Christmas in Copenhagen 2026: what is open on 24, 25 and 26 December.

Book for Christmas: Tivoli entry for 25 or 26 December (Tiqets, affiliate link) or Tivoli Christmas entry on GetYourGuide (affiliate link) · Scandic Palace Hotel on City Hall Square, a few steps from Tivoli (Booking.com, affiliate link) · Christmas Weekend 2026 PDF, €4.97 (≈ US$5.58), launch price until 31 December 2026.

Opening hours were checked on 28 October 2026 against Copenhagen Visitor Service's Christmas and New Year opening-hours list for 2026, Tivoli's own pages, the Danish shop-hours rules and the sources at the foot of this page. Hours can change, so check the venue's own website before you go. Prices are "from" prices and change; conversions use US$1 ≈ DKK 6.65 (ECB reference rate, 21 October 2026).

How Danes celebrate Christmas

For most Danes, Christmas is three quiet days with family. 24 December, juleaften, is the main event. Many families go to church in the afternoon, then sit down in the evening to roast duck or pork with crackling, caramelised potatoes and red cabbage, followed by risalamande, a cold rice pudding with cherry sauce and one whole almond hidden in the bowl. Whoever finds the almond wins a small present. After dinner, families hold hands and walk around the Christmas tree singing carols, and only then open their presents.

25 and 26 December (første and anden juledag) are public holidays for long lunches, family visits and walks. The weeks before are the season of the julefrokost, the long Christmas lunch with herring, schnapps and friends, and of mulled gløgg with æbleskiver at the markets.

What this means for you: the city is calm, beautiful and lit up, but it is not a shopping weekend. Plan the 24th around a few open sights and a booked dinner, and save museums for the 26th.

What is open and closed, 23 to 26 December 2026

This is the short version. The day-by-day details follow below.

From 27 to 30 December, Copenhagen Visitor Service expects normal opening hours unless a venue says otherwise, and several museums that usually close on Mondays open on Monday 28 December. For 31 December and 1 January, see our New Year's Eve in Copenhagen guide.

Tivoli at Christmas 2026

Christmas in Tivoli runs from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, and it is the one Christmas market you can count on over the holidays. Tivoli is closed on 24 December. It is open on 23 December, and on 25 and 26 December from 11:00 to 23:00, with a Christmas fireworks show at 20:45 on both evenings, free with your entrance ticket. Tivoli says the best views are from the lawn in front of the Open-Air Stage, by the Glass Hall Theatre entrance or in front of Nimb, and that fireworks can be cancelled in poor visibility or bad weather. The light show on the Nimb fountains runs daily from 16:30, with short pauses around the fireworks.

Entry is priced by date, from DKK 200 (about US$30) for ages 8 and over; rides cost extra. Christmas Day and Boxing Day are busy, so buy your ticket for the date in advance. Our Tivoli Gardens guide covers tickets, ride passes and what to see.

Check Tivoli entry tickets for 25 or 26 December (Tiqets) →

Shops and supermarkets over Christmas

Denmark's shop-hours law closes larger shops all day on 24, 25 and 26 December (and after 15:00 on 31 December). That includes department stores and the big supermarkets. In 2025, Salling Group said its Bilka hypermarkets and most Føtex stores stayed closed from 24 to 26 December and reopened on 27 December.

Some shops may still open:

• Smaller supermarkets under a turnover limit. In 2025, 290 Netto stores were open on 24 December until 15:00 and on 25 and 26 December, and 63 Lidl stores were open on 24 December from 8:00 to 15:00. Each chain publishes its holiday-open stores in December, so check its store finder for 2026.
• Bakeries, many of which open on the morning of the 24th for fresh bread.
• Shops at the airport and at railway stations, which the law allows to open on holidays, plus convenience kiosks.

Our tip: do your main shopping by 23 December, buy breakfast things and snacks for your room. Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere.

Metro, trains and the airport

The Copenhagen Metro runs every day and night of the year, Christmas included, so the M2 line between the airport and Kongens Nytorv keeps running on 24, 25 and 26 December. A 3-zone ticket from the airport costs from DKK 30 (about US$4.50).

Regional trains and S-trains also run over Christmas, but DSB had not published its Christmas 2026 timetables when we checked on 28 October 2026, and a new timetable starts in December. Look up your exact train on Rejseplanen or in the DSB app a few days before you travel, especially in the evening of the 24th, when services are lighter.

