Zurich Christmas markets 2026: dates, opening hours and highlights
Zurich’s Christmas markets open on Thursday, 19 November 2026 – the same evening the “Lucy” lights are switched on along Bahnhofstrasse. Here are the six markets in the city centre with their 2026 dates, opening hours and what makes each one special.
Season 2026
19 November – 23/24 December
Lights on
Thursday, 19 November 2026, 6 pm
Biggest indoor market
Polarzauber in Zürich HB, more than 100 market houses
Free admission
Polarzauber and the Singing Christmas Tree (stated by the organisers)
Zürich Tourism lists the Christmas market season from 19 November to 23 or 24 December 2026. On the opening evening all the Christmas lights are lit and the markets open their doors. Most markets end on 23 December; Polarzauber in the main station and the Münsterhof market stay open until 24 December.
One change for 2026: the “Wienachtsdorf” on Sechseläutenplatz no longer takes place – its operator is moving to Zug and Basel. The city council has given the square to a new Christmas market, Bellevue Noël.
Christmas markets in Zurich city centre
Polarzauber – the Christmas market in Zurich main station
19 November – 24 December 2026 · main hall of Zürich HB · free admission
Since 1994 the main hall of Zurich main station has turned into a Christmas market every Advent; since 2025 it has been called Polarzauber (the public transport network ZVV still lists it as the “Christkindlimarkt”). More than 100 market houses, food stalls and bars fill around 2,000 m² right at the end of the platforms – the organiser calls it Switzerland’s largest indoor Christmas market. The hall is covered, so the market takes place in any weather.
Opening hours 2026: non-food market Sunday to Wednesday 11.00–21.00 and Thursday to Saturday 11.00–22.00; food and takeaway one hour longer. On 24 December the market is open 11.00–16.00. The organiser names the Lindt Christmas tree as the landmark of the hall. Each market house decides which payment methods it accepts – cards and TWINT are common, many also take cash.
19 November – 23 December 2026 · Sechseläutenplatz by Bellevue · tram stop Bellevue
The successor of the long-standing “Wienachtsdorf” has some 100 market stalls with an emphasis on local and sustainable products, a fondue chalet with space for up to 400 guests and a candle ritual on Sundays. Its centrepiece is a 50-metre-wide Advent wreath made of Swiss wood that you can walk on at a height of around five metres. The wreath is free, but you need a ticket – online in advance or at the market. A lift takes visitors up in addition to the stairs.
Opening hours had not been published when we checked on 8 October 2026. The square is right by Bellevue, just steps from Lake Zurich; the Zurich Opera House stands on it too.
19 November – 23 December 2026 · Old Town between Central and the Grossmünster · tram stop Rudolf-Brun-Brücke
Zürich Tourism calls it Zurich’s oldest Christmas market. Around 70 decorated market huts are spread over the lanes and squares of the Old Town: at the Grossmünster, on Hirschenplatz, Mühlegasse, Stüssihofstatt, Niederdorfstrasse, Zwingliplatz, Rosenhof and Zähringerplatz. The Fortuna Fire Crew performs fire shows on Zwingliplatz and Hirschenplatz, and at Zähringerplatz you can dip your own candles.
Opening hours 2026: Monday to Thursday 11.00–21.00, Friday and Saturday 11.00–22.00, Sunday 11.00–20.00.
19 November – 24 December 2026 · Münsterhof · tram stop Paradeplatz
Framed by the Fraumünster and the historic guild houses, this market follows the motto “From Zurich for Zurich”: the focus is on local shops, Zurich brands and high-quality products. A culture tent hosts concerts, readings and workshops for children and adults, and historical guided tours explain the Münsterhof. The organiser recommends its home-made mulled wine.
Opening hours 2026: Monday to Saturday 11.00–21.30, Sunday 11.00–19.30. Some stalls take cash, others only cards.
19 November – 23 December 2026 · Werdmühleplatz, lower end of Bahnhofstrasse · free
Choirs from the region sing on a stage shaped like a giant Christmas tree – more than 40 choirs over the season. Performances last 30 minutes: Monday to Thursday at 5.30 and 6.30 pm, on Friday also at 7.30 pm; on Saturday and Sunday at 2.30, 3.30, 5.30 and 6.30 pm. A small Christmas market with mulled wine, raclette, crêpes, a fondue chalet and a children’s carousel surrounds the tree.
