IllustrationChristmas markets · Auckland · Wellington · Christchurch · Hamilton · Dunedin
Christmas markets in New Zealand 2026: 84 markets in 20 towns
From Downtown, Ponsonby, Matakana and Kumeu in Auckland to Tākina and Cuba Street in Wellington, The Goode in Christchurch and twilight markets from Whangārei to Invercargill: 84 Christmas markets in 20 towns, with 2026 dates as they're announced.
📍 Find a market near meuntil Christmas
Find a Christmas market near you
We list the Christmas markets announced by the organisers, venues, councils and local press in every city and regional centre — not school or church fetes. House light displays are in our Christmas lights guide. Most NZ Christmas markets are a single day or evening, so check the date before you go.
The most searched Christmas markets in 2026
Christmas markets by town and city
🧒 With kids
- Downtown Christmas Market · Auckland
- German Christmas Market (Titirangi) · Auckland
- Orewa Christmas Twilight Market · Auckland
- Howick Village Christmas Fair · Auckland
- Cathedral Christmas Market (Parnell) · Auckland
- Karanga Plaza Christmas Market · Auckland
✨ Date night
- Ponsonby Central Christmas Market · Auckland
- Ponsonby Christmas Market Day · Auckland
- Orewa Christmas Twilight Market · Auckland
- Karanga Plaza Christmas Market · Auckland
- Food Art Market Kirihimete Special (K Road) · Auckland
- Matakana Christmas Market · Auckland
🎉 With friends
- Downtown Christmas Market · Auckland
- Ponsonby Central Christmas Market · Auckland
- Ponsonby Christmas Market Day · Auckland
- German Christmas Market (Titirangi) · Auckland
- Orewa Christmas Twilight Market · Auckland
- Howick Village Christmas Fair · Auckland
Christmas markets in other towns
Blenheim
IllustrationOne-day Christmas market · Blenheim
Mistletoe Market
Blenheim's largest Christmas market, run by the Lions Club on the first Saturday of December: over 180 stalls in its new Pollard Park setting, 9am–3pm.
🧒 With kids🎉 With friendsWhat's there
- Blenheim's largest Christmas market — over 180 stalls
- New setting in Churchill Glade, Pollard Park
- Run by the Lions Club, family-friendly
Marlborough's big Christmas market morning — shady park, lots of stalls.
- Dates
- 6 Dec 2025
- Cost
- Free entry.
Getting there and parking
- Churchill Glade, Pollard Park, Blenheim.
Worth knowing
- 2025: Saturday 6 December, 9am–3pm (always the first Saturday of December).
Feilding
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One-day Christmas market · Feilding
Feilding Christmas Farmers Market
The Friday farmers' market's special Christmas edition in Feilding's town centre, from 8.30am.
🎉 With friends🧒 With kidsWhat's there
- Special Christmas edition of an award-winning farmers' market
- Manchester Square under the clock tower
- Local produce, baking and food
What visitors say
About the Friday market: a friendly small-town market with fresh produce, baking, whitebait patties and live music, and a former three-time Farmers Market of the Year. Regulars say it has shrunk and some find it pricey.
Worth the 20-minute drive from Palmerston North for Christmas produce and a wander round Feilding.
- Dates
- 19 Dec 2025
- Cost
- Free entry.
Getting there and parking
- Manchester Street / Manchester Square, Feilding town centre.
- About 20 minutes from Palmerston North.
Worth knowing
- 2025: Friday 19 December, from 8.30am.
Gore
IllustrationOne-day Christmas market · Gore
Gore Christmas Market
Gore's community Christmas market, which gives its proceeds to local charities — next on Sunday 6 December 2026.
🧒 With kids🎉 With friendsWhat's there
- Gore's community Christmas market
- Proceeds go to local charities
A small-town market with a good cause.
- 2026
- 6 Dec 2026
- Cost
- Free entry.
Getting there and parking
- Gore town centre.
Worth knowing
- 2026: Sunday 6 December. Gore's Santa Parade is on Sunday 13 December 2026.
Greytown
IllustrationMidwinter Christmas festival · Greytown
Greytown Festival of Christmas (midwinter)
A midwinter Christmas month in Greytown's Victorian main street: light displays, night markets, workshops, festive food, live entertainment and even snow. The 2026 festival ran 27 June – 25 July.
