France’s major Christmas markets open between mid and late November; most close between 24 and 30 December, and in Colmar the food market carries on into the first days of January. This 2026 Christmas market calendar gathers the dates announced by the towns, tourist offices and organisers, checked on 9 October 2026, with our advice on choosing the day of your visit.
2026 calendar for the main Christmas markets
We only list dates published by the town, the tourist office or the organiser. Where nothing has been announced, the cell says so, and we fill it in as soon as the official date comes out. Markets are listed in order of opening date.
| Market | Opens | Closes | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lille | Wednesday 18 November | Wednesday 30 December | Dates given by the organiser subject to change; village on Place Rihour; big wheel on the Grand-Place until 16 January 2027 |
| Metz | Friday 20 November | Wednesday 30 December | Lantern Trail in Square Boufflers: 2026 dates still to be confirmed by the town |
| Mulhouse | Friday 20 November | Sunday 27 December | 2026 programme due on 20 October |
| Amiens | Friday 20 November | Wednesday 30 December | Programme to come; the town has commissioned entertainment through to Sunday 27 December |
| Lyon | Friday 20 November | Thursday 24 December | Place Carnot; from 5 to 8 December, during the Fête des Lumières, closing time set by the town hall or the prefecture |
| Montbéliard | Saturday 21 November | Thursday 24 December | 40th edition, with Switzerland as guest of honour |
| Colmar | Monday 23 November | Tuesday 29 December | Six markets; food market and big wheel until 3 January 2027 |
| Strasbourg | Friday 27 November | Not published | Eight markets spread across around ten squares |
| Kaysersberg | Friday 27 November | Sunday 20 December | Friday to Sunday only, four weekends |
| Riquewihr | Friday 27 November | Sunday 20 December | Open every day |
| Reims | Not published | Not published | No announcement from the town or the tourist office as of 9 October |
| Paris (Tuileries) | Not published | Not published | In 2025: 15 November to 4 January |
Reims and the Tuileries gardens have announced nothing for 2026. Listings sites and the press are quoting dates; we are waiting for the organisers’ own. For Strasbourg, the town has given the opening day without setting a closing date; the 2025 edition ended on 24 December.
When to go to avoid the crowds
Few towns publish visitor forecasts. Colmar’s tourist office is the exception: it posts 2026 crowd forecasts day by day and in two-hour slots, for Colmar, Riquewihr, Kaysersberg and the region’s other markets, on four levels from “light” to “very heavy”. We rely on them for Alsace. Everywhere else, our advice is an opinion drawn from the calendar, and should be read as such.
Two things stand out: Saturdays 28 November and 5, 12 and 19 December are forecast as very heavy in both Colmar and Riquewihr, and Riquewihr is expected to be very busy on Sundays from opening time. Check these forecasts before you pick your day.
The rhythm of the season
- The Advent weekends (28 and 29 November, 5 and 6, 12 and 13, 19 and 20 December): the fullest days everywhere, in our view, and in Colmar’s forecasts for Alsace.
- Weekdays between two weekends: more room in the aisles, in our view.
- 21 to 24 December: last-minute shopping, and no doubt more people on weekdays. On the 24th, several markets close early.
- After Christmas: Mulhouse, Colmar, Amiens, Lille and Metz stay open.
The right slot for your kind of trip
Our suggestions, to be read as opinions.
| Who you are | Best time | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Couples | A weekday, late morning | Time to taste and chat with the makers |
| Families | A weekday, early afternoon | The big wheels are turning (from 11am in Colmar, 12pm in Lille on weekdays) and the aisles are less packed than on a Saturday |
| Photographers | Late November, at dusk | The lights come on against a sky that is still bright, around 4.30pm to 5pm depending on the town |
| Gift shopping | 7 to 18 December, on weekdays | You avoid the Saturdays forecast as very heavy in Alsace |
| Festive atmosphere | Evenings in the week before Christmas | The most festive mood of the season |
| Tight budget | Weekdays, away from the weekends | Rooms and trains easier to find |
The days best avoided
- Saturday 28 November 2026: the first Saturday of the Alsace season, forecast as very heavy in Colmar and Riquewihr.
- Saturday 5 December 2026: the same level in Alsace; in Lyon, during the Fête des Lumières from 5 to 8 December, the Place Carnot market closes at the time set by the town hall or the prefecture.
- Saturday 12 December 2026: the penultimate weekend before Christmas, forecast as very heavy in Colmar and Riquewihr.
- Saturday 19 December 2026: the last Saturday before Christmas, also forecast as very heavy in Colmar and Riquewihr.
