In December 2026 Groningen has Winterstad, a Christmas market with an ice rink and a Ferris wheel on the Grote Markt from 27 November to 3 January, WinterWelVaart's lit historic ships in the A-kwartier on 11–13 December, the Swedish Christmas market in the Suikerfabriek on 12–13 December and Holiday on Ice in Martiniplaza on 10–13 December. Christmas concerts fill De Oosterpoort, the Martinikerk and the Akerk, and indoor skating at Sportcentrum Kardinge costs €10.30, or €7.60 for ages 4 to 17. The school holiday runs from Saturday 19 December to Sunday 3 January.
Checked 28 October 2026. Not announced yet: Winterstad's prices for the rink and the rides and its hours on the holidays; the Wintergoud programme and WinterWelVaart's programme on the ships; the lighting of the Christmas tree on the Grote Markt; whether Winterstad holds a joint countdown on 31 December.
Groningen in December 2026 at a glance
| What | When | Where | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winterstad (Christmas market, ice rink, Ferris wheel) | Friday 27 November – Sunday 3 January, daily | Grote Markt | Free to walk around; the rides cost money |
| Holiday on Ice: Cinema of Dreams | Thursday 10 – Sunday 13 December | Martiniplaza | From €35.15 |
| WinterWelVaart and its market | Friday 11 – Sunday 13 December | From the A-kwartier to the Grote Markt | No entry fee listed |
| Swedish Christmas market (Zweedse Kerstmarkt) | Saturday 12 – Sunday 13 December, 10:00–17:00 | Suikerfabriek, Suikerlaan 10 | €10; under 12 free |
| Christmas City Walk | Saturday 12 – Sunday 13 December, 15:00–20:00 | Four venues in the centre | Free, no ticket |
| Indoor horse show IICH Groningen | Monday 21 December – Saturday 9 January | Martiniplaza | Prices and times not announced yet |
Evenitto collects the season's events on these pages:
- Christmas markets in Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe
- New Year's Eve in Groningen and Sinterklaas in Groningen
- Classical music, theatre and cinema in Groningen
Things to do in Groningen in December, week by week
December 2026 in Groningen runs from De Mega Sint Show on 4 December to New Year's Eve, with Winterstad on the Grote Markt all month, a weekend full of markets on 11–13 December and the school holiday from 19 December.
| Week | Highlights | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday 1 – Sunday 6 December | De Mega Sint Show (4 December), pakjesavond, the Sinterklaas gift evening (Saturday 5 December), the Christmas market in Bourtange (5–6 December) | In 2025 the Christmas tree on the Grote Markt was lit on 6 December |
| Monday 7 – Sunday 13 December | Holiday on Ice (10–13 December), WinterWelVaart (11–13 December), the Stadspark Nightrun (11 December), the Swedish Christmas market and the Christmas City Walk (12–13 December), Handel's Messiah in the Martinikerk (12 December) | WinterWelVaart is a week earlier than in 2025, when it fell on 19–21 December |
| Monday 14 – Sunday 20 December | Bach Collegium Japan's Messiah (14 December), Titanique (18–20 December), Bach's Christmas Oratorio and the start of the school holiday (19 December), the Christmas market in Haren (19–20 December), Kerstplaza, the indoor winter funfair in the Eurohal in Zuidbroek, not in Martiniplaza (from 19 December) | Sunday 20 December is a shopping Sunday in Haren |
| Monday 21 – Sunday 27 December | The IICH horse show opens (21 December), the Grootkoor Groningen (23 December), Lessons and Carols and Mijn Vrede (from 24 December), Hans Klok (25–27 December) | Christmas Day is a Friday, so 25–27 December is a long weekend |
| Monday 28 December – Sunday 3 January | My First Festival and Top 2000 Live (29 December), New Year's Eve parties (31 December), Winterstad's last day (3 January) | Consumer fireworks are banned nationwide, and Groningen grants no exemptions |
In January the city stays busy: Eurosonic Noorderslag (ESNS) fills Groningen's venues from Wednesday 13 to Saturday 16 January 2027, according to ESNS.
