Graz Christmas tree lighting and ice nativity opening
Illumination des Weihnachtsbaums und Eiskrippe-Eröffnung47°04′ N 15°26′ EOpening ceremonyNov 28, 2026Seasonal
Be on the Hauptplatz at 16:00 on Saturday 28 November if you want to see Graz switch Advent on. It is free and short, and the square packs out early.
The tree in the middle of the Hauptplatz is lit between 16:00 and 17:00, and at 17:00 the ice nativity opens in the Landhaushof a short walk south. Holding Graz runs both and says more details for 2026 will follow.
In 2025 the tree was a spruce of about 28 metres and some 150 years old, cut in a forest near the Koralpe and hung with 25,000 LEDs. That year it was lit daily from 05:30 to 08:00 and from 16:00 to 23:00, with lights left on until 02:00 on Christmas Eve. The 2026 tree has not been named.
Worth knowing
- Find a spot on the Rathaus side of the square by 15:30, then follow the crowd down Herrengasse to the Landhaushof for 17:00.
Quick answers about Graz Christmas tree lighting and ice nativity opening
When is Graz Christmas tree lighting and ice nativity opening?
Graz Christmas tree lighting and ice nativity opening takes place the Saturday before the first Sunday of Advent, from 16:00. The next dates we have are November 28, 2026, confirmed.