Copenhagen in December 2026: weather, Christmas and New Year

December 2026 at a glance

Date (2026)	What	Good to know
All month	Christmas in Tivoli	Runs 13 November to 3 January 2027. Closed 24 December.
From Fri 4 Dec	Frederiksberg Christmas market	One of several neighbourhood markets that start in early December.
From Sat 5 Dec	Christmas market at Kronborg Castle, Helsingør	Runs on selected days in December; an easy train day trip.
From Fri 11 Dec	Rådhuspladsen Christmas market opens	Runs 11 to 20 December, confirmed by the organiser in October 2026. Free.
Sun 13 Dec	Lucia, with the kayak parade on the canals	Kayaks leave Kayak Bar on Børskaj at 17:00 and sing their way past Nyhavn, Christianshavn, BLOX and Højbro Plads.
Sun 20 Dec	Last day of the Højbro Plads market	Nytorv & Gammeltorv follows on Monday 21 December.
Mon 21 Dec	Shortest day of the year	About 7 hours of daylight, sunrise about 08:37, sunset about 15:37.
Thu 24 Dec	Christmas Eve, the main Danish celebration	Tivoli and many attractions close; larger shops stay closed all day.
Fri 25 – Sat 26 Dec	Christmas Day and Boxing Day (public holidays)	Rosenborg reopens on the 26th; the Glyptotek stays closed until the 27th.
Wed 30 Dec	Free day at the Glyptotek; last day of the Kongens Nytorv rink (reported)	The Glyptotek is free for everyone on the last Wednesday of each month.
Thu 31 Dec	New Year's Eve	Countdown and fireworks on Rådhuspladsen at midnight; Tivoli open 11:00–24:00 with fireworks at 23:00.

Dates for the Frederiksberg, Kronborg and other area markets come from Copenhagen Visitor Service's Christmas calendar. For every market in the city centre, see Copenhagen Christmas markets 2026.

December weather and daylight

Copenhagen in December is cold, damp and dark more often than it is snowy. DMI's 1981–2010 climate normals for the city give a December mean temperature of 2.5°C, about 57 mm of precipitation over the month and only around 41 hours of sunshine in total, the least of any month of the year. A white Christmas is possible but far from guaranteed; plan for grey skies, drizzle and wind off the water that make 2°C feel colder.

Light is the real constraint. The sun rises after 08:00 and sets before 15:50 all month. Plan sightseeing for the morning and use our list of things to do in Copenhagen at night for the evenings.

Date (2026)	Sunrise	Sunset	Daylight
1 December	08:14	15:42	7 h 27 min
15 December	08:33	15:36	7 h 3 min
21 December	08:37	15:37	7 h 0 min
31 December	08:39	15:46	7 h 6 min

Times calculated for central Copenhagen; allow a minute either way.

In practice: see the outdoor sights, the Changing of the Guard at Amalienborg (12:00) and anything you want to photograph between about 10:00 and 15:00, then spend the evening at the markets, the rinks and Tivoli, which only look their best after dark anyway.

What to pack

• A warm, waterproof coat with a hood. Wind by the harbour makes umbrellas more trouble than they're worth.
• Thermal or wool layers. You'll stand still outdoors at markets and rinks, then walk into overheated cafés.
• Hat, gloves and a scarf, ideally gloves that work with a phone, since nearly everything is paid by card.
• Waterproof shoes with grip for wet or icy cobbles.
• Safety glasses if you'll be out on New Year's Eve; supermarkets sell them before the 31st.
• Swimwear for a harbour sauna (see our sauna notes in the November guide).

Christmas in Copenhagen: Tivoli, markets and rinks

Christmas in Tivoli

Tivoli's Christmas season runs from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 and is open every day of December except 24 December. Entry is from DKK 200 (about US$30) for everyone aged 8 and over, and costs more on the busiest days. Rides cost extra, from DKK 199 (about US$30). December weekends are the most crowded days of the season, so a weekday late afternoon is the sweet spot: you see the gardens in the last daylight and then lit up. The Copenhagen Card covers Tivoli entry but not rides; our Copenhagen Card calculator shows whether it pays for your days.

