Copenhagen Christmas markets 2026: dates, free vs paid

2026 Christmas markets at a glance

Our tip: walk the free squares in the late afternoon, then spend the evening in Tivoli once the lights are on. Book a central bed early — see stays in Indre By. Dates checked against the organisers, October 2026.

Tivoli is the one Christmas market with an entry ticket. Compare Tivoli entry tickets on Tiqets (affiliate link) and choose your evening. Affiliate link: NordGuide may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Disclosure.

The four markets, and how confident we are in each

All four main markets now have confirmed 2026 dates, and Christiania's indoor market (8–20 December) is confirmed on its organiser's own site. Rådhuspladsen is the newest confirmation: the organiser told us on 27 October 2026 that it runs 11 to 20 December. Only its daily hours are still unpublished.

Tivoli — the one worth paying for

Tivoli doesn't just add a few stalls for December — it redresses the entire garden, and that's the actual product you're paying for. From 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, the paths are strung with lights, a market runs inside the grounds alongside the food stalls, and the standard rides keep operating through the cold — the roller coaster against a dark, lit-up December sky is a genuinely different ride than the same one in July sun. It closes for the day on 24 December itself, so don't plan your one shot at it for Christmas Eve.

The trade-off is straightforward: you're paying admission for scale and atmosphere that the free squares don't offer. If your December trip has one Copenhagen evening to spend on this, spend it here.

Nytorv & Gammeltorv — free, central, the longest run

Two minutes off Strøget, behind the courthouse, this fairy-tale-themed market (an actor plays Hans Christian Andersen among the stalls) runs 6 November to 21 December — six and a half weeks, longer than any of the other free markets. It's free to enter, and so is the ice rink, including skate rental. Opening hours, per the organiser's own site (checked October 2026): Monday to Wednesday 11:00–20:00, Thursday 11:00–21:00, Friday and Saturday 11:00–22:00, and Sunday 12:00–19:00.

This is currently the market we'd point you to if you wanted the classic wooden-hut, gløgg-and-crafts experience with a confirmed date range you can actually plan against.

Højbro Plads: same square, new market — and where the old one went

Højbro Plads — the small square between Strøget and the canal, a five-minute walk from Nyhavn — was for years the market most travel guides named first. Two separate things happened for 2026. The operator that ran it before announced on its own site that its market will not take place on Højbro Plads in 2026 and is moving to Rådhuspladsen (City Hall Square). Separately, a new organiser has taken over the square and runs its own Christmas market there from 14 November to 20 December 2026. So the square isn't dark this year; it's a different market.

An earlier version of this page said Højbro Plads was cancelled. That was based on the former operator's notice alone, and we've corrected it. For Rådhuspladsen, the organiser confirmed to us on 27 October 2026 that the market runs from Friday 11 December to Sunday 20 December 2026, ten days in all. The daily hours are not published yet. If Rådhuspladsen is the reason for your trip, check the hours closer to your travel — we'll update this page once they're published.

The part nobody puts in the market list: it's dark by mid-afternoon

Copenhagen in December loses light early — sunset lands around mid-afternoon — which sounds grim on paper and is, in practice, the reason these markets work as well as they do. The gløgg stalls aren't competing with daylight; they're lit for it. Plan your market visit for late afternoon into evening rather than a lunchtime stop, and dress for standing outside in near-freezing temperatures with a hot drink in your hand — wool layers, not a city-break coat. The markets are outdoor and unheated by design; the cold is the point, not a flaw to route around.

Coming in November? See Copenhagen in November 2026 for sunset times, what is open now that Tivoli reopened on 13 November, and a 3-day plan. Coming in December? Copenhagen in December 2026 covers Lucia on 13 December, what's open 24–26 December and New Year's Eve. Staying for Christmas itself? See Christmas in Copenhagen 2026 for what is open on 24, 25 and 26 December and a three-day plan. For Tivoli ticket and Ride Pass prices, see our Tivoli Gardens guide.

Quick answers

Plan your December trip

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