The Leipzig Christmas Market 2026 (Leipziger Weihnachtsmarkt) runs from Tuesday 24 November to Wednesday 23 December across Leipzig's city centre. Dresden's 592nd Striezelmarkt on the Altmarkt opens on Wednesday 25 November at 16:00 and closes on Christmas Eve, Thursday 24 December, at 14:00.
In Leipzig the stalls open Sunday to Thursday from 11:00 to 21:00 and on Fridays and Saturdays until 22:00. The Striezelmarkt is open daily from 10:00 to 21:00 from 26 November to 23 December, and entry is free. Neither market opens before Totensonntag, the Sunday of remembrance on 22 November.
Checked 7 November 2026. Not published yet: mulled wine prices and the deposit for the 2026 mulled wine mugs in either city, the Striezelmarkt's daily stage programme, and the 2026 dates of the Felsenkeller Christmas market.
Leipzig Christmas market and Dresden Striezelmarkt 2026 compared
| Leipzig | Dresden | |
|---|---|---|
| Dates 2026 | Tue 24 Nov – Wed 23 Dec | Wed 25 Nov – Thu 24 Dec |
| Opening | Tue 24 Nov: stalls from 14:00, ceremony at 17:00 on the Markt | Wed 25 Nov: ceremony at 16:00, stalls from 16:30 |
| Opening hours | Sun–Thu 11:00–21:00, Fri–Sat 11:00–22:00 | Daily 10:00–21:00 |
| Last days | 22 and 23 Dec until 20:00 | 24 Dec 10:00–14:00 |
| Where | Markt, Augustusplatz, Naschmarkt, Nikolaikirchhof and the streets between them | Altmarkt, opposite the Kulturpalast |
| Entry | Open access (open squares and streets) | Free |
| Highlight | Great Ore Mountains Miners' Parade, Sat 19 Dec, 16:00 | Dresden Stollen Festival, Sat 5 Dec, parade around 11:00 |
| Official page | leipzig.de | striezelmarkt.dresden.de |
Evenitto lists the season's concerts, shows and other markets on Christmas in Leipzig and Christmas in Dresden.
When does the Leipzig Christmas market open in 2026?
The Leipzig Christmas Market opens on Tuesday 24 November 2026. The city's market office lets traders open from 11:00, and every stall is open from 14:00.
The opening ceremony starts at 17:00 on the stage on the Markt with trombones; Mayor Burkhard Jung opens the market, the St Thomas Boys Choir (Thomanerchor) sings and the Christmas tree is lit for the first time. At 19:00 the town pipers play from the balcony of the Old Town Hall.
The tree on the Markt comes from the Sauerland in 2026 rather than the Vogtland: a Nordmann fir of about 18.5 metres from Ramsbeck that stands roughly 15 metres above the square once it is set in its socket. The City of Leipzig decorates it with about 3,000 LED lights and 300 red and 300 gold baubles.
Leipzig Christmas market 2026 opening hours
The Leipzig Christmas Market is open from 24 November to 23 December 2026, Sunday to Thursday from 11:00 to 21:00 and on Fridays and Saturdays from 11:00 to 22:00.
On Tuesday 22 and Wednesday 23 December it closes at 20:00, because the areas away from the Markt are taken down overnight; on the last day in 2025 only the stalls on the Markt were still open.
Some parts keep their own hours. The Swiss Village on the Burgplatz runs from 24 November to 22 December, with its Eisstock lanes open daily from 13:00. The Finnish Christmas Village on the Augustusplatz closes earlier, on Tuesday 22 December at 20:00.
For shopping: 29 November and 13 December 2026 are Sunday shopping days in Leipzig, when shops in the centre may open from 12:00 to 18:00.