Tivoli Gardens entry tickets on GetYourGuide →

You can also compare Tivoli entry on Tiqets (affiliate link) and pick the date that suits your plans.

Affiliate link: if you book through Tiqets, NordGuide may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. See our affiliate disclosure.

Christmas markets: what's still open in December

Market	Last day in 2026	Status
Højbro Plads (new market)	Sun 20 Dec · Mon–Wed 11–19, Thu 11–20, Fri–Sat 11–21, Sun 12–19	Confirmed by the organiser. Free.
Nytorv & Gammeltorv	Mon 21 Dec	Confirmed by the organiser. Free, with a free ice rink.
Rådhuspladsen	11 Dec – 20 Dec	Confirmed by the organiser; daily hours not yet published.
Nyhavn	Not announced (2025: 28 Dec)	Typically one of the last to close.
Tivoli	3 Jan 2027 (closed 24 Dec)	Confirmed by Tivoli. Paid entry.

So if you're coming between Christmas and New Year, Tivoli is the one market you can count on. Our Christmas markets guide compares them in detail, including the Højbro Plads and Rådhuspladsen switch.

Ice skating

The rink around the equestrian statue on Kongens Nytorv is reported to run until 30 December 2026, daily 10:00–21:00 (its organiser had not published 2026 details when we checked on 25 October, so confirm before you go); DKK 75 (≈ US$11) is reported to get you 55 minutes on the ice including skate rental, in booked time slots. The rink at the Nytorv & Gammeltorv market is free, skates included, until the market closes on 21 December. Broens Skøjtebane on Strandgade in Christianshavn, across the bridge from Nyhavn, is open daily through its winter season.

Christmas outside the centre

• Kronborg Castle, Helsingør: a Christmas market in Hamlet's castle from Saturday 5 December on selected days. See our Kronborg day trip for trains and tickets.
• The Open Air Museum (Frilandsmuseet), Lyngby: old farmhouses decorated for an old-fashioned Danish Christmas on selected days from 28 November.
• Bakken, Klampenborg: the world's oldest amusement park opens for Christmas on weekends in the run-up to Christmas; check Bakken's site for 2026 days.

More ideas in day trips from Copenhagen.

Lucia: Sunday 13 December

Santa Lucia day, 13 December, is when Danish schools and churches hold candle-lit processions of white-robed singers. Copenhagen's own version is on the water: since 2006 a Lucia kayak parade has grown from twelve kayaks to more than 500, each decorated with lights, led by a canal boat with a live choir. In 2026 it falls on Sunday 13 December.

• 16:45: the choir starts singing from the boat at Kayak Bar, Børskaj 12.
• 17:00: the parade sets off, with singing stops at Nyhavn, Christianshavn, BLOX and Højbro Plads.
• About 18:45: the parade finishes back at Kayak Bar, with gløgg and soup for sale.

Watching from the quays and bridges is free; get to Nyhavn or the bridges early, as thousands come. Stromma also runs special Lucia canal cruises from Ofelia Plads on covered, heated boats that follow the parade, which need a ticket. To paddle in the parade you need your own kayak; VisitCopenhagen notes that rental kayaks for the parade are booked out.

Checked 16 October 2026 on Kayak Republic's Lucia page, VisitCopenhagen and Stromma's Lucia cruise page.

What's open over Christmas (23–26 December)

Danes celebrate Christmas on the evening of 24 December with roast pork or duck, rice pudding (risalamande) and dancing around the tree, so the city goes very quiet from the afternoon of the 24th through the 25th. Under Danish shop-hours law, larger shops stay closed all day on the 24th, and many restaurants close on the 24th and 25th. If you're here, book a Christmas Eve dinner months ahead.

Place	23 Dec	24 Dec	25 Dec	26 Dec
Tivoli Gardens	Open	Closed	Open	Open
Rosenborg Castle	10–16	Closed	Closed	10–16
Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek	Closed	Closed	Closed	Closed

Checked 16 October 2026 on Tivoli, Rosenborg and the Glyptotek. Tivoli's daily hours vary, so check its calendar for your date. Copenhagen Visitor Service has published its list of open attractions and its list of open restaurants for Christmas 2026, so check both for your dates.

