Many cinemas in the Netherlands are open at Christmas 2026, but not all: Eye is open as usual on 25 and 26 December, Rialto De Pijp is closed on 25 and 31 December, and Pathé puts the showtimes for 24 to 30 December online on Monday 21 December, while Vue and Kinepolis do not say when. Christmas Day is Friday 25 December, Boxing Day Saturday 26 December, New Year's Eve Thursday 31 December and New Year's Day Friday 1 January 2027. The big films start on Wednesday 16 December (Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three) and Thursday 24 December (Jumanji: Open World and The Angry Birds Movie 3), and the school holidays run from Saturday 19 December to Sunday 3 January.
Checked 22 October 2026. Not announced yet: Christmas opening hours at Pathé, Vue and Kinepolis, the showtimes for 24 to 26 December, the age ratings of Avengers, Dune and Jumanji, and whether Asterix, Jumanji and Angry Birds 3 play in Dutch or in the original.
Are cinemas open on Christmas Day and Boxing Day in the Netherlands?
Mostly yes, but check the cinema you want: none of the big chains had published Christmas hours for 2026 on 22 October. What the cinemas say themselves:
| Cinema | Thu 24 Dec | Fri 25 Dec | Sat 26 Dec | Thu 31 Dec | Fri 1 Jan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eye, Amsterdam | Not mentioned | Open as usual | Open as usual | Hours differ slightly, to follow | Hours differ slightly, to follow |
| Rialto De Pijp, Amsterdam | Not mentioned | Closed | Not mentioned | Closed | Not mentioned |
| Forum Groningen (the Forum's cinemas), whole building | Not listed | 10:00–23:00 | 10:00–23:00 | 9:00–19:00 | 12:00–23:00 |
The three chains publish less, but their pages say how they work:
| Chain | What the official pages say | Christmas hours for 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Pathé | Each cinema page says open daily from 15 minutes before the first screening | Not published |
| Vue | Vue Amsterdam says it opens about 15 minutes before the first film of the day | Not published |
| Kinepolis | The cinema pages list regular hours; several add school-holiday hours (see below) | Not published; the Christmas page still dates from last year |
Last year Pathé's December press release (27 November 2025) listed Anaconda, The Housemaid and SpongeBob op Piratenpad as new on 25 December 2025, so Pathé had new films in its cinemas on Christmas Day. None of the three chains names 25 or 26 December as a closing day on its cinema pages; the only Kinepolis cinema that mentions holidays is Emmen, with 10:30–00:00 on public and school holidays. Your safest check is simple: a cinema that lists showtimes for the day is open. Our city pages show them as soon as the cinemas publish: Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, The Hague, and every cinema by city; pick the day on the page.
Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day are public holidays; Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve are not (Rijksoverheid). For everything else open over Christmas, see our Christmas holidays guide.
When are the showtimes for 24, 25 and 26 December online?
Pathé's help page explains its rhythm: a screening week runs from Thursday to Wednesday, and every Monday evening after 18:00 Pathé puts the next screening week online, so the times are then known nine days ahead. Some IMAX, 4DX, Dolby Cinema, Dolby Atmos and ScreenX screenings appear earlier. By that rule the programme for Thursday 24 to Wednesday 30 December appears on Monday 21 December; on Monday 14 December Pathé completes the programme up to Wednesday 23 December. Vue Amsterdam's date picker showed screenings up to Wednesday 23 December on 22 October, with 24 December not yet in it. Kinepolis does not state a rhythm on the pages we read.
So if you want to plan a Christmas Eve or Boxing Day film at Pathé, expect the times on Monday 21 December, with some IMAX, 4DX, Dolby and ScreenX screenings earlier. The big films are different: Pathé has sold tickets for 16 December since 6 October (Avengers) and 20 October (Dune), and tickets for both already run up to Wednesday 23 December.
Are cinemas open on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day?
