Bastia Christmas Market

The Bastia Christmas market is called Mercatu di Natale. It takes over Place Saint-Nicolas, the large esplanade along the harbour, from 10 to 23 December 2026. The town council published these dates in July 2026, when chalet bookings opened. The market has one particular feature: only craftspeople and farmers listed in the French national business register may sell there. The council gives priority to businesses from Bastia and Haute-Corse and to organic, AOC, AOP and IGP producers.

A producers’ market on Place Saint-Nicolas

The council organises the market with the Communauté d’agglomération, the Corsican Chamber of Trades and Crafts, the Chamber of Agriculture, the Jeunes Agriculteurs young farmers’ union, ODARC, the tourist office and the Corsican knifemakers’ guild. In 2025, these partners let 67 chalets: 34 to farmers, 33 to craftspeople. A chalet for local associations and Santa’s chalet completed the square. Many exhibitors rent their chalet for one week, from 10 to 16 December or from 17 to 23: the 2025 list had 120 registrations for 67 chalets.

The market grows year on year. In 2021, it had 54 chalets over ten days. In 2024, it ran for three weeks for the first time.

Brocciu, charcuterie and knives: the products of the 2025 edition

The 2025 list of exhibitors gives a precise idea of the stalls. Breeders sold charcuterie from their nustrale pigs, shepherds their ewe’s milk cheeses, beekeepers their AOP honey. One chalet offered chestnut flour and nicci, another cheese migliaccioli and cheese fritters. A brewery served Corsican beers on tap, including Pietra di Natale. The Corsican knifemakers kept a forge running all day on the square.

The 2025 events followed the same line. ILOCC made brocciu and fresh cheese in front of the public on 12 and 17 December, from 9.30am to 1pm. One workshop taught children to make migliacci. Another presented Mele di Corsica AOP honey. Potters worked on site.

Big wheel, ice rink and music nights

Place Saint-Nicolas lends itself to large installations. In 2025, a big wheel gave views over illuminated Bastia and a circular ice rink ran around the bandstand. Santa received visitors in his chalet, “E tradizione Natalesche di Bastia”, and paraded across the square. A free ski simulator, a giant Advent calendar and a €2 photo booth completed the picture. Music returned every lunchtime and every evening, with music nights on Saturdays until 11pm. The council switched on the decorations on Wednesday 10 December 2025 at 5pm. It has not yet announced the big wheel or the 2026 programme.

Dates and opening hours of the Bastia Christmas market

The 2026 edition opens on Thursday 10 December and closes on Wednesday 23 December. The hours below are those of the 2025 edition: the council had not published the 2026 rules as of 8 October 2026.

The 2025 rules also opened the market from 9am on Wednesdays. Entry is free. You only pay for the rides and the photo booth.

Getting to Bastia

The ferry terminal is 250 metres from the market, the railway station 330 metres. Bastia-Poretta airport is 24 km away, half an hour by road outside peak traffic. Corsica Linea links Marseille to Bastia by overnight crossing, in around thirteen hours. Corsica Ferries sails from Nice to Bastia in six hours and from Toulon to Bastia in eleven hours overnight. Check the sailing days for December 2026 before you book. Public service flights link Paris-Orly, Marseille and Nice to Bastia all year round.

• The Calvi Christmas market can be reached by train, with a change at Ponte-Leccia (around three hours), or by road (92 km, allow two hours).
• The Ajaccio Christmas market opens from 4 to 24 December 2026: the Bastia-Ajaccio train takes nearly four hours.
• In the south of the island, the Porto-Vecchio Christmas market and the Bonifacio Christmas market open on 8 and 9 December 2026.
• Our page of Christmas markets in Corsica brings together the island’s five markets and the December calendar.