Christmas markets · Belgium
Christmas Markets in Belgium 2026: Dates, Best Cities and Guide
Belgium's Christmas markets covered here are in Brussels, Bruges and Ghent. Brussels' Winterpret / Plaisirs d'Hiver runs from 27 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, daily 12:00 to 22:00, from the Grand-Place to Sainte-Catherine with free entry. Bruges' Wintergloed on the Markt beneath the Belfry runs from 20 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, also free. Ghent's Winter Festivities surround St Bavo's Cathedral, with an ice rink and a Ferris wheel.
7 markets · checked October 2026
- Wintergloed Bruges (Winter Glow)2026: 20 Nov 2026 - 3 Jan 2027Free entry; skating is paid.
- Winterpret / Plaisirs d'Hiver (Winter Wonders)2026: 27 Nov 2026 - 3 Jan 2027Free entry; skating for children cost about €6 an hour in 2025.
- Gentse Winterfeesten (Ghent Winter Festivities, Christmas market)2026 dates to be confirmedFree entry; attractions are paid.
- Christmas Fairies2026 dates to be confirmedPaid: about €8 entry in 2025 according to visitors.
- Brussels Christmas Market (Kerstmarkt Brussel)2026 dates to be confirmedFree entry.
- Marché de Noël d'Ixelles (Ixelles Christmas Market)2026: 26 Nov - 29 Nov 2026Free entry.
- Christmas Makers Market (Tour & Taxis)Last season: 11-14 Dec and 18 Dec 2025 - 4 Jan 2026Tickets on site (price not stated).
🧒 With kids
✨ Date night
- Wintergloed Bruges (Winter Glow) · Bruges
- Winterpret / Plaisirs d'Hiver (Winter Wonders) · Brussels
- Gentse Winterfeesten (Ghent Winter Festivities, Christmas market) · Ghent
- Christmas Fairies · Brussels
- Brussels Christmas Market (Kerstmarkt Brussel) · Brussels
- Marché de Noël d'Ixelles (Ixelles Christmas Market) · Brussels
🎉 With friends
Bruges
Holiday market · Bruges
Wintergloed Bruges (Winter Glow)
The Bruges Christmas market on the Markt beneath the Belfry and on Simon Stevinplein, with an ice rink.
✨ Date night🧒 With kidsWhat's there
- Light route through the historic city centre, with an app
- Christmas market and skating rink on the Markt
- Second market on Simon Stevinplein
- Creative light installations
What visitors say
The light route with the app is a fun way to discover Bruges in the evening, with tasteful installations and countless Christmas stalls. On busy days parking is difficult; one or two found it not worth the trouble.
Bruges at its prettiest in winter. Come in the evening for the light route.
- 2026
- 20 Nov 2026 - 3 Jan 2027
- Last season
- 21 Nov 2025 - 4 Jan 2026
- Cost
- Free entry; skating is paid.
Getting there and parking
- From Bruges station it's a 15-minute walk, or take a bus to the Markt.
- Park at the park-and-ride at the station.
Worth knowing
- Download the light-route app beforehand.
Brussels
📷 T. Thielemans · CC BY 3.0 · 📷 Unknown · CC BY-SA 3.0 · 📷 Gordito1869 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Christmas village · Brussels
Winterpret / Plaisirs d'Hiver (Winter Wonders)
🧒 With kids✨ Date night🎉 With friendsWhat's there
- From the Grand-Place via De Brouckère to Sainte-Catherine
- Light and sound show on the Grand-Place
- Ice rink and Ferris wheel
- Hundreds of chalets
What visitors sayGoogle 4.0 ★ · 353 reviews
The lighting and the light show on the Grand-Place are impressive, and children can skate. The market is huge and spread out, so a plan helps. Criticism: the crowds, and that there are far more food stalls than original gifts.
A must in Brussels in December. Go on a weekday or early in the afternoon, and see the light show in the evening.
- 2026
- 27 Nov 2026 - 3 Jan 2027
- Cost
- Free entry; skating for children cost about €6 an hour in 2025.
Getting there and parking
- Train to Brussels-Central; metro 1/5 to Centraal Station, De Brouckère or Beurs (Bourse); trams 4 and 10.
Worth knowing
- 2026: 27 November - 3 January, daily 12:00-22:00 (24 and 31 December and 3 January until 18:00).
- Wheelchair-accessible toilets and a baby area on the route.
IllustrationHoliday market · Brussels
Christmas Fairies
🧒 With kids✨ Date nightWhat's there
- Decorated Christmas path on the third floor
- View of the Grand-Place and the light show
- Hot drinks, sometimes Santa
What visitors sayGoogle 4.1 ★ · 56 reviews
Those who want the beautifully decorated route and the view of the Grand-Place are enthusiastic, especially with children when Santa is there. Others find it really a bar with an entrance fee, and the entry price too high.
Nice as a viewpoint during the light show; not a Christmas market.