Wintergoud 2026: Groningen's winter programme
Wintergoud is the umbrella name for Groningen's winter programme, which runs from Friday 27 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027 with the Grote Markt at its centre. Winterstad, WinterWelVaart and the Christmas market in Haren are part of it. Local businesses and event organisers put the programme together, under the direction of the municipality, according to wintergoud.nl.
Its FAQ, still written for 2025, says many events are free and that you pay for the rides on the Grote Markt and for food and drink. The 2026 programme page was still empty on 28 October.
Winterstad on the Grote Markt
Winterstad is the Christmas market on the Grote Markt, open every day from Friday 27 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027. Besides the stalls it has a winter café with live music, an ice rink, a Ferris wheel, a Christmas train and a ride called the Christmas Ride, according to Winterstad Groningen.
| Part of Winterstad | Opening hours |
|---|---|
| Christmas market stalls | 11:00–21:00 |
| Ice rink | 11:00–22:00 |
| Rides | 11:00–22:00 |
| Winter café, food and drink, Ferris wheel | 11:00–00:00 |
On busy weekends the market and the rides can stay open later, until midnight at the latest, says Winterstad's opening hours page. Prices for the rink, the Ferris wheel and the rides, and the hours on 24, 25 and 31 December, are not announced yet (checked 28 October).
WinterWelVaart in the A-kwartier, 11–13 December
WinterWelVaart 2026, the 19th edition, moors about twenty lit historic ships along the Hoge, Lage and Kleine der A and the Pottebakkersrijge in Groningen's A-kwartier from Friday 11 to Sunday 13 December. The skippers invite visitors on board, and the ships, Museumcafé Het Pomphuis, the A-Theater and the Akerk host music, theatre, talks, exhibitions and workshops. Museum aan de A organises it, according to winterwelvaart.nl.
The city's events plan of December 2025 still gave 18–20 December; the organiser's date is 11–13 December. The programme on the ships and its times are not announced yet (checked 28 October).
The WinterWelVaart/Wintergoud market links the A-kwartier to Winterstad that weekend, with stalls and wooden chalets on the quays of the A, on the squares around the Akerk and the Akerkhof, in the Turftorenstraat, on the Broerplein and the Oude Boteringestraat, and on the Grote Markt. Its opening hours are longer than in 2025:
- Friday 11 and Saturday 12 December: 12:00–22:00
- Sunday 13 December: 12:00–20:00
WinterWelVaart also sails to Slochteren on 12–13 December and to Zoutkamp, Sappemeer and Delfzijl on Saturday 19 December.
Christmas markets in the Suikerfabriek, Haren and Bourtange
The Swedish Christmas market (Zweedse Kerstmarkt) fills Groningen's old Suikerfabriek on the Suikerlaan on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 December 2026, from 10:00 to 17:00, with more than 100 Scandinavian pop-up shops, workshops, live music and food and drink. A ticket costs €10; children under 12 go in free and need no ticket, according to its practical information.
| Market | When | Where | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kerstmarkt Hoornse Meer | Saturday 12 December, 10:30–16:30 | S. Allendeplein | Not announced yet |
| Kerstmarkt Haren | Saturday 19 – Sunday 20 December, 11:00–17:00 | Around the Dorpskerk, Haren | No entry fee listed |
| Kerstmarkt Bourtange | 5–6, 12–13 and 19–20 December | Vesting Bourtange, in the east of the province | Ticket required |
The Hoornse Meer market is only in the municipality's event calendar, which lists the events whose organisers applied for a permit; its organiser had not published 2026 details on 28 October. The markets of Friesland and Drenthe are on Christmas markets in Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe, and the rest of the country in our Christmas markets guide.