Rosenborg is on winter hours (Tuesday–Sunday 10:00–16:00, closed Mondays) until 23 December, then open daily 10:00–16:00 from 26 to 30 December. The Glyptotek reopens on 27 December and is free for everyone on Wednesday 30 December, the last Wednesday of the month, so expect it to be busy.

Spending Christmas here? Our Christmas in Copenhagen 2026 guide lists what is open on 24, 25 and 26 December, from museums and the metro to supermarkets, with Christmas Eve dinners, English carol services and a three-day plan.

New Year's Eve in Copenhagen

New Year's Eve (nytårsaften) is the loudest night of the Danish year. The evening usually starts at home or in a restaurant: many Danes watch the monarch's New Year speech on TV at 18:00, then eat a long dinner finished with kransekage, a tower of almond rings. At midnight people jump off chairs "into" the new year, and fireworks go off all over the city.

• Rådhuspladsen (free): the main public gathering. Thousands count down under the City Hall clock and the sky fills with fireworks at midnight.
• Tivoli (ticket needed): open 11:00–24:00 on 31 December, with its own fireworks at 23:00, best seen from the lawn by the Open Air Stage, the Glass Hall Theatre or Nimb. Tivoli warns the show can be cancelled in poor visibility or extreme weather.
• Earlier in the day: many sights close early. On 31 December the Round Tower is open 10:00–12:00, Rosenborg and Amalienborg 10:00–14:00 and the Glyptotek 10:00–15:00.
• 1 January: a slow day. Tivoli is open 11:00–23:00, Rosenborg 11:00–16:00 and the National Museum 10:00–17:00.

Where to stand at midnight, the fireworks rules, the King's speech, getting home and what's open on New Year's Day are all in our New Year's Eve in Copenhagen 2026 guide.

Staying into January? Tivoli closes after 3 January, so see Copenhagen in winter for harbour saunas, ice rinks and the February Light Festival.

Fireworks are let off in the streets, not just at organised displays, so wear the safety glasses sold in supermarkets, keep children close and avoid the narrowest streets at midnight. Book New Year's Eve dinner early; many restaurants run set menus that fill up weeks ahead.

Hours from Copenhagen Visitor Service's New Year opening hours and Tivoli's fireworks page, checked 16 October 2026. Hours can change, so check on the day.

A 3-day December itinerary

Built for a Friday-to-Sunday trip between 4 and 20 December, when every market is open. Coming after the 21st? Swap the free markets for Tivoli and a museum, and check the Christmas opening table above.

Day 1: harbour, palaces and the first gløgg

Morning: walk Nyhavn while it's quiet, then over the Inderhavnsbroen bridge to Christianshavn and back. Late morning: a one-hour heated canal tour (compare operators in our canal tours guide). 12:00: Changing of the Guard at Amalienborg. Afternoon: Designmuseum Danmark on Bredgade (closed Mondays). From 15:30: skate at Kongens Nytorv as the lights come on, then walk to Højbro Plads and Nytorv & Gammeltorv for gløgg and æbleskiver.

Day 2: castle, food hall and Tivoli after dark

10:00: Rosenborg Castle and the crown jewels (winter hours end at 16:00). Lunch: Torvehallerne by Nørreport. Early afternoon: the Round Tower or the Glyptotek's palm-filled Winter Garden. From about 14:30: into Tivoli for the last daylight, then stay for the lights, a ride or two and dinner inside the gardens.

Day 3: a day trip or a slow Sunday

Option A: the train to Helsingør for the Kronborg Christmas market (selected days from 5 December). Option B: the free David Collection, then a harbour sauna on Refshaleøen. If your Sunday is 13 December, finish on the quays at Nyhavn or Højbro Plads for the Lucia kayak parade from 17:00.

Want it shorter? Our free 48-hour Copenhagen route works year-round, and Copenhagen on a rainy day has a full wet-weather plan.

