When is the John Lewis Christmas advert coming out in 2023? Release date rumours

The temperature is dropping and the evenings are getting darker as winter arrives. And it's at this time of year that many begin wondering when the John Lewis Christmas advert is coming out.

It's officially time to start counting down to Christmas, as retailers across the country begin to unveil their festive offerings. For many, getting prepped for the Christmas season means reading up on the top Christmas toys for this year and booking supermarket Christmas delivery slots, but for others, there's one sure sign that the festive season is here - and that's the arrival of the John Lewis Christmas advert.

The retailer has already revealed their pick of 10 must-have Christmas toys from John Lewis, which surely means that the highly-anticipated advert is just days away. We've done some digging to find out when the John Lewis Christmas advert could be arriving in 2023, as well as the rumoured artists who could be covering a much-loved song for this year.

When is the John Lewis Christmas advert coming out in 2023?

We don't know when the John Lewis Christmas advert is coming out in 2023, but based on previous years it is likely to land on November 2, 3, 9 or 10. This is because the John Lewis Christmas advert has always aired on a Thursday or Friday in the first two weeks of November for the past nine years. 

Last year's 'The Beginner' first aired on Thursday 10 November, while  2021's 'Unexpected Guest' was released on November 4. 2020's 'Give a Little Love' landed on November 13, while 'Excitable Edgar' from 2019 arrived on November 14. The adverts for 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2020 were all released on Fridays, while every other advert released since 2014 has arrived on a Thursday.

This year, John Lewis has said that customers who become a My John Lewis member before 31 October will be able to see the advert first. To do this, you can sign up by visiting the John Lewis website, and then downloading the John Lewis app.

Perks of the app include personalised offers, exclusive early access to new launches, members-only events and more. Make sure to turn on push notifications to be the first to know when the advert arrives. 

What song is on the John Lewis advert this year?

The song for the 2023 John Lewis advert hasn't been confirmed, and it's unlikely we'll know what it is and who sings the new John Lewis advert song for sure until it airs on TV. 

However, rumours around who will be the vocals behind this years ad are already doing the rounds online. Comparison service Bonus Finder used AI to predict the song that will feature in the 2023 John Lewis advert, settling on a cover of John Lennon's 'Imagine' by Lewis Capaldi. 

Meanwhile, online gambling company Betway is offering the following odds:

• Kylie Minogue - 7/2
• Sam Ryder - 7/2
• Elton John - 7/1
• Stormzy - 7/1
• Cian Ducrot - 10/1
• Tom Grennan - 10/1
• Dermot Kennedy - 12/1
• Jamie Cullum - 16/1
• Rina Sawayama - 16/1
• Arlo Parks - 18/1
• Cat Burns - 20/1
• Ezra Collective - 20/1 
• Olivia Dean - 20/1
• Rick Astley - 25/1 
• Bradley Walsh - 40/1 
• Noddy Holder - 50/1
• Roy Wood - 50/1
• Ozzy Osbourne - 66/1

Last year saw US artist Mike Geier cover Blink-182's 'All The Small Things' for the 2022 John Lewis Christmas advert. Geier is best known for performing under his alter ego - a clown named 'Puddle Pity Party' - in an act which sees him dress in a white clown costume complete with face paint and a crown with a 'P' on it. He mostly sings cover songs in a distinctive booming baritone.

Meanwhile, in 2021 Lola Young covered Philip Oakey and Giorgio Moroder's 'Together in Electric Dreams'. Other covers for previous John Lewis adverts include Oasis' 'Half the World Away' sung by Aurora and The Smiths' 'Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want' covered by Slow Moving Millie.

Often, the songs used in the John Lewis Christmas adverts enter the charts for that year. Gabrielle Aplin's cover of 'The Power of Love' in 2012 and Lily Allen's cover of 'Somewhere Only We Know' in 2013 both peaked at number one, while 2014's 'Real Love' covered by Tom Odell reached number seven. 

What will the 2023 John Lewis Christmas advert be about?

As usual, John Lewis has kept the details of their Christmas advert under wraps. However, when Bonus Finder used AI to predict the advert, the generator put forward a story about an elderly man who loves Christmas bonding with his grandson. The pair go on to decorate a neglected bridge in their town and get the whole community involved - sounds about right!

Last year, John Lewis' Christmas advert was called 'The Beginner', and followed a man who is determined to learn how to skateboard. Despite injuring himself he perseveres, and at the end of the advert it's revealed what his efforts were all for - he and his partner were expecting the arrival of a foster child, who loves to skateboard.

The advert was praised for its stripped-back nature amid the cost of living crisis, in comparison to previous years which have had a much higher production value. Meanwhile, others were quick to praise the advert for raising awareness of children in care.

The retailer partnered with Action for Children and Who Cares? Scotland for the advert, and donated 25% from each sale of their ad-inspired collection to the Building Happier Futures fund, which supports children in care. 

Given the success of last year's advert and the praise it received from the public, charities and even politicians, it's likely that John Lewis will take a similar route for their 2023 Christmas advert.

Full list of John Lewis Christmas adverts:

• Shadows (2007): Featuring Prokofiev’s 'Morning Serenade'
• Clues (2008): Featuring John Lewis employees covering 'From Me to You'
• The Feeling (2009): Featuring Taken by Trees's cover of 'Sweet Child o' Mine'
• A Tribute to Givers (2010): Featuring Ellie Goulding's cover of 'Your Song'
• The Long Wait (2011): Featuring Slow Moving Millie's cover of 'Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want'
• The Journey (2012): Featuring Gabrielle Aplin's cover of 'The Power of Love'
• The Bear and The Har (2013): Featuring Lily Allen's cover of 'Somewhere Only We Know'
• Monty the Penguin (2014): Featuring Tom Odell's cover of 'Real Love'
• The Man On The Moon (2015): Featuring Aurora's cover of 'Half the World Away'
• Buster the Boxer (2016): Featuring Vaults' cover of  'One Day I'll Fly Away'
• Moz the Monster (2017): Featuring Elbow's cover of 'Golden Slumbers'
• The Boy & The Piano (2018): Featuring Elton John's 'Your Song'
• Excitable Edgar (2019): Featuring Bastille's cover of 'Can't Fight This Feeling'
• Give A Little Love (2020): Featuring Celeste's 'A Little Love'
• An Unexpected Guest (2021): Featuring Lola Young's cover of 'Together in Electric Dreams'
• The Beginner (2022): Featuring Mike Geier's cover of 'All The Small Things' 

Want to look back a previous John Lewis Christmas adverts? Check out these articles on the 2017 advert, 2019 advert, 2020 advert, 2021 advert and 2022 advert.

And if you're already thinking about getting ahead for the festive period, we've rounded up the best Christmas food hampers and the best Christmas games for families. You might want to check out these Elf on the Shelf ideas too, or, for a bit of trivia, we've revealed how much money Mariah Carey makes every Christmas.