Getting there, toilets and accessibility
- Getting there: Wintergoud calls the bike the easiest way in. By car, park for free at a P+R site on the edge of the city and take the bus: a return for five people costs €6.25 together, according to Groningen Bereikbaar.
- Toilets: in 2025 the Grote Markt had a toilet and a wheelchair-accessible toilet to the right of the winter café, according to Wintergoud's visitor page, which still describes 2025.
- Accessibility: Wintergoud says its venues and the route of the Christmas markets are wheelchair accessible.
- Shopping: many shops in the centre open longer during Wintergoud, and each shop sets its own hours. In 2025 a free gift-wrapping station stood in front of the Groningen Store in the Forum.
Ice skating in Groningen in December
Groningen has three places to skate in December 2026: the outdoor rink of Winterstad on the Grote Markt (27 November – 3 January), the indoor Sportcentrum Kardinge, whose 400-metre track and ice-hockey hall are open until Sunday 21 March 2027, and the Schaatshuisplein on the Raadhuisplein in Haren, which is in the municipality's event calendar for 11–27 December.
| Ticket at Kardinge | Price |
|---|---|
| Single entry, ages 4–17 | €7.60 |
| Single entry, 18 and over | €10.30 |
| Single entry, 67 and over | €7.60 |
| 12-ride card | €102.90; €76.05 for ages 4–17 and 67 and over |
| Companion who does not skate | €2.25, coffee or tea included |
| Skate hire | €6.50; clap skates €15; helmet €2 |
Kardinge's prices are from Sport050's skating page and apply until 31 July 2027. Gloves are compulsory on the ice.
On Saturday from 14:15 and Sunday before 13:00 a family ticket covers up to five people from one family, and on Wednesday afternoons and every afternoon of the school holidays the ice-hockey hall holds a children's afternoon with sledges and skating frames. Kardinge is open every day, but competitions often change the skating times, so check the daily schedule before you go.
The temporary rinks in the rest of the country are on ice rinks this winter and in our ice rinks guide.
Christmas concerts in Groningen 2026
Groningen's Christmas concerts in December 2026 run from Holland Baroque's Noël Nomade on 10 December to the Roder Jongenskoor's Lessons and Carols in the Akerk on Christmas Eve, with three performances of Handel's Messiah and Bach's Christmas Oratorio in between.
| Concert | When | Where | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holland Baroque & Les Itinérantes: Noël Nomade | Thursday 10 December, 20:15 | De Oosterpoort | €37.50; €15 up to age 29 |
| Handel's Messiah: The Bach Choir & Orchestra of the Netherlands | Saturday 12 December, 15:45 | Martinikerk | See the ticket page |
| Clean Pete's Kerstshow | Saturday 12 December, 20:30 | De Oosterpoort | €28 |
| Anúna: On a Cold Winter's Night | Saturday 12 December, 20:30 | Nieuwe Kerk | €37 |
| Handel's Messiah: Bach Collegium Japan | Monday 14 December, 20:15 | De Oosterpoort | €57.75–€67.75; €15 up to age 29 |
| Bach's Christmas Oratorio: Noord Nederlands Orkest | Saturday 19 December, 19:30 | De Oosterpoort | €18.50–€44.50; €15 up to age 29 |
| Handel's Messiah: Luthers Bach Ensemble | Tuesday 22 December, 19:30 | Martinikerk | See the ticket page |
| Grootkoor Groningen and the Martini Brassband | Wednesday 23 December, 20:00–22:15 | Martinikerk | See the ticket page |
| Roder Jongenskoor: Festival of Lessons and Carols | Thursday 24 December, 19:30 | Akerk | €30; €15 for ages 13–21, €10 up to 12 |
The Noord Nederlands Orkest plays parts 1, 4, 5 and 6 of the Christmas Oratorio (Weihnachtsoratorium). Times and prices are from SPOT Groningen, which runs De Oosterpoort and the Stadsschouwburg, the Martinikerk's agenda, the Luthers Bach Ensemble, the Grootkoor with GO-tickets, and the Roder Jongenskoor.
