Bruges Christmas Market
Kerstmarkt Brugge51°13′ N 3°13′ EBrugesfrom Nov 20Seasonal
The Bruges Christmas Market runs on the Markt and the Simon Stevinplein from 20 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 (announced by Visit Bruges), and it suits a couple on a slow weekend who want a small market under medieval gables. Two squares make a short market, so pair it with the covered ice rink in the Koning Albert I-park and an evening in a beer café.
Photo Arthurious · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Bruges Christmas Market runs November 20, 2026 to January 3, 2027 · announced by a tourism board (source)
Advent SundaysGaudete, 13 DecemberChristmas Eve
Dates and hours
- November 20, 2026 to January 3, 2027Announcedsourcechecked Oct 10, 2026
Hours · Mon–Thu 11:00–20:00; Fri–Sat 11:00–21:00; Sun 11:00–20:00
- Dec 24, 2026 · 11:00–17:00 (Some stalls stay open to 23:00.)
- Dec 25, 2026 · (Open with fewer stalls and shorter hours; times not published.)
- Dec 31, 2026 · 11:00–20:00 (Some stalls stay open to 03:00.)
- Jan 1, 2027 · (Open with fewer stalls and shorter hours; times not published.)
Bruges keeps its market small and central. Stalls fill the Markt below the belfry and spill into the Simon Stevinplein a short walk south, and Visit Bruges says both have been refreshed in the warm Winter Glow style for 2026. Expect gifts and winter snacks from the stalls; the tourist office publishes no stall count.
The market is part of Wintergloed, which Visit Bruges calls Winter Glow in English and runs from 20 November 2026 to 14 February 2027. The programme brings a covered rink and a winter bar to the Koning Albert I-park near the station. Visit Bruges also lists a makers' market in the Stadshallen on the Markt on 18–20 December and gives no year for it. The free light walk of earlier winters ended with the 2025 edition.
Stalls close at 20:00 from Sunday to Thursday and 21:00 on Fridays and Saturdays, with some staying open later for drinks. That suits families who want an early night and leaves the late evening to the beer cafés along the canals.
Worth knowing
- On Christmas Eve the market closes at 17:00, and some stalls stay open to 23:00.
- On New Year's Eve most stalls close at 20:00, and a few keep going until 03:00.
- Visit Bruges runs tourist offices in the Historium at Markt 1 and at the station on Stationsplein 5.
Quick answers about Bruges Christmas Market
When is the Bruges Christmas market in 2026?
The Bruges Christmas market runs from 20 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, according to Visit Bruges. It opens at 11:00 every day.
Where is the Christmas market in Bruges?
Bruges has two Christmas market squares in the centre, the Markt and the Simon Stevinplein, according to Visit Bruges. The ice rink sits separately in the Koning Albert I-park.
Is the Bruges Christmas market open on Christmas Day?
Yes, with fewer stalls and shorter hours. Visit Bruges does not publish the exact times for 25 December or 1 January.
In the journal and guides
Read more about Bruges Christmas Market
Guide · 12 min read
What's open in Europe on Christmas Eve?
Seventy-nine markets open on 24 December 2026, and most of them close by 18:30, so do your last shopping before dark.
Guide · 23 min read
When do Europe's Christmas markets open and close in 2026?
Vienna and Copenhagen open first, on 6 November 2026, and Cologne's Heumarkt keeps its stalls up until 10 January 2027. Every row below names who published the date.
Guide · 12 min read
Which Christmas markets are open after Christmas?
Prague, Salzburg, Dresden and Cologne keep their markets going through the week after Christmas, and Colmar runs to 29 December.
Guide · 9 min read
Which Christmas markets in Europe are open on Christmas Day?
Vienna and Colmar give you the most choice on 25 December 2026, and Tivoli reopens for the day with fireworks at 20:45.