Photo: © Rolands Varsbergs / VisitDenmark
When winter arrives, Copenhagen fills with lights, Christmas stalls, warm drinks and the smell of roasted almonds.
Some of the Christmas markets are large and central. Others are smaller, local and a little more tucked away.
I live in Frederiksberg and have spent many Christmas seasons in and around Copenhagen, including several years exhibiting at the Christmas market in Brøndsalen. So this is my personal guide to the markets and December places I think are worth knowing.
Updated throughout the season
Several organisers have not yet published their final dates for Christmas 2026. I will update this guide as dates are confirmed. Where a 2026 date has not yet been announced, I say so clearly.
Christmas in my own corner of Copenhagen
I live and work in Frederiksberg, and this is also where Ugly Duckli belongs.
For several years I had my own stand at the Christmas market in Brøndsalen, so I have a particular affection for the smaller local Christmas traditions as well as the big markets in central Copenhagen.
There will be a Christmas market at Frederiksberg City Hall Square from 4 to 13 December 2026, with free admission. This is a separate event from Haveselskabet’s Christmas market.
Haveselskabet has not yet confirmed whether its Christmas market will return in 2026. I will update this guide when there is news.
Christmas markets I am watching for 2026
Some are Copenhagen classics. Others are smaller local markets with their own atmosphere. I update the dates as the organisers publish them.
1. Christmas in Nyhavn
Nyhavn seems almost made for December. The coloured houses, harbour and lights make it one of the places where Copenhagen feels particularly festive.
Nyhavn is a lovely stop on a Christmas walk, with restaurants and atmosphere along the canal. A separate Christmas market and its dates have not yet been confirmed for 2026.
13 December
Lucia in kayaks
One of my favourite December experiences is the Lucia procession on the water. Illuminated kayaks move through Copenhagen’s canals and pass, among other places, Nyhavn.
14 November to 20 December 2026
2. Jul På Højbro Plads
There will once again be a Christmas market on historic Højbro Plads in 2026. The market has a new owner and will be presented from this year under the name Jul På Højbro Plads.
Christmas traditions from Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands will meet here through stalls, food, design, crafts, music, entertainment and seasonal activities. Children will also be able to experience an interactive Christmas display with magical talking trees and the new story of Julius Klejne.
3. H.C. Andersen Christmas Market at Nytorv and Gammeltorv
6 November to 21 December 2026
This market adds a little fairytale atmosphere to Christmas. The small stalls are inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s universe, and the location is wonderfully central between Strøget and the old streets around Nytorv.
4. Christmas market at Copenhagen City Hall Square
From 11 December 2026
There will be a Christmas market at Copenhagen City Hall Square from 11 December 2026. The exact opening hours are still awaiting confirmation, so I will update the guide when they are published.
5. Copenhagen Winter Wonderland at Kongens Nytorv
Returning in November 2026
Copenhagen Winter Wonderland returns to Kongens Nytorv in November 2026 with an outdoor ice rink and a winter market with food stalls. The organiser will announce the exact dates and opening hours.
From here you can also continue towards Nyhavn, Strøget, Magasin and Hotel d’Angleterre, all of which become part of the city’s Christmas atmosphere.
A Copenhagen Christmas tradition
Hotel d’Angleterre’s Christmas façade
Every year, the façade of Hotel d’Angleterre on Kongens Nytorv is transformed into an illuminated Christmas display. The tradition began in 1995 and has since become part of Copenhagen’s Christmas scenery.
In 2026, the hotel’s Christmas programme begins on 13 November. The exact date of the official lighting of this year’s Christmas façade has not yet been confirmed.
6. Christmas in Tivoli
13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027
Christmas in Tivoli is much more than a Christmas market. The entire garden is transformed with lights, Christmas trees, stalls, rides and seasonal food.
There is an entrance fee, but if you want one big Christmas experience right in the middle of Copenhagen, Tivoli remains something rather special.
7. Christiania Christmas Market
8 to 20 December 2026
The Christmas market in Den Grå Hal at Christiania has a character all its own. Expect crafts, colours, textiles, food and gifts in a more bohemian setting than the traditional central Copenhagen markets.
8. Christmas in Dragør
21–22 November, 28–29 November, 5–6 December, 12–13 December and 19–20 December 2026; Saturday and Sunday 12–17
Dragør is a little outside central Copenhagen, but it almost becomes a Christmas excursion in itself. The yellow houses, cobbled streets and old town create a completely different atmosphere from the city centre.
