In this guide
💡 The Short Version: The two Christmas markets, on the Markt and on Simon Stevinplein, run from 20 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. They open 11:00 to 22:00 from Sunday to Thursday and 11:00 to 23:30 on Fridays and Saturdays, and until 03:00 on New Year’s Eve. The ice rink in Koning Albert I-park costs €9. On the 19 shopping days De Lijn buses are discounted. The wider Winter Glow programme runs to 31 January 2027. Or book a tour: the Christmas bike tour with a tasting and mulled wine or hot chocolatead (from €49, 4.8 stars from 5 reviews) rides through the lit streets for two hours, and the boat, chocolate and walking tourad (from €39, 4.8 stars from 5,125 reviews) fits a wet afternoon.
⚠️ The Belfry and museums close early on 24 and 31 December. The Belfry and the Groeningemuseum close at 16:00 on both days, and on 25 December and 1 January they are closed. The ice rink also closes at 17:30 on 24 and 31 December. Check Bruges museums before you plan those days.
Winter Glow dates and hours
Bruges calls its winter programme Wintergloed (Winter Glow). For 2026-27 the city has stretched it from the festive weeks to almost the whole winter, from 20 November 2026 to 31 January 2027 (Visit Bruges). The city lists:
| What | Dates | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Two Christmas markets (Markt, Simon Stevinplein) | 20 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 | Sunday to Thursday 11:00 to 22:00; Friday and Saturday 11:00 to 23:30; New Year’s Eve until 03:00 |
| Ice rink, Koning Albert I-park | 20 November to 3 January | Daily 10:00 to 22:00; 24 and 31 December 10:00 to 17:30; 25 December and 1 January noon to 22:00 |
| IJsgloed winter bar, beside the rink | 20 November to 3 January | Daily from 10:00; 24 and 31 December until 17:30; 25 December and 1 January noon to 22:00 |
| Handmade in Brugge MAKERSmarkt, Jan Garemijnzaal, Markt 7 | 18 to 20 December | Fri 16:00 to 20:00, Sat and Sun 11:00 to 18:00; free |
| Winter Giant parade | 30 and 31 January 2027 | A street-theatre giant built over three months with the French company L’Homme Debout |
| Uitwijken Winter | 26 to 31 January 2027 | Neighbourhood evenings with fires and soup, in various districts |
Ice rink tickets are €9 for adults and children (children up to 3 free), €8 per person for groups of 10 or more and €5 for Bruges schools. You pay with Bancontact, Payconiq or cash (Visit Bruges). Visitors can also look in at the Winter Giant’s open workshop in House of Time, Komvest 45, on set weeks to 24 January 2027, Tuesday to Friday 14:00 to 17:00 and Saturday and Sunday 10:00 to 16:00; no experience is needed (Visit Bruges).
Market stalls and lit trees on the Markt in front of the Provinciaal Hof. Photo: Arthurious, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
Shopping days and cheaper buses
The city lists 19 festive shopping days:
- Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 November
- Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 November
- Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 December
- Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 December
- Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 December
- Every day from Monday 21 to Friday 25 December (only a limited number of shops open on Christmas Day)
- Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 December
- Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 January 2027
On those days De Lijn buses are discounted within Bruges and to and from the surrounding municipalities. Steenstraat is car-free every day from 13:00 to 18:00, and Katelijnestraat from Ankerplein towards the centre is low-traffic at the same times. Geldmuntstraat and Zuidzandstraat are low-traffic every Saturday and Sunday from 13:00 to 18:00 (Visit Bruges).
On other days a standard De Lijn ticket costs €3 and is valid for 60 minutes.
Getting there and getting home
- By train. The station is within walking distance of the centre, and a bus runs between the station and the centre every 5 minutes. See getting around Bruges.
- By car. The city advises against driving into the centre and points to the free park-and-ride car parks, for example P+R Coiseaukaai on line 2 and P+R Waggelwater on line 1, each with a bus every 10 minutes until about 22:30 and until about 2:30 on Friday and Saturday nights. P+R Steenbrugge, on line 20, has an hourly bus until about 22:00 (Visit Bruges).
- Late nights. Several evening bus routes run until about 23:00 on weekdays and about 02:30 on Friday and Saturday nights. On 24 December there is no regular bus service from 20:00 to 21:00 and no evening services, and on 25 December evening services follow the Sunday timetable. Public transport is free from 20:00 on 31 December to 07:00 on 1 January.
The Poertoren lit red across the Minnewater at dusk during Wintergloed. Photo: Michiel Dumon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Tours worth paying for
The markets and the lights cost nothing. A tour adds a route and a hot drink, and it saves working out the order on a cold evening.
Christmas bike tour with a tasting
From €49 · 4.8 stars from 5 reviews · 2 hours
Bruges, Magical Christmas Bike Tour, Tasting and Mulled Wine or Hot Chocolatead rides through the city as lights, decorated façades and glowing canals transform it, and ends with a tasting and a hot drink.
Boat, chocolate and walking tour
From €39 · 4.8 stars from 5,125 reviews · 2.5 hours · small group
Bruges: Boat, Chocolate and Guided Walking Tourad is a small-group guided walk with a boat ride and chocolate tasting, and it fits a wet afternoon before you head to the markets.
Bruges at night walking tour
From €44 · 4.8 stars from 251 reviews · 2 hours
Bruges: Nightly Tales and Untold History Walking Tourad explores the city after dusk with stories and legends. Dark falls early in winter: on 21 December the sun sets at about 16:40.
Around Christmas
- Concerts. The Basilica of the Holy Blood holds a Christmas concert on Saturday 26 December at 20:00 (€25). See the basilica.
- Restaurants. The city publishes a list of restaurants open over the holidays. See where to eat.
- Where to stay. Winter Glow now runs to the end of January, so where to stay in Bruges covers the dates that suit you.
The Belfry at night behind lit trees and a market stall. Photo: Mjbpcds, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
For other months, see Bruges in winter and the best time to visit Bruges.
To set the Bruges markets beside the other cities’, see the Christmas market cities, and for Bruges against Brussels, Bruges vs Brussels. A day trip fits too: Ghent is 22 to 27 minutes by train.
Common questions
When is the Bruges Christmas market in 2026?
From 20 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. Sunday to Thursday it is open 11:00 to 22:00, Friday and Saturday 11:00 to 23:30, and on New Year's Eve until 03:00.
Where are the Bruges Christmas markets?
There are two, on the Markt and on Simon Stevinplein.
How much is the ice rink?
€9 for adults and children, with children up to 3 free. The rink is in Koning Albert I-park from 20 November to 3 January and takes Bancontact, Payconiq or cash.
What is Winter Glow?
Wintergloed, the city's winter festival: the markets, the ice rink and winter bar, decorations and festive shopping days with cheaper buses. In 2026-27 it runs from 20 November to 31 January 2027, with the Winter Giant parade on 30 and 31 January.
Which days have discounted buses?
The 19 festive shopping days: every Saturday and Sunday from 21 November to 20 December, every day from 21 to 25 December, 26 and 27 December, and 2 and 3 January 2027.
Are the Belfry and museums open at Christmas?
The Belfry and the Groeningemuseum close at 16:00 on 24 and 31 December and are closed on 25 December and 1 January.
