Christmas Markets in Europe 2026: The Full Opening Date Calendar
Last updated: September 2026
hi.ciceru@gmail.comNuremberg
Intro
Last checked: 30 September 2026. Dates move, so treat this as a snapshot and recheck the organiser's page before you book.
The first confirmed markets open on 6 November and most of the classic ones open between 13 and 28 November. Of the 57 cities below, 49 have 2026 dates from an organiser, city or tourist board. Eight have nothing official yet, and they sit in their own section with last year's dates labelled 2025. No confirmed market opens in December. The main market in 24 cities closes on or before 24 December, so a trip after Christmas has far fewer options.
⚡ Quick answer
- Earliest: Manchester and Vienna's Schönbrunn and Stephansplatz markets open on 6 November. Vienna's Rathausplatz, Innsbruck, Valkenburg, Sibiu and Copenhagen (Tivoli) follow on 13 November
- The German classics: Cologne 16 November, Munich 20 November, Frankfurt 23 November, Dresden 25 November, Nuremberg 27 November
- Central Europe and the Baltics: Tallinn, Warsaw and Wrocław 20 November, Kraków 27 November, Prague 28 November
- Latest closings: Ljubljana 15 January 2027 (festival), Wrocław and Zagreb 7 January, then Prague, Kraków, Warsaw, Tallinn, Trento and Bolzano on 6 January
- Not announced yet: Hamburg, Strasbourg, Budapest, Riga, Verona, Rome, Barcelona and Naples
- Calendar anchors: Sunday 22 November is Totensonntag, when several German markets close. First Advent Sunday is 29 November. Christmas Eve is a Thursday
🆕 What is new for 2026
- Cologne is confirmed. The cathedral market runs 16 November to 23 December and is closed on 22 November, per the organiser
- Warsaw has moved. A new market at Plac Defilad, under the Palace of Culture, runs 20 November to 6 January 2027. The old Barbakan market only shows 2025 dates
- Zurich lost a market. The Wienachtsdorf at Bellevue has ended, so it is not listed. The Singing Christmas Tree market at Werdmühleplatz is confirmed
- Bruges has restructured. The city says its Winter Glow programme starts on 20 November 2026 and keeps the Christmas markets. The light trail ended after 2025
- Kraków is dated. The 2026 dates are now published, so guides written before then still call it unannounced
📖 How to read the calendar
Each city has one bullet, ordered by the opening date of its main market. Smaller markets with different dates are named in the same bullet.
- Confirmed 2026: a first-party page (organiser, city or tourist board) shows 2026 dates
- Provisional: 2026 dates exist, but the source is partial, second-hand or prints no year. Recheck
- Not yet announced: no official 2026 dates. Last year's dates appear only where labelled 2025
- Hours: given only where a 2026 page states them. "Check" means the page did not say
- Entry: open-air markets are normally free. Entry is mentioned only where a page says so, or where it is paid
Germany has its own deeper list: German Christmas markets 2026, dates for all 14 cities. For a shortlist of the strongest five, see 5 best Christmas markets in Europe for 2026.
📅 Opening before 20 November
Fifteen cities.
- Manchester, Christmas Markets (10 sites): 6 November to 22 December 2026 at most sites. Albert Square and Cathedral Gardens run to 3 January 2027. Status: Provisional. The dates come from a council spokesperson quoted in the press, and the council's own page still shows 2025
- Vienna, Rathausplatz Christkindlmarkt: 13 November to 26 December 2026, daily 10:00 to 22:00, 24 December until 18:30. Schönbrunn and Stephansplatz open 6 November (Schönbrunn to 6 January 2027, Stephansplatz to 26 December). Status: Confirmed 2026
- Innsbruck, Christkindlmarkt Altstadt: 13 November to 23 December 2026, daily 11:00 to 21:00. The Maria-Theresien-Strasse market runs 25 November to 6 January 2027. Status: Confirmed 2026
- Valkenburg, Kerststad: 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. Hours not stated, and some activities need tickets. Status: Confirmed 2026
- Sibiu, Christmas Market: 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, Monday to Friday 11:00 to 22:00, Saturday and Sunday 10:00 to 22:00. Free entry. Status: Confirmed 2026
- Copenhagen, Tivoli: 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. Paid admission. Status: Provisional, because the page prints no year
