Guides · Copenhagen
Copenhagen Christmas Market 2026: Tivoli, Nyhavn & More
By Viktorija Dvariskyte · Marketing Manager
Marketing Manager
The biggest Copenhagen Christmas market, Christmas in Tivoli, runs from Friday 13 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027 in the historic Tivoli Gardens, closing on Christmas Eve. Beyond Tivoli, Copenhagen's free Christmas markets set up along the Nyhavn canal and on the old squares of Nytorv and Gammeltorv, though most had not published exact 2026 dates at the time of writing.
Danish Christmas is all about hygge, the cosy feeling of candles, warm drinks and good company, and the city's markets deliver it in spades. This guide covers the 5 best ways to enjoy a Copenhagen Christmas market trip, from Tivoli to Nyhavn, the City Hall Square and Christiania. Each entry has the location, the nearest metro or train station and a Pro Tip.
The order starts at Tivoli, opposite Copenhagen Central Station, then moves across the City Hall Square to the old town squares of Nytorv and Gammeltorv, continues to Nyhavn, and finishes across the harbour in Christiania.
Check dates for Copenhagen
See what is available on your dates.
1Christmas in Tivoli - The Main Copenhagen Christmas Market
Tivoli Gardens, opened in 1843 and one of the oldest amusement parks in the world, becomes a winter wonderland for Christmas in Tivoli. The 2026 season runs from 13 November to 3 January 2027, closing on 24 December. Hundreds of thousands of lights cover the trees, rides and pavilions, and wooden stalls sell Danish Christmas treats, decorations and gifts.
Food stalls serve æbleskiver (round pancake balls with jam and powdered sugar), honey cakes, roast pork sandwiches and gløgg, the Danish mulled wine with raisins and almonds. Many of the park's rides stay open, and the lake becomes the centrepiece of the light displays.
Unlike the other Copenhagen markets, Tivoli charges an entry fee, with ride tickets sold separately.
2Nyhavn Christmas Market - Stalls Along the Canal
Nyhavn, the 17th-century canal lined with brightly painted townhouses and old wooden ships, is the most photographed spot in Copenhagen, and its Christmas market is the most picturesque. Wooden stalls line the quayside, selling gløgg, æbleskiver, Danish crafts and gifts.
The fairy-tale writer Hans Christian Andersen lived in several houses along Nyhavn, and the cafés and restaurants that fill the old buildings make it a cosy place to warm up. Entry to the market is free.
Exact 2026 dates had not been published at the time of writing; in recent years the market has run from mid-November until shortly before Christmas.
3Hans Christian Andersen Christmas Market on Nytorv and Gammeltorv
The Hans Christian Andersen Christmas Market sets up on Nytorv and Gammeltorv, two connected squares in the old town, beside the neoclassical Copenhagen Court House. The market celebrates the city's most famous author, with fairy-tale decorations and characters from his stories.
Stalls sell Danish Christmas food and drink, handmade decorations and gifts, and the market sits at the start of Strøget, Copenhagen's long pedestrian shopping street, which is decorated with lights for the season.
Dates and the exact layout for 2026 had not been confirmed at the time of writing; check Visit Copenhagen before you go. It is one of the most central and easy-to-reach Copenhagen Christmas market sites.
Check dates for Copenhagen
See what is available on your dates.
4City Hall Square Christmas Market - New for 2026
Copenhagen's City Hall Square (Rådhuspladsen) is expected to host a new Christmas market in 2026, reportedly running from 11 to 20 December. The square, dominated by the red-brick City Hall and its clock tower, is the city's official Christmas tree location and sits right next to Tivoli.
The City Hall itself is home to Jens Olsen's World Clock, an astronomical clock that is one of the most complex mechanical clocks ever built, and the clock tower can be climbed on guided tours for a view over the city.
As a new event, details may change, so check the official programme before planning around it.
5Christiania Christmas Market - Crafts in the Grey Hall
Freetown Christiania, the alternative community founded in 1971 in former military barracks, hosts one of Copenhagen's most unusual Christmas markets in its Grey Hall (Den Grå Hal). The indoor market is known for handmade crafts, clothing, jewellery and gifts from local makers, with a relaxed, creative atmosphere.
It usually runs for a couple of weeks in December, and food and drink stalls add to the festive mood. Christiania has its own rules, and photography is restricted in some areas, so follow the signs.
Check Christiania's official channels for 2026 dates, which are usually announced in the autumn. It is the most alternative Copenhagen Christmas market on this list.
Take this guide with you
Get every place in this guide, with addresses and map links, in your inbox — easy to open on your phone during the trip.
One email to the address on your account. No newsletter.
Copenhagen Christmas Market 2026: Tivoli, Nyhavn & More - FAQ
Christmas in Tivoli runs from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. The free market on Nytorv and Gammeltorv opens earliest, from 6 November to 21 December, and the City Hall Square market runs from 11 to 20 December. Nyhavn had not published 2026 dates at the time of writing.
Tivoli charges an entry fee, and rides cost extra. All the other Copenhagen Christmas markets, including Nyhavn, Nytorv and Gammeltorv, City Hall Square and Christiania, are free to enter.
Tivoli is opposite Copenhagen Central Station. For Nyhavn, take the metro to Kongens Nytorv, and for Christiania use Christianshavn station. Trains and the M2 metro link Copenhagen Airport with the centre in about 15 minutes.
Tivoli is closed on Christmas Eve, and in the 2025 season it also closed on Christmas Day, so check tivoli.dk before you go. The free city markets finish before Christmas, with City Hall Square closing on 20 December and Nytorv and Gammeltorv on 21 December.
Yes, Tivoli reopens after Christmas and stays open until 3 January 2027, making it the best option between Christmas and New Year. Most of the free markets in the city centre close before 24 December.
The main market is inside Tivoli Gardens at Vesterbrogade 3. Nytorv and Gammeltorv are just off Strøget, about 200 metres from City Hall Square, Nyhavn's stalls line the canal, and the Christiania market is held indoors in the Grey Hall.
Weekday afternoons are the calmest. The sun sets around 3.40pm in December, so the lights come on early and you can enjoy them without staying out late. Tivoli is busiest on Friday and Saturday evenings.
Tivoli is the most magical and the only ticketed one. Nyhavn is the most photogenic, Nytorv and Gammeltorv is the largest free market, City Hall Square adds a short December market, and Christiania's Grey Hall has run an alternative craft market since the 1970s.
Yes. New for 2026, the Nytorv and Gammeltorv market has a free ice rink with free skate rental. Tivoli also has a rink inside the gardens.
Try æbleskiver, round pancake balls with jam and powdered sugar, and gløgg, Danish mulled wine with raisins and almonds. Honey cakes and roast pork sandwiches are also popular, and risalamande is the classic Danish Christmas dessert.