✨ Date night🧒 With kids🎉 With friendsWhat's there
- A midwinter Christmas in July
- Light displays along Greytown's Victorian main street
- Night markets, workshops and festive food
- Live entertainment — and snow
The one place in New Zealand to have a cold, cosy Christmas — a lovely winter weekend in the Wairarapa.
- 2026
- 27 Jun – 25 Jul 2026
- Last season
- 27 Jun – 26 Jul 2025
- Cost
- Free to wander; some workshops and events are ticketed.
Getting there and parking
- Main Street, Greytown — about 1 hour 15 minutes from Wellington.
- Train to Woodside on the Wairarapa Line, then a short bus or taxi.
Worth knowing
- 2025: 27 June – 26 July. 2026: 27 June – 25 July.
- Book Greytown accommodation early for festival weekends.
Masterton
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One-day Christmas market · Masterton
Masterton Christmas Fair
Masterton's main street turns into a Christmas fair, 9am–3pm: handcrafts, clothing, artwork, food and entertainment, run by the Rotary Club of Masterton South for local causes.
🧒 With kids🎉 With friendsWhat's there
- Queen Street turned into a Christmas fair
- Handcrafts, clothing, artwork and food
- Entertainment
- Run by Rotary for local causes
Wairarapa's big Christmas shopping day — worth a trip over the hill.
- Dates
- 6 Dec 2025
- Cost
- Free entry.
Getting there and parking
- Queen Street, Masterton — Masterton train station (Wairarapa Line) is in town.
- About 1.5 hours' drive from Wellington over the Remutaka Hill.
Worth knowing
- 2025: Saturday 6 December, 9am–3pm.
Napier
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One-day Christmas market · Napier
Park Island Christmas Market
An afternoon Christmas market at Napier's Park Island sports grounds, 2–6pm, free for all ages.
🧒 With kids🎉 With friendsWhat's there
- Afternoon Christmas market at Park Island
- Free for all ages
Napier's easy-going Christmas market — a good mid-December afternoon.
- Dates
- 14 Dec 2025
- Cost
- Free entry.
Getting there and parking
- Park Island, Napier.
Worth knowing
- 2025: Sunday 14 December, 2pm–6pm.
Ohoka
- Illustration
One-day Christmas market · Ohoka
Ohoka Christmas Farmers' Market
Two Christmas-themed Friday mornings at one of Canterbury's largest farmers' markets, 9am–12.30pm, about 20 minutes from Christchurch.
🧒 With kids🎉 With friendsWhat's there
- Two Christmas-themed Fridays at one of Canterbury's largest farmers' markets
- Local food artisans and crafters
- Playground next door, dogs welcome
- Live music
What visitors say
About the Ohoka market: people rate it among the best farmers' markets in Canterbury — fresh produce, bread, cheese, whitebait sandwiches and crafts under tall trees, with a playground for kids. Common complaints are slow coffee queues and parking; at a past Christmas market one visitor arrived before 9am and found stalls already trading since 7.45.
A beautiful country market — go early for Christmas baking and a park.
- Dates
- 12 & 19 Dec 2025
- Cost
- Free entry.
Getting there and parking
- Ohoka Domain, corner of Mill and Whites Roads — about 20 minutes' drive from Christchurch.
Worth knowing
- 2025: Fridays 12 and 19 December, 9am–12.30pm.
- Arrive before 9am — bread and eggs sell out and the car park fills.
Queenstown
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One-day Christmas market · Queenstown
Queenstown Market Christmas Double Market
The lakefront artisan market adds an extra day before Christmas for a festive double market of handmade gifts.
🎉 With friends✨ Date nightWhat's there
- Extra pre-Christmas market day on the lakefront
- Handmade gifts — candles, ceramics, merino, jewellery
- Live music by Lake Wakatipu
What visitors say
About the Saturday market: visitors like the handmade, NZ-made goods and the lakefront backdrop with live music; some find it small and on the pricey side for tourists.
Queenstown's only Christmas market — small, but the setting is unbeatable.
- Dates
- 2026 dates to be confirmed
- Cost
- Free entry.
Getting there and parking
- Earnslaw Park on the Queenstown lakefront, Beach Street.
- Paid parking in town — walk if you're staying central.
