The Brussels Christmas market, Winter Wonders (Winterpret in Dutch, Plaisirs d'Hiver in French), runs from Friday 27 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027, and the City of Brussels lists entry as free.
Winter Wonders is open every day from 12:00 to 22:00, except on Thursday 24 December, Thursday 31 December and Sunday 3 January, when it closes at 18:00 and there is no sound and light show on the Grand-Place. The 2026 edition celebrates 25 years, has more than 200 chalets and has Béarn Pyrénées and the Basque Country as guests of honour, with a village on the Place de la Bourse (Beursplein).
Checked 9 November 2026. The organiser, Brussels Major Events, publishes the 2026 programme "from November" and its pages still show the 2025 edition, so the zones, rides and prices below are labelled 2025. Not announced yet: the 2026 ride prices and the light show times.
When does the Brussels Christmas market 2026 open? Dates and opening hours
The Brussels Christmas market 2026 starts on Friday 27 November and ends on Sunday 3 January 2027. Winter Wonders is open daily from 12:00 to 22:00, including Christmas Day (Friday 25 December) and New Year's Day (Friday 1 January). On Thursday 24 December, Thursday 31 December and Sunday 3 January it closes at 18:00.
The official site is winterpret.be; Brussels Major Events organises it and the City of Brussels gives its Winter Wonders page. Evenitto lists the event as Winterpret, and the Belgian markets side by side are in Christmas markets in Belgium 2026.
Where is the Brussels Christmas market? Squares and map 2026
The Brussels Christmas market 2026 stands on the Grand-Place, the Place de la Monnaie (Muntplein), the Place de la Bourse (Beursplein), the Place Sainte-Catherine (Sint-Katelijneplein), the Vismarkt and the Place de Brouckère (De Brouckèreplein), according to the City of Brussels. Visit Brussels adds the Place Royale, the Tour Noire, the Rue de la Madeleine and the Place Poelaert. The organiser's interactive map shows the chalets and the attractions.
In 2025 the Christmas market was spread over nine zones. The 2026 layout is not published yet, so this table is last year's:
| Place (2025) | What was there |
|---|---|
| Grand-Place | The Christmas tree, a Nativity scene and a sound and light show every 30 minutes from 17:00 to 22:00 |
| Place de la Monnaie (Muntplein) | Chalets, nine two-metre Christmas trees made with La Monnaie and a heated terrace at The Dominican hotel |
| Vismarkt | Chalets, the 55-metre Ferris wheel and the Stella Artois pavilion |
| Place Sainte-Catherine (Sint-Katelijneplein) | Andreas' carousel, a virtual-reality ride and chalets |
| Place de la Bourse (Beursplein) | Chalets with food and crafts; the Creators Factory design market on 13 and 14 December 2025 |
| Place de Brouckère (De Brouckèreplein) | Ice rink, three curling lanes, Santa's reindeer ride and covered terraces |
| Tour Noire (Zwarte Toren) | A children's village in a candy-cane setting with Santa's workshop and free daily performances |
| Rue de la Madeleine (Magdalenasteenweg) | Chalets run by a Ukrainian association |
| Place Poelaert (Poelaertplein) | A mini Christmas village, new in 2025, with a collection point for toys |
In 2025 the market also had 33 stalls with the city's artisan quality label; the interactive map can filter them.
When is the sound and light show on the Grand-Place?
The Winter Wonders sound and light show on the Grand-Place runs every evening except 24 December, 31 December and 3 January 2027. In 2025 it ran every 30 minutes from 17:00 to 22:00 and opened with a two-minute laser sequence; the 2026 times and the new show are not published yet. The Christmas tree stands on the same square.
How much does the ice rink cost at Winter Wonders? Prices of 2025
The Winter Wonders ice rink on the Place de Brouckère (De Brouckèreplein) cost €12 for over-16s and €6 for under-16s in 2025, skate hire included, and €30 for a family of two adults and two children. The 2026 prices are not published yet. The City of Brussels lists the Ferris wheel, carousels, ice rink and curling lanes for 2026.