More concerts in the north are on classical music in Groningen, and the national overview is in our Christmas concerts guide.
Christmas shows and family outings in Groningen
Groningen's Christmas shows in December 2026 are mostly in Martiniplaza and the SPOT theatres: Holiday on Ice from 10 December, Titanique on 18–20 December, Hans Klok over Christmas and My First Festival for ages 2 to 12 on 29 December.
Holiday on Ice brings Cinema of Dreams to Martiniplaza from Thursday 10 to Sunday 13 December 2026: a two-hour ice show with a cast of 37 skaters and acrobats, built around film genres, according to Martiniplaza's show page. It plays at 19:30 on Thursday 10 and Friday 11 December, from €35.15, and at 15:00 and 19:30 on Saturday 12 and 12:30 and 16:00 on Sunday 13 December, from €40.15.
| Show | When | Where | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alice in Wonderland (8+) | Saturday 12 December, 19:00 | Stadsschouwburg | €16.50–€22.50 |
| Titanique | Friday 18 and Saturday 19 December 20:00, Sunday 20 December 14:00 | Martiniplaza | From €41.20 |
| Dirk Scheele: Winterpret (ages 2–7) | Sunday 20 December, 15:00 | Martiniplaza | From €18.70 |
| Pippi en de Piraten (6+) | Tuesday 22 December, 14:30 | Stadsschouwburg | €16.50–€22.50 |
| Aladdin, the musical | Wednesday 23 December, 13:30 | Martiniplaza | From €36.70 |
| Marcel Hensema: Mijn Vrede | Thursday 24 December 19:30 and 22:00; Friday 25 and Saturday 26 December 14:30 | Stadsschouwburg | From €12.50; the best seats are sold out |
| Kerstplaza Groningen (indoor winter funfair) | Saturday 19 December – Sunday 3 January, closed 31 December | Eurohal, Zuidbroek | Prices not announced yet |
| Hans Klok: The Illusionists | Friday 25 – Sunday 27 December, 15:00 | Martiniplaza | From €69.70 |
| Grondtonen (9+) | Monday 28 – Wednesday 30 December, 19:30 on 28 December | De Machinefabriek | €10 |
| My First Festival (ages 2–12) | Tuesday 29 December, 11:00 | De Oosterpoort | €22.50; €19.50 for ages 2–18 |
The Martiniplaza times and prices are from its pages for Titanique, Dirk Scheele, whose sing-along show is for ages 2 to 7, Aladdin and Hans Klok. SPOT gives the minimum ages of Alice in Wonderland, Pippi en de Piraten and Grondtonen on its programme; Grondtonen plays try-outs on 28, 29 and 30 December.
Circus Barum has applied for a permit for the Stadspark event grounds from Wednesday 16 December to Sunday 3 January, according to the municipality's event calendar; we found no shows or tickets on sale for Groningen on 28 October. The Groninger Museum is free for everyone up to and including 18.
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Groningen
On Thursday 24 December 2026, Christmas Eve, the Roder Jongenskoor sings its Festival of Lessons and Carols in the Akerk at 19:30, with doors open at 18:45, and the actor Marcel Hensema plays Mijn Vrede, billed as the Christmas story of Groningen, in the Stadsschouwburg at 19:30 and 22:00. On 28 October the 19:30 show had only third- and fourth-tier seats left, at €18.50 and €12.50, and the 22:00 show also had second-tier seats at €22.
On Christmas Day, Friday 25 December 2026, Mijn Vrede plays the Stadsschouwburg in Groningen at 14:30 and Hans Klok's The Illusionists starts at 15:00 in Martiniplaza. The Groninger Museum is closed that day and on 1 January, and open on Saturday 26 December from 10:00 to 17:00; it is closed on Mondays, including 28 December. A ticket costs €19.50, €10 for students, and the Museumkaart is valid.