Budget tips for December

• Pick a weekday for Tivoli. Entry is from DKK 200 (about US$30) and costs more on the busiest days, and weekdays are calmer.
• Lean on the free markets and rinks. Nytorv & Gammeltorv, Højbro Plads and Nyhavn are free to wander, and the Nytorv rink is free including skates.
• Lucia and Rådhuspladsen on New Year's Eve cost nothing.
• Use the free Glyptotek day on Wednesday 30 December, or the always-free David Collection.
• Eat a big lunch, not a big dinner. Lunch menus and smørrebrød are much cheaper than December dinner set menus.
• Check the Copenhagen Card against your actual days. Short winter hours mean fewer sights per day. Run the numbers first.

More savings in Copenhagen on a budget and free things to do in Copenhagen.

Where to stay in December

Stay central and book early. December weekends are the busiest of the Christmas season, and with sunset before 15:50 you will want to drop bags and add layers between daytime sightseeing and the evening. Our where-to-stay guide covers every area, and our guide to the best hotels in Copenhagen names specific hotels with the catch for each, and where to stay for the Christmas markets picks the best base for each market; for December, these work best:

Some links below are affiliate links. If you book through one, NordGuide earns a commission at no extra cost to you. See our affiliate disclosure.

Quick answers

US$ prices on this page use the ECB reference rate of 21 October 2026 (US$1 ≈ DKK 6.65).

Is December a good time to visit Copenhagen?

Yes, if you come for Christmas rather than sunshine. Tivoli's Christmas season, the free markets on Nytorv & Gammeltorv and Højbro Plads and the Kongens Nytorv ice rink (reported) are all open in the first three weeks of December, and Lucia on 13 December adds a candle-lit kayak parade on the canals. Days are short (about 7 hours of daylight) and the free markets close by 20–21 December, so the first half of the month is the best window.

What is the weather like in Copenhagen in December?

Cold, dark and damp more often than snowy. DMI's 1981–2010 climate normals for Copenhagen give a December mean temperature of 2.5°C, about 57 mm of precipitation and only around 41 hours of sunshine for the whole month, the least of any month. Daylight falls from about 7 hours 30 minutes on 1 December to about 7 hours on the 21st, with sunset around 15:40.

Is Tivoli open on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve 2026?

Tivoli is closed on 24 December 2026. It is open on the other days of its Christmas season, which runs from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. On New Year's Eve Tivoli is open 11:00–24:00, with fireworks at 23:00 that are free with an entrance ticket, and on 1 January 2027 it is open 11:00–23:00.

When do the Christmas markets close in Copenhagen in 2026?

The new Højbro Plads market closes on 20 December and the Nytorv & Gammeltorv market on 21 December. The new market on Rådhuspladsen opens on 11 December, according to Copenhagen's official visitor service, and local media give 20 December as its last day (checked 19 October 2026). Tivoli's Christmas market runs to 3 January 2027 (closed 24 December). Nyhavn had not announced 2026 dates; in 2025 its stalls stayed until 28 December.

What is open in Copenhagen on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day?

Very little. Danes celebrate on the evening of 24 December, so larger shops stay closed all day under Danish shop-hours law (small supermarkets, bakeries and shops at the airport and railway stations may open), and many restaurants and attractions close on 24 and 25 December. Tivoli is closed on 24 December, the Glyptotek is closed 23–26 December and Rosenborg Castle is closed 24–25 December and reopens on 26 December. Copenhagen Visitor Service has published its 2026 list of open restaurants and attractions; book Christmas Eve dinner well ahead.

When is Lucia in Copenhagen in 2026?

Sunday 13 December 2026. The best-known event is the Lucia kayak parade: hundreds of lit-up kayaks leave Kayak Bar on Børskaj at 17:00, led by a canal boat with a choir, and stop to sing at Nyhavn, Christianshavn, BLOX and Højbro Plads before finishing back at Kayak Bar around 18:45. Watching from the quays and bridges is free.

Where do you celebrate New Year's Eve in Copenhagen?

The free public gathering is on Rådhuspladsen, City Hall Square, where crowds count down to midnight under the City Hall clock. Tivoli is open until midnight with its own fireworks at 23:00 (entrance ticket needed). Earlier in the evening many Danes watch the monarch's New Year speech at 18:00. Expect fireworks all over the city, so bring safety glasses and keep children close.

Plan your December trip

Some links below are affiliate links. If you book through one, NordGuide earns a commission at no extra cost to you. See our affiliate disclosure.