9. Christmas Market at Frederiksberg City Hall Square
4 to 13 December 2026
At Frederiksberg City Hall Square you can experience a local Christmas market in the heart of Frederiksberg. The market brings together local artists, designers and craftspeople, along with Christmas music, food and activities for children. It is close to Frederiksberg Gardens and Haveselskabets Have and is a separate event from Haveselskabet’s own Christmas market.
10. Haveselskabet Christmas Market in Frederiksberg
Not yet confirmed for 2026
This traditional market in Haveselskabets Have has a special place in my heart because I had my own stand here for several years.
Haveselskabet currently states that the market was last held in November 2025 and that they have not yet decided whether it will return in 2026.
11. Swedish Church Christmas Bazaar
20–22 November 2026; Friday 20 November 15–19, Saturday 21 November 10–18, Sunday 22 November 10–17
On Østerbro you can enjoy a small taste of Swedish Christmas with seasonal specialities, a lottery, decorations and the atmosphere around Svenska Gustafskyrkan.
12. Christmas shopping in Jægersborggade
Jægersborggade is a lovely stop for Christmas shopping in small independent shops, with design, coffee and local Nørrebro atmosphere. A special Christmas market and its dates have not yet been confirmed for 2026.
13. Flids Christmas Market
11–13 December 2026; Friday 12–18, Saturday and Sunday 11–17
Flids brings together artists, designers and craftspeople and is a good place to look for ceramics, jewellery, textiles, prints and things you are unlikely to find in a large chain store.
14. RAW Market
28 November 2026, 11:00–17:00
RAW has traditionally had a more experimental craft and design character. It is one to watch if you would like to find something a little less conventional.
15. Bryggen Christmas Market
29 November 2026, 10:00 to 15:00
Bryggen Christmas Market is an indoor market in the concert hall at Kulturhuset Islands Brygge, with local crafts, Christmas decorations and seasonal treats.
16. Christmas on Værnedamsvej
2026 date awaiting confirmation
Værnedamsvej sits right on the border between Frederiksberg and Vesterbro and has its own small-town feeling with cafés and specialist shops. When the street holds a Christmas event, it is a lovely local alternative to the city centre.
Perhaps you would like to take a little Danish Christmas tradition home
If walking through the Christmas markets has put you in the mood for something more Danish, you can try weaving one of the classic red and white paper hearts yourself.
I have made a free illustrated step-by-step guide in both English and Danish, and you are very welcome to download, print and use it.
Or gather people around a table and weave together
I also bring the Danish Christmas-heart tradition out to companies, international teams, universities, embassies, organisations and communities in Copenhagen.
It can be a shared experience for an agreed group, or open heart weaving at a larger Christmas event. Nobody needs previous experience. Beginners start with the small heart, and those who want to continue can weave the larger one too.
Large groups are welcome as well. I can bring additional helpers when needed, because everyone should be able to get personal help and experience the pleasure of successfully weaving a heart.
And for a very small group, you can come home to me in Frederiksberg
I also host the Private Paper Heart Experience for one private group of one to six guests.
We sit around my table, talk about the Danish Christmas-heart tradition and Hans Christian Andersen, and weave the hearts together. There is time for conversation, mistakes and another attempt if the first heart does not quite behave.
A few practical questions about Copenhagen Christmas markets
When do Copenhagen Christmas markets open in 2026?
Which Copenhagen Christmas markets are the most popular?
Are Copenhagen Christmas markets free?
Where can I learn more about Danish woven Christmas hearts?
Can Ugly Duckli bring a Christmas-heart experience to our company or organisation?
Can I experience the tradition privately?
If you are writing about Danish Christmas
You are very welcome to link to this guide or use Ugly Duckli as a source on Danish woven Christmas hearts and Christmas traditions.
I can also help with background information, images and short comments.
I hope you find a little of the Christmas atmosphere you are looking for
You do not have to visit every market. Choose a few places that appeal to you, dress warmly and leave a little time simply to walk around Copenhagen when the Christmas lights come on.
And perhaps you will take a small Danish Christmas heart home with you too.
Rikke is the founder of Ugly Duckli and has been sharing the Danish tradition of woven paper hearts in Denmark and internationally since 2001. For Rikke, the heart carries a special symbolism: Two simple pieces of paper are woven together, and something new emerges. In much the same way, we weave ourselves into each other’s lives, creating relationships and connections. Some last a lifetime, while others are woven apart again, but the encounter becomes part of our story.
The Ugly Duckli concept has received the Formland Award. Today, Rikke shares the tradition through private Paper Heart Experiences in Frederiksberg as well as VIP, corporate and group events throughout the year.