- 24 December: closing at 6pm in Lille, 5pm in Colmar and Amiens, 4pm in Metz. Plan your visit early in the day.
The slots we recommend
- Weekday mornings, as the stalls open (10am in Riquewihr; 11am in Colmar from Monday to Thursday, and in Lille, Metz and Amiens): in our view the quietest moment of the day.
- Weekday evenings where the market stays open late: Metz until 9pm, Lille until 8.30pm, Lyon until 8pm. Colmar closes at 7pm from Monday to Thursday and Riquewihr at 6.30pm.
Highlights of the season
Opening ceremonies
The big markets open with an official ceremony, most often the lighting of the great tree or of the façades. In Strasbourg, the market opens on Friday 27 November 2026; the town has not yet published the date for lighting the great tree on Place Kléber. In Metz, the Lantern Trail in Square Boufflers, run by the Moselle département, celebrates its fifteenth edition. The town says dates and opening hours are still to come; the market’s website still shows dates that appear to be carried over from the 2025 edition, and we are waiting for confirmation.
Strasbourg’s OFF market
On Place Grimmeissen, the OFF market brings together local responsible-shopping ventures and players from the social and solidarity economy. Its 2026 dates have not been published. In 2025, it opened every day from 26 November to 24 December, from 11.30am to 9pm.
Saint Nicholas in Metz
Saint Nicholas’ Day falls on Sunday 6 December 2026. Metz marks it every year with a parade through town; the town has not yet published the 2026 programme, and we will post it here as soon as it is out.
The Alsace markets, day by day
Strasbourg, Colmar, Kaysersberg and Riquewihr can be covered in a long weekend. The plan below works for the four weekends when everything is open, from 27 November to 20 December 2026: Kaysersberg only opens from Friday to Sunday, and both Kaysersberg and Riquewihr close on 20 December. The tourist office’s forecasts show those Saturdays and Sundays as busy: if you can shift your visit to a weekday, swap Kaysersberg for Riquewihr, which is open every day.
- Friday evening: arrive in Strasbourg, the Place Broglie market, then a stroll through Petite France.
- Saturday late morning: the Place de la Cathédrale market, and the OFF market on Place Grimmeissen if it has confirmed its dates.
- Saturday afternoon: on to Colmar, by TER regional train or car.
- Saturday evening: the Petite Venise and Place Jeanne-d’Arc markets in Colmar.
- Sunday: Kaysersberg or Riquewihr, ideally by car; crowds there are forecast as heavy from the 10am opening.
- Sunday late afternoon: back to Colmar or Strasbourg for the train.
Frequently asked questions
Which Christmas markets open first in France in 2026?
Among the markets with published dates, Lille opens first, on Wednesday 18 November 2026, subject to change by the organiser. Metz, Mulhouse, Amiens and Lyon follow on Friday 20 November, Montbéliard on Saturday 21, Colmar on Monday 23. Strasbourg, Kaysersberg and Riquewihr wait until Friday 27 November. The Tuileries market in Paris opened on 15 November in 2025; its 2026 dates have not yet been announced, and neither have those of Reims.Are any Christmas markets open after 25 December?
Yes. Mulhouse stays open until Sunday 27 December, Colmar until Tuesday 29, and Amiens, Lille and Metz until Wednesday 30 December. In Colmar, the food market and the big wheel carry on until 3 January 2027, and in Lille the big wheel turns until 16 January. Lyon and Montbéliard close on 24 December. Strasbourg has not published its 2026 closing date; in 2025, the market closed on 24 December.Which days are best avoided?
Saturdays 28 November and 5, 12 and 19 December 2026, and 24 December, the day of early closures. The Colmar tourist office’s forecasts rate those four Saturdays as very heavy in Colmar and Riquewihr. If you have the choice, aim for a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, except in Kaysersberg, which is closed from Monday to Thursday.Midweek or the weekend?
Midweek, if you can take a day or two off. In our view, rooms are easier to book, restaurants have tables free, and you can talk to the makers without queuing. Our favourite slots: weekday mornings, as the stalls open, and weekday evenings where the market stays open late, such as Metz until 9pm or Lille until 8.30pm.When is the best time for photos?
Late afternoon, around sunset, between 4.30pm and 5pm depending on the town and the date: the lights come on against a sky that is still blue, with no need for flash. In late morning, as the stalls open, the light stays soft and brings out the details of the stalls and the façades.Planning your stay
Our Where to stay guide covers accommodation options by destination. For a weekend with children, the family guide suggests itineraries that fit their pace.