Poitiers Christmas Market

In Poitiers, the Christmas market sits on Place du Maréchal-Leclerc, at the foot of the town hall. The chalets smell of waffles and gingerbread, and a short walk away, the Romanesque façade of Notre-Dame-la-Grande lights up in colour after dark. You come for the presents, you stay for Révélation, the light show on Notre-Dame-la-Grande. It is this combination, heritage and fairy lights, that sets the Poitiers event slightly apart in the region.

What awaits you on Place du Maréchal-Leclerc

The heart of the market sits on Place du Maréchal-Leclerc, right in front of the town hall, in the middle of the pedestrian centre. Around forty chalets set up here, in an unmistakably Alsatian style: pale wood, snow-topped roofs, cosy décor. You find crafts, jewellery, wooden toys, gift ideas and the food section to go with them (nougat, chocolates, sweets). In 2025, the edition had 41 chalets, a Ferris wheel and the “Casse-Noisette” (Nutcracker) tower; Father Christmas received visitors in his chalet.

A Ferris wheel takes its place on the same esplanade. Once at the top, you take in the illuminated rooftops of Poitiers, the church just below and the streets radiating out from the square. It is the best viewpoint of the evening, better than any snapshot taken from the ground. A little train, rides and a carousel complete the picture for younger visitors, with street entertainment going on throughout the centre.

Révélation, the highlight of Poitiers Christmas market

This is what you will not see anywhere else. A few metres from the chalets, the Romanesque façade of Notre-Dame-la-Grande comes alive with Révélation, a free light show by the company Spectaculaires that took over from the Polychromies in 2024. In 2025, the show ran every 30 minutes from 6pm to 10pm until 4 January; the dates for winter 2026 have not yet been published. Allow a few minutes standing in front of it, well wrapped up: it is worth the stop.

The rest of the historic centre is made for wandering. Poitiers is a listed Ville d'art et d'histoire, and the lanes around the square are easily walked between two mulled wines. If you want to make your own once you are home, we have put a homemade mulled wine recipe aside for you.

Funfair, entertainment and festive atmosphere

In 2025, the funfair set up in the Parc de Blossac from 6 December to 4 January, and the Îlot Tison took on a winter-sports feel with two curling lanes. Twenty-five shows, horse-drawn carriage rides and the little train rounded off the programme, enough for a full day, from lunch through to the illuminations. The city lit up every evening from nightfall to midnight, all night on 24 and 31 December, until 4 January.

When it comes to food, head for the specialities of the Poitou. The broyé du Poitou, the big round shortbread you break with a blow of the fist, keeps well and makes a gift that holds up. Tourteau fromagé with its black dome, macarons from Montmorillon and farci poitevin complete the local line-up to taste on the spot or take home.

Getting there and getting organised

Place Leclerc is about ten minutes' walk from Poitiers station, a short climb up to the plateau of the centre. By car, the six city-centre car parks total 2,300 spaces, and the park-and-rides on the outskirts offer free parking with a direct bus line. In 2025, free shuttles ran every weekend in December before Christmas, 12pm-7.30pm, from the Parc des Expos park-and-ride to the Notre-Dame stop and from the Demi-Lune park-and-ride to Place Lepetit, and the bus network was free on those same weekends; the 2026 arrangements have not been published. Entry to the market is free; the Ferris wheel and the funfair are charged.

The best time to come: late afternoon, as the light fades. You enjoy the chalets in daylight, then move on to Révélation and the wheel once night has fallen. To extend the outing in the region, take a look at the markets in Tours, Limoges and Bordeaux, all within reach by train or road.

The City of Poitiers has not yet published the dates of the 2026 edition. In 2025, the illuminations, Révélation and the Blossac funfair ran until Sunday 4 January. Check the programme on the city’s website before you set off.