In Berlin, the Christmas market season starts in early November. While the true Christmas market season is not officially allowed to start before Remembrance Sunday (22 November 2026) numerous winter markets are already welcoming visitors for a cozy gathering on the first cooler autumn evenings. Enjoy sweet waffles, warm up with a hot cup of punch and get in the mood for the winter and Christmas season. Here you can find a list of the Christmas markets that open first.
At the end of October, you can get into the winter spirit here:
From 31 October: Christmas fair on Landsberger Allee – Lichtenberg Winter Season
To make sure the wait for Christmas doesn’t drag on too long, Lichtenberger Winterzeit invites you to enjoy the colourful hustle and bustle at the fairground on Landsberger Allee. From the Ferris wheel to the ‘Wilde Maus’, numerous rides await you here, which, as darkness falls, beckon you with colourful lights to enjoy the pre-Christmas festivities. Look forward to bratwurst, roasted almonds and all sorts of other treats. Wednesday is Family Day!
When: 31 October to 26 December 2026
Where: Landsberger Allee 300, Lichtenberg
The Winter World & Christmas Market at Potsdamer Platz
When the toboggan run is set up at Potsdamer Platz in autumn , the Christmas market season in Berlin is officially open. From November onwards, you can glide down into the winter fun from a height of twelve metres right in the heart of Berlin – even without any snow. Alongside the toboggan run, you’ll find numerous stalls, sausage grills and mulled wine stands.
When:
Winter World: usually from late October/early November until 31 December 2026
Christmas market: tbd
Where: Potsdamer Platz, Mitte
From November 2026, the following markets open
From 6 November: Glühwald at Uber Platz
The scent of pine and the delight of mulled wine: right opposite the East Side Gallery, a little pine grove awaits you at Uber Platz, complete with covered mulled wine huts and fire pits. Here, after a day of sightseeing, you can get into the festive spirit in cosy surroundings.
When: 6 November 2026 to 3 January 2027
Where: Uber Platz, Friedrichshain
From 12 November: The Historic Christmas Market on the RAW site
Fire pits and fantastic light and art installations turn the historic Christmas market on the RAW site into a wonderful pre-Christmas spectacle for the whole family. Look forward to food and drink, fire shows and a festive experience inspired by medieval customs.
When: 12 November to 22 December 2026
Where: Revaler Straße 99, Friedrichshain
From 16 November 2026: Christmas on the Spree
From 17 November, the all-inclusive Christmas market on the Spree opens. For a flat fee (from 29.90 euros), you can drink as much mulled wine, punch and hot chocolate as you like, and tuck into bratwurst, spätzle and other treats. There’ll also be fire pits, seating areas and activities such as curling and tree-nailing. And all with a direct view of the Spree.
When: 16 November to 30 December 2026
Where: Stralauer Allee 2b, Friedrichshain
From 18 November 2026: Schlossplatz Winter Market | Humboldt Forum
The winter market on Schlossplatz in front of the Humboldt Forum transforms the historic setting, with views of the Lustgarten and Berlin Cathedral, into an atmospheric spot for the run-up to Christmas. Here you’ll find high-quality craft stalls and festive specialities such as roasted almonds, Baumstritzel and Feuerzangenbowle. Historic fairground rides, interactive arts and crafts such as glassblowing, pottery and woodcarving, as well as a colourful programme of activities for children and families amidst the Baroque façades surrounding the Schlüterhof, round off the programme.
When: 18 November 2026 to 3 January 2027
Where: Schlossplatz | Humboldt Forum, Mitte
From 18 November 2026: The Christmas Garden at the Botanical Gardens
Every year, the Botanical Garden is transformed into a magical winter wonderland. And it has been doing so since 2016. Modelled on London’s ‘Christmas at Kew’ at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Berlin’s Christmas Garden invites visitors to take a contemplative stroll; with its fairy-tale light installations, it offers plenty of wonderful opportunities for a festive family photo.
When: 18 November 2026 to 10 January 2027
Where: Königin-Luise-Straße 68, Steglitz
From 20 November: Christmas at the Tierpark
Sparkling lights adorn the zoo in the run-up to Christmas. Although the illuminated trail doesn’t take you past the enclosures – to protect the animals – there are still a few animal-themed light installations to look forward to. The walk is around two kilometres long. Along the way, there are stalls selling hot chocolate, punch and treats.