- Brno, Brněnské Vánoce: Zelný trh and Moravské náměstí open 13 November 2026, the other sites 27 November. Most close 23 December, the last ones 31 December. Status: Provisional, via the Czech Tourism listing rather than the organiser
- Edinburgh, Edinburgh's Christmas: festival 14 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. The Traditional Market in East Princes Street Gardens is part of it, but its own dates and hours are not stated. Status: Provisional
- Florence, Piazza Santa Croce: 14 November to 20 December 2026, Monday to Thursday 10:00 to 22:00, Friday to Sunday 10:00 to 23:00. Free. Status: Confirmed 2026
- Gothenburg, Christmas at Liseberg: 14 November to 30 December 2026, on selected days only, and closed 24 and 25 December. Paid park admission. Status: Confirmed 2026
- Cologne, Cathedral market: 16 November to 23 December 2026, Sunday to Wednesday 11:00 to 21:00, Thursday and Friday 11:00 to 22:00, Saturday 10:00 to 22:00, closed 22 November. The harbour market runs 13 November to 3 January 2027. Heinzel runs 23 November to 23 December on Alter Markt, with Heumarkt to 10 January 2027. Status: Confirmed 2026
- Düsseldorf, Weihnachtsmarkt: 19 November to 30 December 2026. Closed 22 November and 25 December. 24 December 11:00 to 15:00, 26 December 14:00 to 21:00. Status: Confirmed 2026
- London, Hyde Park Winter Wonderland: 19 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, closed 25 December. Timed entry is paid, from £1.00 off-peak. Status: Confirmed 2026
- Salzburg, Christkindlmarkt: 19 November 2026 to 1 January 2027. 24 December 09:00 to 15:00, 25 and 26 December 11:00 to 18:00. Status: Confirmed 2026
- Zurich, Singing Christmas Tree (Werdmühleplatz): 19 November to 23 December 2026, Monday to Thursday 16:00 to 21:00, Friday 16:00 to 22:00, Saturday 13:00 to 22:00, Sunday 13:00 to 21:00. Free. Status: Confirmed 2026
📅 Opening 20 to 30 November
Thirty-four cities. Opening dates run from 20 November to 28 November.
20 November
- Munich, Christkindlmarkt am Marienplatz: to 24 December 2026, Monday to Saturday 10:00 to 21:00, Sunday 10:00 to 20:00, 24 December 10:00 to 14:00. The city says it runs longer than in past years. Status: Confirmed 2026
- Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Reiterlesmarkt: to 23 December 2026, Sunday to Thursday 11:00 to 19:00, Friday and Saturday 11:00 to 20:00. Closed 22 November. Status: Confirmed 2026
- Aachen, Weihnachtsmarkt: to 23 December 2026, daily 11:00 to 21:00. On 22 November it opens only 18:00 to 21:00. Status: Confirmed 2026
- Trier, Weihnachtsmarkt: to 22 December 2026, closed 22 November. Free entry. Status: Confirmed 2026
- Graz, Grazer Advent: to 23 December 2026, daily 11:00 to 22:00, with 11:00 to 14:00 on 24 December at the main sites. Status: Confirmed 2026
- Bruges, Winter Glow with Christmas markets: the city says the Winter Glow programme starts 20 November 2026. Markets are reported to run to 3 January 2027. Market hours are not published. Status: Provisional
- Warsaw, Plac Defilad (new venue): to 6 January 2027. 24 December 10:00 to 16:00, 25 and 26 December 12:00 to 21:00. Free. The Old Town Barbakan market is not announced (2025: 21 November 2025 to 6 January 2026). Status: Confirmed 2026
- Wrocław, Rynek and Plac Solny: to 7 January 2027, daily 10:00 to 21:00. Closed 24 and 25 December, opens 13:00 on 26 December, closed 1 January. Status: Confirmed 2026
- Gdańsk, Targ Węglowy: to 23 December 2026, Sunday to Thursday 12:00 to 20:00, Friday and Saturday 12:00 to 21:00. Status: Confirmed 2026
- Tallinn, Town Hall Square: to 6 January 2027, daily 10:00 to 20:00, official opening 18:00 on 20 November. No Christmas closure is stated. Status: Confirmed 2026
- Trento, Piazza Fiera and Piazza Mostra: to 6 January 2027, daily 10:00 to 20:00. 24 December 10:00 to 18:00, 25 December 16:00 to 20:00, 26 December 10:00 to 20:00. Single source, recheck. Status: Confirmed 2026
22 November
- Stockholm, Stortorget (Gamla Stan): to 23 December 2026. Status: Confirmed 2026
23 November
- Münster, Rathaus, Kiepenkerl, Aegidii and X-MS: to 23 December 2026. Lamberti and Giebelhüüskesmarkt end 22 December. Status: Confirmed 2026
- Regensburg, Christkindlmarkt (Neupfarrplatz): to 23 December 2026. Dates come from the city's tender document, hours not stated. Status: Confirmed 2026
- Frankfurt, Römerberg: to 22 December 2026, Monday to Saturday 10:00 to 21:00, Sunday 11:00 to 21:00. Free. Status: Confirmed 2026