Leipzig Christmas market map: what is where
The Leipzig Christmas Market is spread over several squares and streets of the city centre, a few minutes' walk apart. The city's overview describes these areas, and its 3D map shows them on the city plan:
| Area | What you find there |
|---|---|
| Markt | The Christmas tree, wooden huts, the stage with the Advent programme, a small historic Ferris wheel |
| Augustusplatz | Fairy-tale forest, Ferris wheel (38 metres), children's carousels, a children's train, the Finnish and South Tyrolean villages, the reading workshop by the opera house |
| Naschmarkt | Historic Christmas market with craftspeople such as candle makers and a blacksmith |
| Salzgässchen and Reichsstrasse | Nostalgia area with a historic double-decker carousel |
| Nikolaikirchhof | Christmas pyramid, Feuerzangenbowle (flaming rum punch) and waffles next to St Nicholas Church |
| Grimmaische Strasse | The walk from the Markt to the Augustusplatz, with the lit-up "Magic Forest" by the university |
| Petersstrasse | Stalls with sweets, food, drinks and gifts |
| Thomaswiese | Light installations by St Thomas Church, including a walk-in Christmas present |
| Burgplatz by the Petersbogen | Swiss Village with curling-style Eisstockschiessen and gondolas |
Families will find most on the Augustusplatz: the fairy-tale forest, the Ferris wheel, the children's train and the reading workshop, which reads stories to children from 27 November to 13 December, Friday to Sunday from 15:00 to 19:00 (up to 15 children at a time, accompanied by an adult).
The children's mug carries a €5 deposit, and you may keep it as a souvenir, says the city's page on the mugs.
Leipzig programme: Father Christmas, trombones and the miners' parade
The 2026 programme of the Leipzig Christmas Market has fixed daily items and three big dates:
- Father Christmas arrives, Saturday 28 November: around 11:00 he arrives at the main station (platform 6), greets the children and rides a carriage to the Markt, arriving around 12:00.
- Father Christmas's visiting hours: Thursday to Saturday, 16:00–16:45, on the stage on the Markt.
- Advent programme: daily from 16:30 on the stage on the Markt, with puppet shows, storytellers and choirs among others.
- Trombones from the balcony of the Old Town Hall: Monday to Thursday at 18:00, Fridays at 19:00, Saturdays and Sundays at 13:00 and 19:00.
- Great Ore Mountains Miners' Parade, Saturday 19 December: about 800 miners' musicians and people in traditional dress march from Richard-Wagner-Strasse/Nikolaistrasse at 16:00 through the centre and past the Markt; around 17:00 all the bands play together on Richard-Wagner-Platz. The parade comes to Leipzig every two years.
- Model railway exhibition at the main station: 4–21 December in the historic waiting hall, Monday to Friday 13:00–19:30 and weekends 10:00–19:30; entry €6 for adults and €3 for children aged 6 and over, according to the city.
Dresden Striezelmarkt 2026: opening day and opening hours
Dresden's 592nd Striezelmarkt opens on Wednesday 25 November 2026 on the Altmarkt. The City of Dresden gives this order: an ecumenical service in the Kreuzkirche at 15:00, the procession to the Striezelmarkt stage at 15:45, the opening by Mayor Dirk Hilbert with the lights switched on at 16:00, and the stalls open from 16:30.
| Day | Striezelmarkt opening hours |
|---|---|
| Wed 25 Nov (opening) | 16:00–21:00 |
| Thu 26 Nov – Wed 23 Dec | Daily 10:00–21:00 |
| Thu 24 Dec (Christmas Eve) | 10:00–14:00 |
Entry is free, according to Saxony's tourism board. To see the lights early: on Friday 20 November, five days before the start, the city tests the lamps and light chains in its lighting rehearsal, and visitors are welcome.
What is at the Striezelmarkt?
Dresden's Striezelmarkt has more than 200 stalls and is, according to the city, Germany's oldest Christmas market: the first was held in 1434, for a single day; it takes its name from the Striezel, Dresden's traditional Christstollen. Leipzig traces its own market back to 1458 and calls it the second oldest.
On the Altmarkt in 2026 you will find:
- a 23-metre Nordmann fir from Neundorf near Pirna, with two LED light chains 2,160 metres long in total, about 260,000 lights and a Moravian (Herrnhut) star on top;
- the Ore Mountains step pyramid, at 14.61 metres the world's largest, according to the city;
- a walk-through Schwibbogen candle arch, a large nativity scene, a historic Ferris wheel and a double-decker carousel;
- show workshops for Ore Mountains woodcraft and for Dresden Christstollen.
The typical souvenir is the Dresdner Pflaumentoffel, a little figure made of dried plums that is said to bring luck.