31 December in Groningen: no consumer fireworks
Consumers may not set off fireworks in Groningen on New Year's Eve 2026: a national ban on consumer fireworks has applied since 1 August 2026, and the municipality decided on 25 August to grant clubs and foundations no exemptions. Only category F1 is still allowed, such as sparklers, knalerwten (bang snaps) and party poppers, according to the municipality's New Year's Eve page.
- City centre: the municipality told the city council in June that the city will have no big central countdown with a light or fireworks show on 31 December 2026, and that it is looking with Winterstad's organisers at another way to count down together, as RTV Noord reported on 3 June. In 2025 the city counted down on the Vismarkt with 3,2,1 Goud & Nieuw, according to Visit Groningen's winter page.
- Ten Boer: the village, part of the municipality, has held a New Year's event with a professional fireworks show in recent years, and the municipality says in its news of 26 August that it will look at a new application constructively. An end-of-year party on the Sportlaan, from 20:00 on 31 December to 05:00, is in the event calendar.
- Parties: KopjeK New Years Eve on the Drafbaan in the Stadspark, FLONK NYE Special in Stadslab and Happy Feelings NYE in the Graanfabriek.
More parties and shows are on New Year's Eve in Groningen, the New Year's dives are on New Year's dive 2027, and what the ban means for you is in our fireworks ban guide.
What's the weather like in Groningen in December?
December in Groningen is cold, dark and wet. The KNMI climate table for Eelde, the weather station south of the city, gives a 1991–2020 December average of 3.5 °C, with an average high of 5.9 °C and low of 0.8 °C. The month brings 79.4 mm of rain and 56.1 hours of sunshine. On average 12.4 nights drop below freezing, 2.9 days stay below freezing all day, and snow falls on 4.4 days.
Quick answers
What is there to do in Groningen in December 2026? Winterstad on the Grote Markt (27 November – 3 January), WinterWelVaart (11–13 December), the Swedish Christmas market (12–13 December), Holiday on Ice (10–13 December), skating at Kardinge and Christmas concerts in De Oosterpoort, the Martinikerk and the Akerk.
When is WinterWelVaart 2026? From Friday 11 to Sunday 13 December in the A-kwartier, with its market open until 22:00 on Friday and Saturday and until 20:00 on Sunday. It also visits Slochteren (12–13 December) and Zoutkamp, Sappemeer and Delfzijl (Saturday 19 December).
When is the Swedish Christmas market in Groningen in 2026? On Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 December 2026, from 10:00 to 17:00, in the Suikerfabriek on the Suikerlaan. A ticket costs €10; children under 12 go in free.
Where can I ice skate in Groningen in December? On Winterstad's rink on the Grote Markt (prices not announced yet), indoors at Sportcentrum Kardinge (€10.30, or €7.60 for ages 4 to 17, with skates for hire from €6.50), or on the Schaatshuisplein in Haren.
When is Holiday on Ice in Groningen? In Martiniplaza from Thursday 10 to Sunday 13 December 2026, six shows, from €35.15.
What's open in Groningen on Christmas Day? Winterstad is open every day, but its Christmas Day hours are not announced yet. Mijn Vrede plays the Stadsschouwburg at 14:30 and Hans Klok plays Martiniplaza at 15:00; the Groninger Museum is closed and opens again on 26 December.
Can I set off fireworks in Groningen on New Year's Eve 2026? No. Consumer fireworks have been banned nationwide since 1 August 2026, and Groningen grants no exemptions; sparklers and other F1 fireworks are allowed.
Where can I see everything on in Groningen in December? On Evenitto's pages for New Year's Eve in Groningen and Christmas markets in Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe, and the agendas of Martiniplaza, SPOT and the Stadsschouwburg.
Cover photo: historic ships lit up for WinterWelVaart on the Hoge der A in Groningen in December 2016, Hardscarf, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.