- Heidelberg, Weihnachtsmarkt: to 22 December 2026. Hours not stated. Status: Confirmed 2026
- Berlin, WeihnachtsZauber Gendarmenmarkt: to 31 December 2026. Entry €2, free for under 12s and Monday to Friday 12:00 to 14:00 (not 24, 25, 26 or 31 December). 24 December 12:00 to 18:00. Charlottenburg Palace runs to 27 December, Rotes Rathaus to 3 January 2027. Use the English visitBerlin page, the German one still shows 2025. Status: Confirmed 2026
- Colmar, Marché de Noël: to 29 December 2026. Christmas hours not stated. Status: Confirmed 2026 (dates only)
- Bremen, Weihnachtsmarkt: to 23 December 2026, per the organiser. Status: Confirmed 2026
24 November
- Leipzig, Weihnachtsmarkt: to 23 December 2026, daily 11:00 to 21:00, Friday and Saturday to 22:00. On 23 December only selected stands open, until 20:00. Status: Confirmed 2026
- Bamberg, Maximiliansplatz: to 23 December 2026, 09:30 to 20:00. Status: Confirmed 2026
25 November
- Dresden, Striezelmarkt: to 24 December 2026, daily 10:00 to 21:00 (opening day 16:00 to 21:00), 24 December 10:00 to 14:00. Status: Confirmed 2026
- Stuttgart, Weihnachtsmarkt: to 23 December 2026. Hours not stated. Status: Confirmed 2026
26 November
- Basel, Barfüsserplatz, Münsterplatz and Claraplatz: to 23 December 2026, daily 11:00 to 20:30. Free. Status: Confirmed 2026
27 November
- Nuremberg, Christkindlesmarkt: to 24 December 2026, daily 10:00 to 21:00, 24 December 10:00 to 14:00. Status: Confirmed 2026
- Brussels, Winter Wonders: to 3 January 2027, daily 12:00 to 22:00, 24 December until 18:00. Status: Confirmed 2026
- Kraków, Main Square: to 6 January 2027, 10:00 to 20:00. Free. The organiser's own site says the end may be 3 or 6 January. Hours on 24 to 26 December not stated. Status: Confirmed 2026
- Bratislava, Hlavné námestie and others: to 3 January 2027. Christmas hours not stated (2025: closed 24 and 25 December). Status: Confirmed 2026 (dates only)
- Ljubljana, Festive December: to 15 January 2027. These are the festival's dates, and the stall village may be shorter. Free. Status: Confirmed 2026
- Helsinki, Tuomaan Markkinat: to 22 December 2026, Monday to Thursday and Sunday 11:00 to 19:00, Friday and Saturday 11:00 to 20:00. Status: Confirmed 2026
- Bolzano, Christkindlmarkt (Piazza Walther): to 6 January 2027. The opening ceremony is 26 November. Christmas hours not retrieved. Status: Confirmed 2026 (dates only)
28 November
- Prague, Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square: to 6 January 2027, daily 10:00 to 22:00. One listing gives 24 December 10:00 to 14:00 and 25 and 26 December 12:00 to 22:00. Náměstí Míru runs 20 November to 24 December, Náměstí Republiky 25 November to 24 December, Tylovo náměstí 26 November to 24 December. Free. Status: Confirmed 2026
- Zagreb, Advent Zagreb (about 25 sites): to 7 January 2027. Christmas hours not stated. Status: Confirmed 2026
- Vilnius, Cathedral Square: to 27 December 2026. Open over Christmas, hours not stated. Status: Confirmed 2026
📅 December only markets
None. Every one of the 49 dated markets opens by 28 November. Any December opening would come from the cities below with no 2026 date, most likely Rome, where Piazza Navona ran to 6 January last year and opened on 1 December in 2025.
⏳ Not yet announced
Eight cities. Last year's dates are shown for reference only and are not 2026.
- Hamburg, Rathausmarkt: no 2026 date on the official pages read. Recheck hamburg.de in October
- Strasbourg, Christkindelsmärik: the city site says official dates will be published once validated. 2025 ran 26 November to 24 December 2025
- Budapest, Basilica and Vörösmarty tér: both organiser sites still show 2025. The Basilica market ran 14 November 2025 to 1 January 2026, and Vörösmarty opened 14 November 2025. In 2025 press reports of the dates started on 22 October
- Riga, Dome Square: 2025 ran 28 November 2025 to 4 January 2026. No 2026 date yet
- Rome, Piazza Navona: the 2025 edition ran "until 6 January". No 2026 date published
- Verona: no official page with a 2026 date found
- Barcelona, Fira de Santa Llúcia: no official page with a 2026 date reachable
- Naples, San Gregorio Armeno: local press reports the nativity fair opening on 1 November 2026, but no city page confirms it and no end date exists. If it holds, it would be the earliest opening of all. The workshops trade all year
🎄 Markets that run past Christmas Day
Worked out from the bullets above. Vienna's what stays open has the detail for Austria.