Stollen Festival 2026 and the Striezelmarkt's weekend festivals
Dresden's Striezelmarkt holds a festival on every Advent weekend in 2026. The city's programme lists these dates for 2026 (subject to change):
| Date | Festival at the Striezelmarkt |
|---|---|
| Sat 28 Nov | Advent Calendar Festival |
| Sun 29 Nov | Day of the Kreuzkirche |
| Sat 5 Dec | Dresden Stollen Festival |
| Sun 6 Dec | Gingerbread Festival |
| Sat 12 Dec | Pyramid Festival |
| Sun 13 Dec | Day of Christmas Crafts |
| Sat 19 Dec | Pflaumentoffel Festival |
| Sun 20 Dec | Striezel Children's Festival |
| Thu 24 Dec | Christmas Eve at the Striezelmarkt, until 14:00 |
The 31st Dresden Stollen Festival on Saturday 5 December 2026 runs like this, according to the Dresden Stollen Association: baroque street life in front of the Kulturpalast from 9:45, the opening at 10:00, around 11:00 the parade sets off from the festival stage at the Kulturpalast through the old town, around 12:00 it is back, shortly afterwards the giant stollen is cut, from about 12:15 it is sold, and the festival ends around 15:30. The association gives part of the proceeds to a local project.
Other Christmas markets in Dresden 2026
Besides the Striezelmarkt, Dresden has several Christmas markets, most of them in the old town. The dates come from Dresden Marketing and the organisers:
| Christmas market | Where | Dates 2026 | Opening hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advent auf dem Neumarkt | Neumarkt, in front of the Frauenkirche | Wed 25 Nov – Sun 3 Jan | 25 Nov 17:00–22:00; 26 Nov – 23 Dec and 27–30 Dec 11:00–22:00; New Year's Eve 13:00–00:30; 2 Jan 11:00–22:00, 3 Jan 11:00–18:00; closed 24–26 Dec and 1 Jan |
| Augustusmarkt | Hauptstrasse, Neustadt | Wed 25 Nov – Sun 3 Jan | Mon–Thu 11:00–21:00, Fri 11:00–22:00, Sat 10:00–22:00, Sun 10:00–21:00; closed 24–26 Dec and 1 Jan |
| Medieval Christmas in the Stallhof | Stallhof at the Royal Palace | Wed 25 Nov – Wed 23 Dec; Rauhnächte 27–30 Dec and 2–6 Jan | Until 23 Dec daily 11:00–21:30; Fri–Sun and 27–30 Dec entry €5, children €3 |
| Christmas market at the Frauenkirche | Münzgasse, by the Frauenkirche | Wed 25 Nov – Thu 24 Dec | Mon–Thu and Sun 10:00–21:00, Fri–Sat 10:00–22:00; 24 Dec until 14:00 |
| Dresdner Winterlichter | Prager Strasse | Wed 25 Nov – Wed 23 Dec | Sun–Thu 11:00–20:00, Fri–Sat 10:00–21:00 |
| Finn Village | Dr.-Külz-Ring | Thu 26 Nov – Tue 22 Dec | Daily 12:00–21:00, Thu–Sat until 22:00 |
Advent auf dem Neumarkt recreates the years between 1830 and 1920 and is one of the few open after Christmas and on New Year's Eve. The Augustusmarkt on the Hauptstrasse is the city's international market, with a Ferris wheel and food from many countries. The Winterlichter on Prager Strasse, the walk from the main station into the centre, has an ice rink with skate hire.
Quieter are the Romantic Christmas Market at Dresden Castle on the south side of the Royal Palace (27 November to 24 December) and the Elbhangfest Christmas market by the Blue Wonder bridge in Loschwitz (5 to 20 December). Dresden Marketing gives no 2026 opening hours for these two.
Other Christmas markets in and around Leipzig
Besides the big market in the centre, Leipzig has smaller Christmas markets in its neighbourhoods. The City of Leipzig lists these among others for 2026:
- Weihnachtsduft und Lichterglanz at the Gohliser Schlösschen: 25 November to 20 December, Wednesday to Saturday 15:00–19:00 and Sunday 12:00–18:00, in the palace's baroque garden. The organisers say it is not a Christmas market: there are no sales stalls, just waffles, mulled wine, music and culture; entry is free, according to Leipzig Tourism.
- Vegan Christmas market Leipzig: Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 December.
- "Rund ums Eis" Christmas market on the town hall square in Markkleeberg: 11 to 13 December.