- Dates
- 2026 dates to be confirmed
- Cost
- Paid: about €8 entry in 2025 according to visitors.
📷 Sally V · CC BY-SA 4.0
Holiday market · Brussels
Brussels Christmas Market (Kerstmarkt Brussel)
🎉 With friends✨ Date nightWhat's there
- Winter Wonders around the Bourse, Sainte-Catherine and the Fish Market
- Light and video show on the Grand-Place
- Chalets with dishes from many countries
- Chips and cuberdons
What visitors sayGoogle 4.4 ★ · 42 reviews
Visitors enjoy the many chalets with international food, the beautiful video projection on the Grand-Place and the first weekend after the opening. Criticism: lots of food stalls and less craftwork than before, and heavy crowds.
One of the biggest Christmas markets in the Benelux. Come for the food and the light show.
- Dates
- 2026 dates to be confirmed
- Cost
- Free entry.
Getting there and parking
- Metro De Brouckère or Beurs; 10 minutes on foot from Brussels-Central.
Worth knowing
- It is quietest on weekdays or the first weekend after the opening.
- Stay until dark for the projection on the Grand-Place.
IllustrationHoliday market · Brussels
Marché de Noël d'Ixelles (Ixelles Christmas Market)
✨ Date night🎉 With friendsWhat's there
- Four-day Christmas market in Ixelles
- Early in the season: late November
- Entertainment according to the programme on the website
A small neighbourhood Christmas market in Ixelles, ideal for opening the season.
- 2026
- 26 Nov - 29 Nov 2026
- Cost
- Free entry.
Getting there and parking
- Tram or bus to Ixelles (Flagey / Chaussée d'Ixelles) from central Brussels.
- Illustration
Holiday market · Brussels
Christmas Makers Market (Tour & Taxis)
✨ Date night🎉 With friendsWhat's there
- Covered, in the Gare Maritime
- More than 40 lit chalets with makers and designers
- Handmade decoration and artisan products
What visitors say
On Reddit (r/brussels, 2025) visitors call it a quieter, more artisan alternative to Winter Wonders, smaller but with original gifts; some stallholders were no longer there after 28 December.
The best indoor address in Brussels for original gifts, ideal when it rains.
- Dates
- 11-14 Dec and 18 Dec 2025 - 4 Jan 2026
- Cost
- Tickets on site (price not stated).
Getting there and parking
- Tram 51 or bus 14 and 57 to Tour & Taxis; Brussels-North station is a 15-minute walk.
Worth knowing
- 12:00-20:00/21:00; closed on 25 December and 1 January (2025).
Ghent
IllustrationChristmas village · Ghent
Gentse Winterfeesten (Ghent Winter Festivities, Christmas market)
🧒 With kids🎉 With friends✨ Date nightWhat's there
- Christmas market around St Bavo's Cathedral and the centre
- Ice rink, Ferris wheel and carousels
- Free children's entertainment and Santa every day
- Performances
What visitors sayGoogle 4.1 ★ · 239 reviews
Spacious, well organised and full of life among the beautiful churches, with attractions for young and old and card payment almost everywhere. Downsides: high prices for attractions and drinks, lots of food and drink and few Christmas goods, and the deposit for cups comes back via a QR code on your account, not in cash.
One of the biggest and prettiest Christmas markets in Flanders. Take the tram from a free park-and-ride.
- Dates
- 2026 dates to be confirmed
- Cost
- Free entry; attractions are paid.
Getting there and parking
- Park for free at a park-and-ride and take a tram or bus to the centre; bicycle parking at Korenmarkt under the Sint-Michielsbrug.
Worth knowing
- Cup deposit: keep the receipt with the QR code; refund within 48 hours by bank transfer.
Christmas markets near you
More Christmas market cities
- Germany
- Cologne
- Quebec City
- Amsterdam
- Tokyo
- Valkenburg
- Nuremberg
- Zurich
- Brussels
- Colmar
- Paris
- France
- Berlin
- Prague
- Strasbourg
- Krakow
- Munich
- Maastricht
- Montreux
- Frankfurt
- Switzerland
- Bruges
- Valencia
- Salzburg
- Italy
- Dresden
- Barcelona
- Basel
- Bucharest
- Copenhagen
- Stockholm
- Montreal
- Geneva
- Ghent
- Amsterdam Light Festival
- Gdansk
- Rome
- Tallinn
- Lisbon
- Oslo
- Poland
- Hamburg
- Lille
- Madrid
- Austria
- Netherlands
- Wroclaw
- Dusseldorf
- Milan
- Vienna
- Rothenburg ob der Tauber
- Innsbruck
- Riga
- Stuttgart
- Aachen
- Bratislava
- Helsinki
- Warsaw
- Heidelberg
- Budapest
- Venice
- Spain
- Malaga
- Florence
- Vilnius
- Lithuania
- Croatia
- Seville
- Nice
- Greece
- Bremen
- Ljubljana
- Slovenia
- Lyon
- Turkey
- Leipzig