Copenhagen Airport stays open over Christmas, and its shops may open on the holidays. Flying home to the US or the UK? Both are outside the Schengen area, and Copenhagen Airport advises arriving 3 hours before a non-Schengen departure. Landing on the 24th with bags or children? A pre-booked driver who meets you in arrivals at a fixed price is one less thing to sort out on a quiet evening. Everything else is in our Copenhagen Airport guide.

Price a fixed-fare airport transfer for Christmas (Welcome Pickups) →

Museums and sights: what opens when

Copenhagen Visitor Service, run by the City of Copenhagen, publishes the Christmas opening hours each year. This is its list for 2026, checked on 28 October. Anything not listed for a day should be treated as closed that day.

Christmas Eve, 24 December

• Den Blå Planet, National Aquarium Denmark: 10:00–14:00
• Copenhagen Zoo: check zoo.dk (the Visitor Service list gives 10:00–16:00 in English and 10:00–14:00 in Danish)
• Experimentarium (science centre, Hellerup): 9:30–14:00
• Frederiksborg Castle (Hillerød): 10:00–15:00
• Frilandsmuseet, the Open Air Museum: 10:00–14:00
• Museum of Illusions: 10:00–15:00
• Viking Ship Museum (Roskilde): 10:00–16:00
• Canal tours (Stromma and Nettobådene), the hop-on hop-off buses, IKONO and MACA: open

Christmas Day, 25 December

• Tivoli: 11:00–23:00
• Den Blå Planet: 10:00–17:00
• Copenhagen Zoo: 10:00–16:00
• Experimentarium: 9:30–17:00
• Home of Carlsberg: 10:00–18:00
• MACA: 10:00–18:00
• Frederiksborg Castle: 10:00–15:00; Frilandsmuseet: 10:00–14:00
• Roskilde Cathedral and the Viking Ship Museum: 10:00–16:00
• Canal tours, the hop-on hop-off buses, IKONO and the Museum of Illusions: open

Boxing Day, 26 December

• National Museum of Denmark: 10:00–17:00
• SMK, the National Gallery of Denmark: 10:00–18:00
• Rosenborg Castle: 10:00–16:00; Amalienborg: 10:00–16:00; Christiansborg Palace: 13:00–16:00
• The Round Tower (Rundetaarn): 10:00–18:00; the tower of the Church of Our Saviour: 9:00–19:00
• Davids Samling, Thorvaldsens Museum and the Museum of Danish Resistance: 10:00–17:00
• Louisiana Museum of Modern Art: 11:00–18:00; ARKEN: 10:00–17:00; Kronborg Castle: 10:00–16:00
• Tivoli: 11:00–23:00; Den Blå Planet: 10:00–17:00; the zoo: 10:00–16:00; Home of Carlsberg: 10:00–18:00

Closed over Christmas: the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek is closed from 23 to 26 December, and Designmuseum Danmark is closed from 22 to 26 December (its own Christmas hours page, checked 28 October 2026). The National Museum, SMK, Rosenborg and the Round Tower are not on the open lists for 24 and 25 December, so expect them to be closed and plan them for the 26th or later.

A canal tour is one of the easiest things to do on Christmas Eve morning: the boats are on the open list, the city is quiet, and you see it from the water.

Check canal tour times over Christmas (Tiqets) →

Christmas markets: which are still open?

Most of the free square markets end before Christmas: the Nytorv & Gammeltorv market on 21 December, and the Højbro Plads and Rådhuspladsen markets on 20 December. Tivoli's Christmas market is the one that keeps going over the holidays (closed on the 24th). The dates for each market are in our Copenhagen Christmas markets guide, and the rest of the month is in Copenhagen in December.

Restaurants and Christmas menus

Many restaurants close on 24 December, and the ones that stay open serve a set Christmas menu and fill up early. These had published Christmas Eve 2026 menus when we checked on 28 October 2026:

• Copenhagen Pier at the Copenhagen Marriott (Kalvebod Brygge): a Danish Christmas buffet by the water, 17:30–22:00, from DKK 795 (about US$120) a person.
• Restaurant Kareten: a Christmas Eve menu, from DKK 899 (about US$135) a person.
• Restaurant PUK (Vandkunsten): a traditional Danish Christmas Eve menu with seatings from 17:00.
• Restaurant Vita (Store Kongensgade): Christmas duck in the restaurant in three seatings from 16:00, or to take away.
• Nimb Brasserie (Tivoli): a Christmas Eve dinner with arrival from 18:00, from DKK 2,600 (about US$391) a person. On 25 and 26 December, Nimb serves a four-course Christmas dinner from DKK 850 (about US$128).