- Felsenkeller Christmas market, a medieval-inspired market on Karl-Heine-Strasse with free entry; its 2026 dates were not set on 7 November.
Getting there: how to reach the Christmas markets
Leipzig: The Leipzig Christmas Market is in the city centre, just south of the main station. The City Tunnel links the main station by S-Bahn trains underground with the centre, and the S-Bahn station Markt is in the middle of the Christmas market.
The Augustusplatz is closed to cars during the market, but trams still run. The city warns that parking near the centre gets scarce, especially at weekends, and points to Park + Ride and the city-centre car parks.
Dresden: The Striezelmarkt is on the Altmarkt in the old town, opposite the Kulturpalast on Wilsdruffer Strasse. The Altmarkt tram stop is right by the market (DVB timetable). From the main station, walk along Prager Strasse, past the Winterlichter, into the old town.
By car, use the city-centre car parks; Dresden Marketing names the Altmarkt-Galerie underground car park and the Frauenkirche/Neumarkt car park (entrance Landhausstrasse), as the Neumarkt itself is traffic-calmed.
Christmas concerts in Leipzig and Dresden on Evenitto
Around the Leipzig and Dresden Christmas markets, the churches and concert halls play their Christmas programmes. A selection listed on Evenitto:
- Leipzig: Bach's Christmas Oratorio in St Nicholas Church on Friday 18 December at 19:00 (cantatas I–III, from €12) and Sunday 20 December at 17:00 (cantatas I and IV–VI, from €28).
- Leipzig: The Thomanerchor's Christmas carol evening in St Thomas Church on Sunday 20 December at 19:00 (from €24, also on 21 and 22 December).
- Dresden: Bach's Christmas Oratorio in the Frauenkirche on Friday 4 December at 19:30 (from €28, more dates until 15 December) and The Nutcracker at the Semperoper from Monday 30 November.
- To meet people: in both cities a Christmas market walk for singles starts on Sunday 29 November at 15:00 (Leipzig, Dresden, from €14.90).
Which Nutcracker in Leipzig and Dresden still has seats is in our Nutcracker 2026 guide.
There is more on classical music on Evenitto and the Christmas pages for Leipzig and Dresden.
Quick answers
When does the Striezelmarkt open in 2026, and what are its hours? Dresden's Striezelmarkt opens on Wednesday 25 November 2026: the opening ceremony starts at 16:00 and the stalls open from 16:30. After that it is open daily from 10:00 to 21:00 until 23 December, and from 10:00 to 14:00 on Christmas Eve.
When does the Leipzig Christmas market start in 2026? The Leipzig Christmas Market starts on Tuesday 24 November 2026. All stalls are open from 14:00, and the opening ceremony on the Markt starts at 17:00.
How long is the Leipzig Christmas market open? The Leipzig Christmas Market 2026 runs until Wednesday 23 December. On 22 and 23 December it closes at 20:00 instead of 21:00.
Is the Dresden Christmas market free? Yes, entry to the Striezelmarkt is free. The Medieval Christmas in the Stallhof charges entry on Fridays to Sundays and from 27 to 30 December: €5, children €3.
Leipzig or Dresden: which Christmas market? The Leipzig Christmas Market and Dresden's Striezelmarkt are both open from 25 November to 23 December 2026, so you can visit both on one weekend. Leipzig's market spreads across the whole city centre and has the miners' parade on 19 December; Dresden has the Striezelmarkt with its big step pyramid, several more markets in the old town and the Stollen Festival on 5 December.
How much is mulled wine at the Striezelmarkt? Neither Dresden nor Leipzig had published 2026 mulled wine prices on 7 November 2026. Both markets charge a deposit for the mug.
When is the Dresden Stollen Festival in 2026? The 31st Dresden Stollen Festival is on Saturday 5 December 2026. The parade sets off from the Kulturpalast around 11:00, and the giant stollen is cut shortly after 12:00.
Which Dresden Christmas markets are open after Christmas? Advent auf dem Neumarkt and the Augustusmarkt are open until Sunday 3 January 2027 (closed 24–26 December and 1 January); the Stallhof's Rauhnächte run from 27 to 30 December and from 2 to 6 January.
Cover photo: entrance to the 589th Striezelmarkt on Dresden's Altmarkt on 1 December 2023, Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; archive photo.