?
The 2026 Christmas ad, “Gloria and Pickles”, features Dame Kristin Scott Thomas as Gloria, with comedian Paul Whitehouse voicing her childhood pull-along toy dog Pickles. The soundtrack is Sam Fender’s cover of the Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”. Rosie Hanley, loyalty director at John Lewis, has spoken about how the campaign was designed to boost the nation’s confidence in thoughtful giving. The advert was produced by Saatchi & Saatchi, taking over from agency Adam & Eve DDB, and is available across social media, YouTube and streaming platforms including Apple TV.
What is the message of the 2026 John Lewis Christmas advert?
The storyline emphasises the importance of thoughtful gift-giving over monetary gifts. Gloria realises the perfect gift is shared time, not a single object. The advert’s tagline is “Don’t give up on giving”, and the Gran Cave represents that shift, from an uncertain grandparent to someone creating a space where a teenage son or a young girl can feel equally welcome.
Can I hire the exact turntable and decorations from the advert?
Yes, you can hire the Audio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB turntable from London Speaker Hire. We also hire mirror balls and sound systems to create a Gran Cave-inspired atmosphere. Our mirror balls are hire alternatives for creating a similar look, not the exact John Lewis decorations shown in the advert.
Do I need a big house to create a Gran Cave-style space?
Not at all. A cleared corner, a spare room or a small function space works fine. Focus on one or two elements: a mirror ball with a spotlight, warm lighting, and a compact speaker setup. You don’t need to recreate every detail. It’s about mood, not square footage.
How can London Speaker Hire help with a John Lewis-style Christmas event?
We supply speaker hire, DJ equipment, professional lighting and mirror balls suitable for rooms of all sizes. If you’re unsure where to start, get in touch via our contact page and tell us about your venue, guest numbers and music plans. We’ll suggest something sensible and good value rather than overloading you with gear you don’t need.