Book as soon as your dates are fixed, and check what is included. On 25 and 26 December more restaurants open, but many still run shorter hours, so book those evenings too. Hotel restaurants are the safest fallback on the 24th. For how far ahead to book in general, see our Copenhagen restaurant reservations guide.

Churches and carol services in English

St Alban's Church, the Anglican church in Churchillparken, next to Kastellet and a short walk from the Little Mermaid, holds its services in English. In 2025 it held two services of Nine Lessons and Carols in early December, a Christingle service at 13:00 and Midnight Mass at 23:00 on Christmas Eve, and a Christmas Day service at 10:30. Its Christmas 2026 times had not been published when we checked its calendar on 28 October 2026, so look at st-albans.dk from November. The carol services are free and do not need tickets; arrive early for a seat.

Danish churches are full on the afternoon of 24 December, when many families go to a service before dinner. Copenhagen Cathedral (Vor Frue Kirke) holds several services that afternoon and a late one in the evening, in Danish; the carols are lovely even if you do not follow the words. Check the times on domkirken.dk nearer the date and arrive in good time.

Where to stay for Christmas

Stay central so that you can walk on the quiet days. Vesterbro, by Tivoli and Central Station, puts you next to the one place that is open in the evening on the 25th and 26th, with trains to the airport and day trips on your doorstep. Indre By, around Kongens Nytorv and Nyhavn, is direct on the M2 metro from the airport and close to the cathedral and St Alban's. Choose a hotel with its own restaurant if you have not booked Christmas Eve dinner, and check the cancellation terms for the holiday nights. The neighbourhoods are compared in where to stay in Copenhagen, and if you are coming earlier in December for the markets, see where to stay for the Christmas markets.

A three-day Christmas plan, 24 to 26 December

This plan assumes you arrive by 23 December, which we recommend: it gives you one normal day for shopping, Tivoli and the last of the city's buzz.

Christmas Eve, Thursday 24 December

• Morning: a canal tour, then Den Blå Planet (open 10:00–14:00) or the zoo (check zoo.dk for its Christmas Eve hours). Pick up pastries from a bakery on the way.
• Afternoon: a walk through the quiet, lit-up streets of Indre By and along Nyhavn, then a Christmas service: Danish at the cathedral in the afternoon, or English at St Alban's if its 2026 times follow last year's.
• Evening: your booked Christmas Eve dinner. Rest early, or go to Midnight Mass.

Christmas Day, Friday 25 December

• Morning: Home of Carlsberg (from 10:00) or Experimentarium if you travel with children; or a train trip to Frederiksborg Castle (10:00–15:00).
• Afternoon and evening: Tivoli from 11:00, with the Nimb light show after 16:30 and the Christmas fireworks at 20:45. Have dinner in the Gardens or nearby, and book it.

Boxing Day, Saturday 26 December

• Morning: Rosenborg Castle and the crown jewels (10:00–16:00), then the King's Garden next door.
• Afternoon: the National Museum or SMK, or climb the Round Tower (10:00–18:00) for the view. If you would rather leave the city, Louisiana (11:00–18:00) and Kronborg (10:00–16:00) are both open and easy by train.
• Evening: back to Tivoli for the second fireworks show at 20:45, or a relaxed dinner.

Want the market weekend before Christmas planned in walking order? Our Copenhagen Christmas Weekend 2026 PDF (€4.97, about US$5.58) is a Friday-to-Sunday plan with every price in DKK and US$. It has a launch price until 31 December 2026, then €10 (about US$11.23).

A guided walk is a good way to start a Christmas trip on the 23rd, with Danish Christmas food and the stories behind it.