Open on 25 December, a page says so
- Salzburg 11:00 to 18:00
- Warsaw 12:00 to 21:00
- Trento 16:00 to 20:00
- Prague Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square 12:00 to 22:00 (one listing, recheck)
- Tallinn, Vienna Rathausplatz, Brussels and Vilnius are listed as running through it, with no separate 25 December hours
Closed on 25 December, back on 26 December
- Düsseldorf (26 December 14:00 to 21:00, to 30 December)
- London Winter Wonderland (to 3 January 2027)
- Wrocław (26 December from 13:00, to 7 January)
- Gothenburg Liseberg (26 to 30 December)
- Cologne Heinzel Heumarkt (to 10 January, closed 24 and 25 December). The Cologne cathedral market has already closed on 23 December
Season continues past 26 December, 25 December not stated
- Berlin Gendarmenmarkt (31 December), Colmar (29 December), Innsbruck Maria-Theresien-Strasse (6 January)
- Kraków, Bratislava, Bolzano, Sibiu, Valkenburg, Copenhagen Tivoli, Zagreb, Ljubljana
- Edinburgh's Christmas (festival to 3 January, market days unstated) and Manchester's Albert Square and Cathedral Gardens (Provisional)
- Bruges (reported, to 3 January) and Cologne harbour market (to 3 January)
Ends on 26 or 27 December: Vienna Rathausplatz and Stephansplatz (26 December), Vilnius (27 December), Berlin Charlottenburg (27 December).
🎅 Markets that close on or before Christmas Eve
Computed from the main market in each city, 24 in all. Some have a smaller market that keeps going, as noted above.
Closing on 24 December (short day)
- Nuremberg, Dresden and Munich, all 10:00 to 14:00
Closing on 23 December
- Cologne cathedral, Rothenburg, Leipzig (selected stands only), Stuttgart, Münster, Aachen, Bamberg, Regensburg and Bremen
- Innsbruck Altstadt, Basel, Zurich, Gdańsk, Stockholm and Brno (most sites)
- Graz, with a short 24 December at the main sites, so treat it as 23 or 24 December
Closing on 22 December
- Frankfurt, Heidelberg, Trier and Helsinki
Closing on 20 December
- Florence, Piazza Santa Croce
Prague's Náměstí Míru, Náměstí Republiky and Tylovo náměstí also close on 24 December. Only Prague's two big squares carry on.
🧭 Plan your trip
- Cash, mugs and deposits: do European Christmas markets take card?
- Layers, gloves and shoes: what to wear at a European Christmas market
- Prices and crowds: are Christmas markets worth it?
- Two cities, one winner: Vienna or Prague for Christmas markets
- Several cities in one trip: Advent weekends in Europe
- Which country: Germany, Austria or Central Europe?
❓ FAQ
When do Christmas markets open in 2026?
Between 6 and 28 November for the 49 cities with confirmed or provisional dates. The earliest are Manchester and two Vienna markets on 6 November. Most German markets open from 16 to 27 November, and Prague and Zagreb open on 28 November.
Which Christmas markets are open on Christmas Day?
Salzburg, Warsaw, Trento and Prague's two big squares state 25 December hours. Vienna Rathausplatz, Brussels, Tallinn and Vilnius run through it. Most German markets are closed, and none of the 14 cities in the German dates list is open on 25 December.
Which Christmas markets close before Christmas?
The main market in 24 cities closes on or before 24 December, including Cologne, Frankfurt, Leipzig, Stuttgart, Basel, Stockholm and Helsinki. Nuremberg, Dresden and Munich close on 24 December at 14:00.
How reliable are these dates?
"Confirmed 2026" means an official page showed 2026 dates on 30 September. Hours and Christmas Day openings are the facts most likely to change, so check the organiser's page in the week you travel.
✅ Before you go
- Check each market's own page for hours, especially 22 November (Totensonntag), 24 December and 25 December
- Cities with no 2026 date yet are worth rechecking in late October and again in early November
- Read the sibling guides above for cash, clothing and routes
- Ciceru has self-guided walks in several of these cities, for example the Vienna Christmas markets walk from Rathausplatz: €7, 2 hours, 4 km, 8 stops, a story and a quiz question at each, plus a free 500 MB global eSIM