Eye says its hours on 31 December and 1 January will differ slightly and that it will share them later. Rialto De Pijp is closed on 31 December. Forum Groningen is open from 9:00 to 19:00 on 31 December and from 12:00 to 23:00 on 1 January, a schedule for the whole building, so check the cinema's own times. Pathé and Vue had said nothing specific about 31 December or 1 January on 22 October; Kinepolis Emmen lists 10:30–00:00 on public holidays (see below). For New Year's Eve plans beyond the cinema, see our New Year's Eve page.
What time do cinemas open in the Christmas holidays?
Several Kinepolis cinemas list school-holiday hours on their pages. The Christmas holidays are a school holiday in every region, from Saturday 19 December to Sunday 3 January (Rijksoverheid). Hours read on 22 October:
| Kinepolis | In school holidays |
|---|---|
| Breda | Daily from 10:00 |
| Dordrecht | Daily from 10:30 |
| Enschede | Daily from 10:00 |
| Groningen | Monday to Sunday 10:30–00:00 |
| Haarlem | Sunday to Friday 10:15–21:00, Saturday 12:30–22:00 |
| Hoofddorp | Daily 10:00–22:00 |
| Den Helder | Daily from 12:00 |
| Emmen | 10:30–00:00 on public holidays and school holidays |
Kinepolis adds that the doors may open only 15 minutes before the first film. Eye opens at 10:00 in school holidays, the exhibition included (Eye).
Which films are in cinemas at Christmas 2026?
The two big releases come on the same day: Wednesday 16 December. Pathé calls it Dunesday and says that almost its whole programme that day is Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three, all day in all its cinemas. Dune also plays in IMAX at Pathé, Avengers in 4DX, ScreenX and Dolby Cinema. Pathé also lists early screenings of Dune on Tuesday 15 December.
| Film | Dutch release | Runtime | Age (Kijkwijzer) | Official page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avengers: Doomsday | Wednesday 16 December | 2 h 45 | Not shown by Pathé; Vue shows 12 for now | Pathé |
| Dune: Part Three | Wednesday 16 December | 2 h 30 | Not shown by Pathé; Vue shows 16 for now | Pathé |
| Chateau Moordland (Dutch comedy) | Thursday 17 December | 1 h 40 | 12 | Vue |
| Jumanji: Open World | Thursday 24 December | Not published | Not published | Vue |
| The Angry Birds Movie 3 | Thursday 24 December | Not published | Not published | Vue |
Do long films have an intermission? Pathé gives selected long films a short pause, marked PAUZE on the showtime when you buy online; Tuschinski, De Munt and Spuimarkt have none, nor do the IMAX, Dolby Cinema, 4DX and ScreenX screens, while Zaandam, Vlissingen, Rembrandt and Buitenhof pause every show (Pathé). With 2 h 45, Avengers is a likely candidate; its 16 December shows carry the label at some cinemas.
Vue gives 24 December for Jumanji and Angry Birds 3; Kinepolis lists both as coming, without a date, and Pathé's list of coming films ended at 16 December on 22 October. Ages can still change; the Kijkwijzer age on the ticket page is the one that counts.
Which films can children see in the Christmas holidays?
Children under 6, 9, 12 or 14 may see a film with that Kijkwijzer age only with an adult; children under 16 may not see a film rated 16 or 18, even with an adult (Kijkwijzer). Our children's films page lists what is playing now, with the age on each ticket page. For the holidays of 19 December to 3 January, these were announced on 22 October:
| Film | Opens | Age | Dutch-spoken or original? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dikkie Dik 3: Dikkie Dik krijgt bezoek | Wednesday 16 December | All ages (Kijkwijzer) | Dutch production; the pages do not say |
| Juf Braaksel en het Meesterbrein | Wednesday 9 December | All ages, 1 h 20 (Pathé and Vue) | Dutch production; the pages do not say |
| Fien en Teun en het Magische Winterfeest | Wednesday 16 December | Not shown yet | On Pathé's list, not on Vue's; the page does not say |
| Asterix: Het Koninkrijk van Nubië | Wednesday 9 December | Not shown yet, 1 h 27 | Not stated |
| The Cat in the Hat | Wednesday 2 December | Not shown yet | Both: Pathé has a Dutch-spoken page and an original-version page |
| Disney's Hexed | Wednesday 25 November | Not shown yet, 1 h 49 | Both: Pathé has a Dutch-spoken page and an original-version page |
Look for "(NL)" or "Nederlands gesproken" for the Dutch-spoken version and "(OV)" or "Originele versie" for the original, which is shown with subtitles; Pathé gives each version its own page. Asterix, Jumanji and Angry Birds 3 had no version label on 22 October. The Cat in the Hat and Hexed open before the holidays, so check the times for your day.
