Christmas Markets UKThe 2026 season, market by market

Edinburgh's Christmas – Traditional Christmas Markets

Saturday 14 November 2026 – Sunday 3 January 2027 Opens in 35 days

Daily except Christmas Day

10am–10pm daily; 17 Nov 4pm–10pm; Christmas Eve 10am–8pm; closed Christmas Day; 26 Dec 12pm–8pm; 31 Dec 10am–5pm; 1 Jan 12pm–8pm; 3 Jan 10am–6pm (2026)

East Princes Street Gardens (with funfair in West Princes Street Gardens and ice rink on George Street), Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh · Scotland

Big cityContinentalMakersFood & drinkIce rinkFunfairSanta’s grottoLate night Free entry, some paid attractions 70 stalls

Official website Tickets Add to calendar Stay near Edinburgh Ad
East Princes Street Gardens at night, with fairground rides and market stalls among trees wrapped in coloured lights, below floodlit city buildings
Edinburgh's Christmas market and fair in East Princes Street Gardens (photo 2017) — Photo: Suicasmo, CC BY-SA 4.0

Scotland's capital fills East Princes Street Gardens with a free-to-enter Christmas market of wooden chalets, beneath the Scott Monument, as part of a city-wide festival running into early January.

The Traditional Christmas Markets sit in East Princes Street Gardens, below the Scott Monument and the Old Town skyline. Wooden chalets sell crafts, decorations and gifts alongside food huts and bars serving mulled wine, hot chocolate and bratwurst; Forever Edinburgh puts the market at around 70 stalls, and the organisers say a large share of traders are local and Scottish businesses.

The market is the centrepiece of the wider Edinburgh's Christmas programme. The LNER Big Wheel and the 80m Around the World Star Flyer stand in the market area, West Princes Street Gardens holds a family funfair and Santa's Stories, and George Street has a covered ice rink and the Polar Ice Bar. The market itself is free; rides and other attractions need tickets.

It opens daily except Christmas Day, with shorter hours over Christmas and New Year. The organisers advise allowing extra time at busy periods.

Dates by season

SeasonDatesStatus
2026–27 Sat 14 Nov 2026 – Sun 3 Jan 2027Daily except Christmas Day Coming up
Add to calendar (Sat 14 Nov 2026 – Sun 3 Jan 2027)
2025–26 Sat 15 Nov 2025 – Sun 4 Jan 2026Closed Christmas Day Held

Dates are taken from the market’s own website or official announcements and were last checked on 6 October 2026. Plans can change, so please check with the organiser before you travel. Spotted a change? Tell us.

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