Helsinki Christmas Market

The Helsinki Christmas market, Tuomaan Markkinat, occupies Senate Square, in front of the cathedral, from 27 November to 22 December 2026. The Helsinki Events Foundation, which organises it, presents it as the city’s oldest open-air Christmas market. In 2025, the City counted more than 650,000 visitors, a record, and more than 100 artisans and small businesses behind the stalls. Two other markets round off the season in the centre: the Mantan joulutori, around the Havis Amanda statue, from 4 December 2026 to 6 January 2027, and the Vanhan Joulutori, an indoor designers’ market in the Old Student House, from 15 to 22 December 2026.

2026 dates and opening hours

Senate Square opens Monday to Thursday and on Sundays from 11am to 7pm, on Fridays and Saturdays from 11am to 8pm, from 27 November to 22 December 2026. The market therefore closes before Christmas Eve, like most Finnish markets.

The Mantan joulutori keeps simpler hours, every day from 11am to 7pm, from 4 December 2026 to 6 January 2027; for 24 and 25 December, check on myHelsinki whether it is open before you go. The Vanhan Joulutori welcomes visitors Sunday to Thursday from 11am to 7pm, on Fridays and Saturdays from 11am to 8pm, from 15 to 22 December 2026. Entry to both markets is free.

Helsinki’s Christmas street, Aleksanterinkatu, has been lit up every year since 1949; in 2025, the lights were switched on on 22 November, for the 77th time, according to Helsingin City Markkinointi, the city-centre traders’ association that organises it.

More than 100 artisans on Senate Square

The stalls on Senate Square are run by the artisans themselves: the City counted more than 100 of them in 2025, after nearly 120 in 2024, 25 of them new. You will find crafts and gifts, decorations, local produce, fish, meat and ready-made dishes, according to Visit Finland. A free wooden-horse carousel turns in the middle of the stalls: more than 50,000 riders in 2025 according to the City. A food court completes the market; in 2024, it served its dishes on biodegradable tableware.

The 2024 programme gives an idea of the entertainment: Santa Claus on the opening Friday and then every Saturday, and the Lucia procession on 13 December. Lucia is crowned every 13 December at Helsinki Cathedral, above the square, a tradition carried by the Folkhälsan association.

Mantan joulutori: an open fire and an ice rink

Created in 2025, the Mantan joulutori enters its second edition on Havis Amanda square, on the edge of Market Square (Kauppatori). It is arranged around an open-fire pavilion, with a small selection of stalls: hot drinks, food products, decorations. New for this year, announced on 8 October 2026 by Helsingin Kaupunkitilat Oy: a covered ice rink of around 130 m², with skate hire. Free entry, from 4 December 2026 to 6 January 2027.

Vanhan Joulutori, the designers’ indoor market

The Vanhan Joulutori is held under cover, on two floors of the Old Student House (Vanha ylioppilastalo), Mannerheimintie 3, from 15 to 22 December 2026. myHelsinki credits it with more than thirty years of existence. The exhibitors are artisans and designers: ceramics, jewellery, clothing, design. Free entry. A good option on the coldest days.

Getting to the Helsinki Christmas market

Helsinki has most of the direct flights to Finland from western Europe. For winter 2026-2027, Finavia, the operator of Finland’s airports, lists direct flights to Helsinki from Paris-CDG (Air France, Finnair) and Nice (Finnair), Brussels (Finnair) and Charleroi (Ryanair), Zurich and Geneva (Finnair), London Heathrow (Finnair), Gatwick (Norwegian) and Stansted (Ryanair), Madrid and Rome (Finnair). Lyon, Orly and Beauvais have no route to Helsinki on that list. Frequencies and days of operation depend on each airline: check them when you book.

In the city, Senate Square (Senaatintori), Havis Amanda square and the Old Student House are all in the centre, less than a kilometre apart. From Helsinki, the train reaches Tampere in 1 hr 40 min to 1 hr 55 min and Turku in around 2 hours, according to VR’s timetables; exact times are on vr.fi.

• The Tampere Christmas market opens from 21 November to 22 December 2026 on the Keskustori, with its glögi restaurant.
• The Turku Christmas market is held over four weekends on the Old Great Square, where the Christmas Peace is declared every 24 December at noon.
• Our page of Christmas markets in Finland brings together the country’s listings, Lapland included, and our Christmas in Lapland guide details the flights to the far north.