For the youngest, Kinepolis runs a Kleuterbios for ages 2 to 6 (softer sound, lights partly on, a diploma afterwards), also for Dikkie Dik krijgt bezoek; the dates were not online on 22 October. Kinepolis sells a family ticket for two adults and two children at €38, excluding surcharges. Planning other outings with children? See our Christmas holidays guide.
Are there Christmas films and Christmas specials in the cinema?
A few, mostly concerts and one-offs:
- André Rieu's 2026 Christmas Concert: Let It Snow on Saturday 12 December, 3 hours, at Pathé and Vue. Film page on Evenitto; more concerts in our Christmas concerts guide.
- Arthur Christmas (2011) on Monday 30 November at Pathé, all ages, 1 h 37 (Pathé).
- The Royal Ballet's Nutcracker on Tuesday 1 December, 2 h 20, at Vue; Kinepolis lists the Royal Ballet and Opera's Nutcracker too.
- Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol from Thursday 12 November, Ti West's version of the Dickens story, rated 14 (Pathé).
- De Winter Bioscoop at Het Amsterdamse Winterparadijs in the RAI (17 December to 2 January) shows Christmas classics in a living-room setting; you pay no extra for the films and you cannot reserve (Winterparadijs). The programme was not online on 22 October.
We found no Home Alone, Elf or Love Actually on Pathé's or Vue's lists on 22 October, and Kinepolis's classics page listed no films. The Polar Express returns to Pathé from Thursday 5 November (Classics, Kijkwijzer 6); its December screenings are not known yet.
Can I give a cinema gift card at Christmas?
Yes. The Pathé Giftcard is for any amount from €5 to €150, valid for 4 years, and works for tickets, drinks and snacks at Pathé and for Pathé Thuis; Pathé also accepts the Nationale Bioscoopbon, for tickets only. The Nationale Bioscoopbon is valid for 5 years at all cinemas and most film theatres. Our gift card page compares the cards of Pathé, Kinepolis, Vue, Cineville and the bioscoopbon, and our price page has the ticket prices. Last year, buyers of online tickets for 19 December 2025 to 4 January 2026 got a Kinepolis code for a regular film at €10.50, valid from 5 January to 11 February 2026 (conditions applied); nothing is announced for this year.
Quick answers
Is the cinema open on Christmas Day 2026? Often, but not everywhere. Eye is open as usual on 25 and 26 December, Rialto De Pijp is closed on 25 December, and Pathé, Vue and Kinepolis had not published Christmas hours on 22 October. A cinema with showtimes for the day is open.
Is the cinema open on Boxing Day (26 December)? Eye says it is open as usual; Rialto De Pijp's page lists no closure on 26 December. The chains had not published hours.
Is the cinema open on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day? Rialto is closed on 31 December; Eye's hours differ slightly and follow later; Forum Groningen is open from 9:00 to 19:00 and from 12:00 to 23:00 (whole building).
When do the Christmas showtimes appear? Pathé adds its programme every Monday evening after 18:00, so Thursday 24 to Wednesday 30 December appears on Monday 21 December.
Which films play at Christmas? Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three from Wednesday 16 December, Jumanji: Open World and The Angry Birds Movie 3 from Thursday 24 December, and family films such as Dikkie Dik 3, Juf Braaksel and Asterix.
Which Christmas films are for young children? Dikkie Dik 3 and Juf Braaksel are for all ages; ages of the other holiday films were not published yet.
Can I use a bioscoopbon at Pathé? Yes, for tickets only, not for drinks or snacks (Pathé).
Cover photo: Eye Filmmuseum in Amsterdam by night, 22 December 2022, Gadogado123 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (archive photo).