Worth knowing
- Check the market's site for the December double-market dates.
Richmond
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One-day Christmas market · Richmond
Pretty Crafty Christmas Market
A handmade Christmas craft market in Richmond Town Hall — the 2026 edition is listed for Sunday 8 November from 10am.
🎉 With friendsWhat's there
- Handmade Christmas crafts in Richmond Town Hall
An early-season craft market for Richmond and Tasman.
- 2026
- 8 Nov 2026
- Cost
- See the listing.
Getting there and parking
- Richmond Town Hall, Richmond — about 15 minutes from Nelson.
Worth knowing
- 2026: Sunday 8 November, from 10am.
Taupō
- Illustration
One-day Christmas market · Taupō
Taupō Christmas Night Market
Market Central Taupō's Thursday evening Christmas night market, opening the summer Dinner at the Lake series.
🎉 With friends🧒 With kids✨ Date nightWhat's there
- Christmas night market of Market Central Taupō
- Opens the summer Dinner at the Lake series
- Lakefront evening
A summer evening by the lake with Christmas stalls — a good holiday stop.
- Dates
- 18 Dec 2025
- Cost
- Free entry.
Getting there and parking
- Market Central Taupō, lakefront, central Taupō.
Worth knowing
- 2025: Thursday 18 December (evening).
Waihī Beach
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One-day Christmas market · Waihī Beach
Waihī Beach Pop-Up Christmas Market
A pop-up Christmas market at the beach community centre, from 10am.
🧒 With kids🎉 With friendsWhat's there
- Pop-up Christmas market at the community centre
- Beach town summer holiday feel
A small local market — worth a stop if you're at the beach.
- Dates
- 13 Dec 2025
- Cost
- Free entry.
Getting there and parking
- Waihī Beach Community Centre.
Worth knowing
- 2025: Saturday 13 December, from 10am.
Waipū
- Illustration
One-day Christmas market · Waipū
Waipū Christmas Market
The Waipū Street Market team's new Christmas market, 12–6pm on the Sunday before Christmas, with more than 180 stalls booked.
🧒 With kids🎉 With friendsWhat's there
- New Christmas market from the Waipū Street Market team
- More than 180 stalls
- Caledonian Park, afternoon into evening
Northland's biggest Christmas market — worth the drive from Whangārei or Auckland.
- Dates
- 21 Dec 2025
- Cost
- Free entry.
Getting there and parking
- Caledonian Park, Waipū — about 40 minutes south of Whangārei, 1.5 hours north of Auckland.
Worth knowing
- 2025: Sunday 21 December, 12pm–6pm.
Christmas markets, Kiwi style
Christmas falls in early summer, so New Zealand's markets are makers' markets for one day or one evening rather than month-long villages: Auckland's Downtown Christmas Market fills Britomart for one Saturday in mid-December, Ponsonby, Matakana and Kumeu have their own, and many towns hold twilight or night markets — Orewa, Palmerston North's Magic of Christmas, Whanganui, Waikanae. Greytown even celebrates a midwinter Christmas in July.
What to eat, drink and buy
Coffee, fresh fruit, ice cream, local wine and craft beer, and food trucks of every kind. To take home: handmade gifts, ceramics, prints, jewellery, natural skincare and pounamu and woodwork from local makers.
Tips for a good visit
Most markets are one day only — go early, as the best stalls sell out. Bring sunscreen and a hat, cash as well as cards, and take the train or ferry into Britomart rather than driving.
Questions
- When are the Christmas markets in 2026?
- In 2025 most ran from mid-November to Christmas Eve: Nelson's Great Christmas Market and Dunedin's Edgar Centre market on 23 November, Auckland's Downtown Christmas Market on 13 December, Matakana and Kumeu on 21 December. Each card shows whether the 2026 date is confirmed.
- What is the biggest Christmas market in Auckland?
- The Downtown Christmas Market at Britomart — two markets in one, in Takutai Square and Te Komititanga. Kumeu (120+ stalls) and Matakana are the big ones out of town.
- Are there German-style Christmas markets in New Zealand?
- Not month-long ones — the markets here are summer makers' markets. Auckland has a one-day German Christmas Market in Titirangi with pretzels and mulled wine, and Wellington a Polish Christmas market in Newtown.