| Attraction (2025) | Where | Price in 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Ice rink, skates included | Place de Brouckère (De Brouckèreplein) | Over 16: €12; under 16: €6; family of four: €30; schools: €5 per child |
| Curling | Place de Brouckère (De Brouckèreplein) | Over 16: €8; under 16: €4 |
| Ferris wheel, 55 m, 42 cabins | Vismarkt | Adults €10; under 12: €6 |
| Andreas' carousel | Place Sainte-Catherine (Sint-Katelijneplein) | €3 for ages 2 to 11 |
| Santa's reindeer ride | Place de Brouckère (De Brouckèreplein) | €5 |
| Dream Space virtual reality | Place Sainte-Catherine (Sint-Katelijneplein) | €7 |
| View Tower Experience, 200 steps in the town hall tower | Brussels town hall | Reservation required; price not on the page |
In 2025 the rink was not recommended for children under 6, had a separate area for small children with skating aids, and a person with reduced mobility could be accompanied for free. The official pages give no entrance fee for walking among the chalets, and the City of Brussels lists the event as free; they list prices only for the attractions.
Winter Wonders Brussels with children
In 2025 the Tour Noire was the children's corner at Winter Wonders: a village with candy-cane decorations, free performances by local artists and, at weekends, the Winter Vox choirs. Santa's workshop there held creative workshops on Wednesday from 15:00 to 19:00 and on Sunday from 14:00 to 18:00.
The 2025 attractions for younger children were Andreas' carousel (ages 2 to 11), the reindeer ride and the separate part of the ice rink. Colouring pages of the tree ornaments could be downloaded from the organiser's kids page. For other children's shows in the city, see kids in Belgium.
How do you get to the Brussels Christmas market?
The Brussels Christmas market is easiest to reach by train or metro, because Brussels-Central station is 350 metres from it, according to the City of Brussels. The nearest stops it lists are the Grote Markt (buses 48 and 95, 200 metres), the Beurs (trams 10 and 4, buses 89 and 46, 350 metres) and De Brouckère (metro 1 and 5, buses 71, 89 and 29, 400 metres). The organiser also names metro lines 1 and 5, trams 10 and 4 and buses 29, 33, 46, 71, 89 and 95.
Public car parks near the market are the Grote Markt, the Warwick Brussels, the Schildknaap, Albertine Square, the Munt and De Brouckère, 200 to 450 metres away. Toilets along the route have ramps for people with reduced mobility, and the organiser says floors and cable crossings were designed for easy access.
More Christmas in Brussels besides the market
The design market Creators Factory is listed on the steps of the Beurs on Saturday 12 December from 12:00, free of charge. Concerts and shows are on sale as well: The Nutcracker at the Cirque Royal on Sunday 6 December at 14:00, NATALIA there on Monday 7 December at 20:00, the Weihnachts-Oratorium at Bozar on Friday 18 December at 20:00, and the family show Winter and Christmas Tales at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts on Tuesday 22 December at 10:15.
More is on Christmas in Brussels, and everything else going on in the city is on Brussels. For New Year's Eve, see New Year's Eve in Belgium.
Quick answers
When does the Brussels Christmas market 2026 start? On Friday 27 November 2026, and it runs until Sunday 3 January 2027.
What are the opening hours of the Brussels Christmas market? Daily 12:00 to 22:00; on 24 December, 31 December and 3 January it closes at 18:00.
Is the Brussels Christmas market open on Christmas Day? Yes: the organiser gives 12:00 to 22:00 every day except 24 December, 31 December and 3 January, so Friday 25 December is a normal day.
Is Winter Wonders free? The City of Brussels lists the event as free. The attractions have their own prices; the 2025 prices are in the table above.
How much is the ice rink? In 2025 it cost €12 for over-16s and €6 for under-16s, with skates; the 2026 prices are not announced yet.
Is there a light show on the Grand-Place? Yes, except on 24 December, 31 December and 3 January. In 2025 it ran every 30 minutes from 17:00 to 22:00.
How do I get to the Brussels Christmas market? By train to Brussels-Central (350 metres), or by metro (lines 1 and 5), tram (10 and 4) or bus to the Beurs, De Brouckère or the Grote Markt.
Is Winter Wonders wheelchair accessible? The organiser says toilets along the route have ramps and that floors and cable crossings were designed for easy access; in 2025 the ice rink was accessible for wheelchairs with a companion and the Ferris wheel had one adapted cabin.
Cover photo: a carousel at Winter Wonders in Brussels, 15 December 2025, by Bernard Lee, Wikimedia Commons (CC0).