Check dates for the Danish Christmas food walk (GetYourGuide) →

Practical tips for Christmas in Copenhagen

• Book three things early: your hotel, Christmas Eve dinner and Tivoli tickets for the 25th or 26th.
• Arrive by the 23rd if you can. Landing on the evening of the 24th means a quiet city and few places to eat.
• Stock up on 23 December: water, breakfast, snacks and anything from a pharmacy.
• Dress for wet cold. Expect around 2–3°C, wind and drizzle rather than snow, and only about 7 hours of daylight; sunset is around 15:40.
• Check every opening time again in the week before. The lists above are the published plan, and venues can change their hours.
• Learn one phrase: glædelig jul means merry Christmas.

Your next step

Fix your dates, then book a central hotel with free cancellation, your Christmas Eve table and Tivoli for the 25th or 26th. If you are staying on into the new year, our New Year's Eve guide covers the fireworks and what is open on 1 January, and our Copenhagen in 5 Days PDF (€9.97, about US$11.20) plans a longer stay day by day.

Quick answers

Is anything open in Copenhagen on Christmas Day?

Yes, more than most visitors expect. On 25 December 2026, Copenhagen Visitor Service lists Tivoli (11:00–23:00), Den Blå Planet aquarium (10:00–17:00), Experimentarium (9:30–17:00), Home of Carlsberg (10:00–18:00), Copenhagen Zoo (10:00–16:00), Frederiksborg Castle (10:00–15:00), the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde (10:00–16:00), canal tours and the hop-on hop-off buses as open. Most shops, and big museums such as the National Museum, SMK and Rosenborg Castle, are closed until 26 December. Check each website before you go.

Is Tivoli open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2026?

Tivoli is closed on Christmas Eve, Thursday 24 December 2026. It is open 11:00–23:00 on 25 and 26 December, with a Christmas fireworks show at 20:45 on both evenings, free with an entrance ticket. Christmas in Tivoli runs from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, and entry is priced by date, from DKK 200 (about US$30).

Are shops and supermarkets open on 24 December in Denmark?

Most are not. Danish law closes larger shops all day on Christmas Eve (24 December), Christmas Day and Boxing Day (25 and 26 December). Smaller supermarkets under a turnover limit, bakeries and shops at the airport and railway stations may open, and in 2025 hundreds of Netto stores and dozens of Lidl stores were open on the morning of 24 December until about 15:00. The 2026 store lists are published in December, so do your main shopping by 23 December.

Does the metro run on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Copenhagen?

Yes. The Copenhagen Metro runs every day and night of the year, including 24, 25 and 26 December, so the M2 line to the airport keeps running. Regional trains and S-trains also run, but DSB had not published its Christmas 2026 timetables when we checked in October, so look up your train on Rejseplanen a few days before.

Is there an English Christmas service in Copenhagen?

Yes. St Alban's Church, the Anglican church next to Kastellet, a short walk from the Little Mermaid, holds its services in English. In 2025 it held a Christingle service and Midnight Mass on 24 December, a Christmas Day service on 25 December and two Nine Lessons and Carols services in early December. Its 2026 Christmas times had not been published when we checked on 28 October 2026, so see st-albans.dk in November.

Which restaurants are open on Christmas Eve in Copenhagen?

Fewer than usual, and they book up. For 24 December 2026, Nimb Brasserie in Tivoli, Copenhagen Pier at the Copenhagen Marriott, Restaurant Kareten, Restaurant PUK and Restaurant Vita had all published Christmas Eve menus when we checked, from about DKK 795 (about US$120) a person. Book weeks ahead. On 25 and 26 December more places open, including Nimb's Christmas dinners from DKK 850 (≈ US$128).

Sources, checked 28 October 2026: opening hours for 24, 25, 26 and 28 December 2026 from Copenhagen Visitor Service (City of Copenhagen); Christmas season dates and fireworks from Tivoli, Tivoli's Christmas fireworks page and Tivoli's Christmas animation page; Tivoli entry from Tivoli's ticket shop; Glyptotek closures from the Glyptotek; shop-hours rules from the Danish shop-hours act (lukkeloven § 2) and De Samvirkende Købmænd's 2026 summary; 2025 supermarket hours as reported by B.T.; metro hours from Metroselskabet; trains from DSB; airport advice from cph.dk; services from St Alban's Church and Copenhagen Cathedral; Christmas menus from Copenhagen Pier, Kareten, PUK, Vita and Nimb; exchange rate from the ECB.

Glædelig jul from Team Nord Guide, nord-guide.com.

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