Lyon Christmas Market (Place Carnot)
Marché de Noël de Lyon45°45′ N 4°50′ ELyonfrom Nov 20Seasonal
The Lyon Christmas market on Place Carnot suits a visitor who wants a central, free market of more than 100 chalets between 20 November and 24 December 2026, and its trade-off is size: it fills an hour or two, so pair it with the Fête des Lumières from 5 to 8 December or with a meal in the city. The City of Lyon sets the rules for it, and it sits right beside Perrache station in the 2nd arrondissement.
Photo Corentin Eustacchi · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Lyon Christmas Market (Place Carnot) runs November 20, 2026 to December 24, 2026 · confirmed by the organizer (source)
Advent SundaysGaudete, 13 DecemberChristmas Eve
Dates and hours
- November 20, 2026 to December 24, 2026Confirmedsourcechecked Oct 10, 2026
- November 21, 2025 to December 24, 2025Confirmedsourcechecked Oct 10, 2026
Hours · Mon–Thu 11:00–20:00; Fri 11:00–22:00; Sat 10:30–22:00; Sun 10:30–20:00
- Dec 5, 2026 · 10:30 (Fête des Lumières night. The city or the prefecture sets the closing time; in 2025 the market closed at 18:00 on the festival's Friday and Saturday.)
- Dec 6, 2026 · 10:30 (Fête des Lumières night. The closing time is set by the city or the prefecture; on the festival Sunday in 2025 the market closed at 17:00.)
- Dec 7, 2026 · 11:00 (Fête des Lumières night. The city or the prefecture sets the closing time.)
- Dec 8, 2026 · 11:00 (Fête des Lumières night. The city or the prefecture sets the closing time; on 8 December 2025 the market closed at 18:00.)
- Dec 24, 2026 · 11:00 (Final day. The city has not published hours for 24 December 2026.)
Access and crowds
- Busiest
- The four Fête des Lumières nights, 5 to 8 December 2026, bring about 2 million visitors into central Lyon, and the market closes early on those evenings.
Place Carnot is the square you walk into when you leave Perrache station northwards, so this market makes an easy first or last stop on a train trip. The City of Lyon writes the specifications every stallholder follows and owns several chalets itself, which it lends to charities and to a job-integration project. Over 100 chalets sell Christmas decorations, toys, textiles and jewellery beside regional jams, honey, chestnuts, pain d'épice, foie gras, wine and liqueurs.
Opening runs from Friday 20 November to Thursday 24 December 2026. Most days open at 11:00, weekends at 10:30, and Friday and Saturday nights stay open to 22:00. During the Fête des Lumières the chalets close early, at a time the city or the prefecture fixes; in 2025 that meant 18:00 on most nights and 17:00 on the Sunday.
Worth knowing
- Go on a weekday afternoon in late November if you want the market before the Fête des Lumières crowds arrive on 5 December.
- On a festival night, shop before the early closing and then walk north up the Presqu'île to the light installations.
- Look for the Fabriqué à Lyon chalet if you want a gift made in or around the city.
Quick answers about Lyon Christmas Market (Place Carnot)
When does the Lyon Christmas market open in 2026?
The Lyon Christmas market on Place Carnot runs from 20 November to 24 December 2026, according to the City of Lyon. Hours are 11:00 to 20:00 Monday to Thursday, 11:00 to 22:00 on Friday, 10:30 to 22:00 on Saturday and 10:30 to 20:00 on Sunday.
Does the Lyon Christmas market close early during the Fête des Lumières?
Yes. On the festival nights from 5 to 8 December 2026 the Place Carnot market closes at a time the city or the prefecture sets. In 2025 it closed at 18:00, or 17:00 on the festival Sunday.
Where is the Christmas market in Lyon?
The Lyon Christmas market stands on Place Carnot in the 2nd arrondissement, beside Perrache station and its metro line A stop. Entry is free.
In the journal and guides
Read more about Lyon Christmas Market (Place Carnot)
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Seventy-nine markets open on 24 December 2026, and most of them close by 18:30, so do your last shopping before dark.
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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.
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When is Lyon's Festival of Lights in 2026?
The Fête des Lumières lights Lyon from Saturday 5 to Tuesday 8 December 2026, and on the last night many Lyonnais set candles in their windows.