Christmas 2026 in Paris: the dates at a glance
| Event | Dates | Hours | Metro | Entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Défense Christmas market | 12 Nov – 31 Dec 2026 (festive area until 3 Jan 2027) | 11am-9pm, 11pm Fri., 10am-11pm Sat. | Line 1, RER A and E, T2 La Défense | Free |
| Notre-Dame Christmas market | 26 Nov – 27 Dec 2026 | 10am-8pm, 9pm Fri. and Sat. | Line 4 Saint-Michel, Cité | Free |
| Champs-Élysées market | Site reserved 22 Nov 2026 – 4 Jan 2027, operator not announced | Not published | Lines 1 and 13 Champs-Élysées – Clemenceau | To be confirmed |
| Champs-Élysées lights | 2026 date not published (2025: switch-on 16 Nov) | 5pm-midnight in 2025 | Lines 1, 2, 6 Charles de Gaulle – Étoile | Free |
| Department-store windows | 2026 unveiling not published (2025: 6 and 12 Nov) | Boulevard Haussmann, day and night | Lines 3 and 9 Havre-Caumartin | Free |
| 31 December celebration | 2026 programme not published (2025: access from 7pm, fireworks at midnight) | Evening of the 31st | Line 1 Concorde | Free |
The 2026 dates come from the City of Paris (Notre-Dame, Champs-Élysées) and from the organiser of the La Défense market. Anything marked "2025" is an indicative guide.
The Christmas markets
The biggest, at La Défense, has more than 350 chalets and an ice rink. The most central, at the foot of Notre-Dame, gathers about forty French craftspeople. Tuileries, Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Abbesses and Hôtel de Ville had not yet published their 2026 dates. For addresses, hours and mulled-wine prices, see our guide to Christmas markets in Paris.
Lights and shop windows
The Champs-Élysées, avenue Montaigne, place Vendôme and boulevard Haussmann light up from mid-November to early January: our walking route of the Christmas lights links them in 5 km. For the animated windows and the Galeries Lafayette tree, see the department-store Christmas windows. To see them with company, try the Christmas lights walking tour with a local guide (2 hours) or the Tootbus open-top Christmas bus tour, a more comfortable way to cover the main avenues.
Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve
In 2026, 25 December falls on a Friday: the Louvre is closed, and so are most shops. The guide to Christmas Eve and Christmas Day explains what stays open, and the one on New Year in Paris covers the Champs-Élysées fireworks and the transport on the 31st.
When to come
The Christmas school holidays for zone C (Paris) run from 19 December 2026 to 4 January 2027: crowds are at their peak. Early December on a weekday is the best time. For the rest of the month, see what to do in Paris in December.