When: 20 November 2026 to 9 January 2027
Where: Am Tierpark 125, Lichtenberg
On 23 November, Berlin officially kicks off the Christmas market season 2026
The Gendarmenmarkt Christmas Magic
For the first time in a while, the Christmas Magic can take place on the newly refurbished Gendarmenmarkt. Enjoy the festive atmosphere against this historic backdrop, surrounded by the State Opera on Unter den Linden, St Hedwig’s Cathedral and the Altes Palais. Handicrafts and food and drink are on offer in cosy marquees, which invite you to stroll around even in inclement weather.
When: 23 November to 31 December 2026
Where: Gendarmenmarkt, Mitte
Spandau Christmas Market in the Old Town
Stroll through the cosy streets of the Old Town and discover Berlin’s traditional Christmas market in Spandau. During Advent, the whole of the Old Town is festively decorated, providing an atmospheric backdrop for arts and crafts and Christmas concerts. Of course, there’s plenty of food and drink on offer too.
When: 23 November to 22 December 2026
Where: Kammerstraße 6, Spandau
Christmas market at Charlottenburg Palace
Where Queen Sophie Charlotte once resided, Berlin’s most romantic Christmas market takes place during the festive season. Illuminated by colourful lights, Charlottenburg Palace towers above the festively decorated wooden huts and pagoda tents. The Christmas market at Charlottenburg Palace is a real crowd-puller every year.
When: 23 November to 27 December 2026
Where: Spandauer Damm 22, Charlottenburg
Lucia Christmas Market at the Kulturbrauerei
The Lucia Christmas Market on the Kulturbrauerei site combines Nordic tradition with festive cheer: The cosy wooden huts are filled with the aroma of Scandinavian specialities such as elk goulash, reindeer salami, salmon and potato soup or Finnish waffles – and, of course, Swedish glögg. For younger visitors , there’s a nostalgic chain carousel, a star-shaped ladder, and craft workshops where children can make their own gifts. Every day, Father Christmas visits the market to take children’s wishes. A special cultural highlight is the Lucia Festival on 13 December.
When: 23 November to 22 December 2026
Where: Kulturbrauerei, Schönhauser Allee 36, Prenzlauer Berg
Christmas market at the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtnis-Kirche
The traditional Christmas market at the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtnis-Kirche is a real highlight amongst Berlin’s Christmas markets. Enjoy the aroma of Feuerzangenbowle and a sea of lights above the more than 100 stalls in the heart of City West.
When: 23 November 2026 to 3 January 2027
Where: Breitscheidplatz 1, City West
More about the Christmas market
Also starting in November 2026:
The LGBTQIA* Winter Days and Christmas Avenue
As is tradition, Berlin’s queer community invites everyone to come together at Nollendorfplatz from November onwards for the LGBTQIA* Winter Days. Until the end of November, the party hut will be reserved for initiatives from the queer scene. Do pop along, have a chat and support the community.
When: expected to run from November until 23 December 2026
Where: Nollendorfplatz, Schöneberg
Berlin Winter Dream
From early November, the Berlin Winter Dream invites you to a sparkling winter wonderland: look forward to more than 60 attractions that offer both thrills and a festive atmosphere. As well as spectacular rides, visitors can enjoy mulled wine gardens with heated seating or the pop-up restaurant ‘Entenbraterei’. Families will love the bumper cars, rollercoasters and carousels (half price on Wednesdays). And on opening day, a cheerful elf parade is sure to make children’s eyes light up.
When: expected to run from early November to late December 2026 (closed on 22 November and 24 December)
Where: Schnellerstraße 145, Treptow-Köpenick
Forest – Winterlights at Dark Matter
Until the end of October, you can wander through the Forest Seasons at Dark Matter in the Transformator Kunsthalle, which is then expected to transform back into a glittering winter wonderland from the start of November. At last year’s Forest – Winterlights, visitors were even able to glide on ice skates through the spectacular installation featuring over 600 floating fir trees and more than 250,000 lights. Look forward to seeing what festive surprise light artist Christopher Bauder has in store for you this year.
When: expected to run from late November 2026 until perhaps as late as February 2027
Where: Köpenicker Chaussee 46, Lichtenberg
The Winter World of Grünau
Ice skating, tobogganing and roasting bread on a stick over an open campfire : during the cold season, the Grünau lido draws visitors to the beach with its Winter World. The stalls offer hearty and sweet treats, and alongside the toboggan run and ice rink, there’s also a large indoor play area nearby where the little ones can let off steam and warm up.
When: expected to run from mid-November 2026 to January 2027
Where: Sportpromenade 5, Grünau
From December onwards, the Advent and Christmas market season in Berlin is officially open. Find our comprehensive guide to the most beautiful Christmas markets in Berlin here.