The market is open Monday to Thursday 4–9 pm, Friday 4–10 pm, Saturday 1–10 pm and Sunday 1–9 pm. Choirs, open singing and market are free; a carousel ride costs CHF 3, with all proceeds going to children’s projects of the Kiwanis Clubs. Cash is not accepted. The event started in 1998 and moved to Werdmühleplatz in 2006 – about a five-minute walk from the main station along Bahnhofstrasse.
19 November – 23 December 2026 · Europaallee, right next to the main station · stop Kanonengasse
From Gustav-Gull-Platz to Europaplatz, around 80 exhibitors – changing every week – sell treats and gifts. There is a fondue chalet, workshops, a karaoke bar and a mini-market at weekends. The market is largely cashless and barrier-free.
Opening hours 2026: market Monday to Saturday 11.00–22.00 and Sunday 11.00–20.00; fondue chalet daily 11.00–24.00.
Every year the Bahnhofstrasse association switches on its Christmas lights during Zurich Night Shopping – in 2026 on Thursday, 19 November, at 6 pm. The lights are named after the Beatles song “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”. Zürich Tourism counts 11,550 light crystals spread over about one kilometre, and the illuminations on Bahnhofstrasse, Neumarkt and Paradeplatz shine until 4 January 2027.
Since 2023, “A Touch of Lucy” – a crystal installation you can walk into – has stood on Züghusplatz during Advent. The lights are privately financed. More about the street on our Bahnhofstrasse and Paradeplatz page.
More Advent highlights in Zurich
Illuminarium at the Swiss National Museum (5 November – 30 December 2026): a bar, a fondue chalet and food stands in the freely accessible front area of the courtyard; light shows in the paid section. See the Swiss National Museum.
Uetliberg Winter Wonderland at the Hotel Uto Kulm (6 November 2026 – 31 January 2027): a curling rink, and at weekends candle making and a small Christmas market. The Uetliberg railway runs from the main station – see Uetliberg.
Candle making at Hechtplatz (14 November – 21 December 2026), a Zurich Advent tradition since 1969.
St. Annahof Märlitram (20 November – 23 December 2026): a fairy-tale tram for children aged 4 to 9, with stories in German, departing from Bellevue. Tickets go on sale online on 13 November.
More December events – from the Christmas procession to Circus Conelli and the “Samichlausschwimmen” – are in our guide to Zurich in December.
Tips for the Christmas markets in Zurich
Payment differs from market to market: the Singing Christmas Tree takes no cash, the Weihnachtsallee is largely cashless, and on the Münsterhof some stalls take cash and others only cards.
On a rainy day, go to Polarzauber: the station hall is covered.
Three markets are right at or next to the main station – Polarzauber in the station hall, the Weihnachtsallee next door and the Singing Christmas Tree about five minutes away along Bahnhofstrasse.
On 24 December only Polarzauber (until 4 pm) and the Münsterhof market are still open.
Zurich Christmas markets: questions and answers
When do the Zurich Christmas markets open in 2026?
On Thursday, 19 November 2026 – the evening the “Lucy” lights on Bahnhofstrasse are switched on at 6 pm. Most markets run until 23 December; Polarzauber in the main station and the Münsterhof market until 24 December.
What is the biggest Christmas market in Zurich?
Polarzauber in the main hall of Zurich main station: more than 100 market houses, food stalls and bars on around 2,000 m². The organiser calls it Switzerland’s largest indoor Christmas market.
Is the Wienachtsdorf at Bellevue still taking place?
No. The “Wienachtsdorf” no longer takes place in Zurich. In 2026 the Sechseläutenplatz hosts Bellevue Noël, a new Christmas market with a walkable 50-metre Advent wreath.
Do I have to pay to enter the Christmas markets in Zurich?
The organisers of Polarzauber and of the Singing Christmas Tree state that admission is free. The walkable wreath at Bellevue Noël is free too, but you need a ticket. The other markets are on public streets and squares, and their organisers do not mention an admission fee.
