Quick answer: Dublin’s big festive hubs for 2026 are TwinkleTown (Smithfield Square from 20 November, plus a new site in St Patrick’s Park from 27 November) and the brand-new Everwinter at the RDS from 25 November. There’s no Dublin Castle market this year. Further afield, Belfast City Hall runs 14 November to 22 December, Waterford’s Winterval fills the weekends from 13 November, Cork’s Christmas celebration starts on 15 November, and Galway’s Eyre Square market is expected from early November to New Year’s Eve.
Ah, Christmas in Ireland! Sure, it’s all mulled wine, frozen fingers and someone’s auntie insisting you buy one more hand-knitted hat. We don’t do giant Bavarian-style markets, but ours are cosy, fun and a grand excuse to see a few cities. Here’s what’s on in 2026 and how to get there from Dublin.
Christmas Markets in Dublin 2026
TwinkleTown – Smithfield Square and St Patrick’s Park
TwinkleTown, run by Archetype in partnership with Dublin City Council, is back and it’s doubled in size. The Smithfield Square site runs from 20 November to 31 December 2026, with ice skating, the Santo Panto, the Big Wheel, a vintage funfair, live music, festive food and an Irish makers’ market.
New for 2026, TwinkleTown St Patrick’s Park runs from 27 November to 23 December beside the cathedral in the Liberties. Expect lighting displays, Christmas-themed carousels and choir performances from Sing Ireland. The two sites are about a 20-minute stroll apart. Both are free to enter. Ice skating and the Santo Panto are ticketed. Both sites also offer sensory-friendly experiences.
Everwinter at the RDS, Ballsbridge (new)
Everwinter is new this year. It comes from Equinox Events, the team behind Taste of Dublin, which also ran Christmas at the Castle from 2019 to 2023. The full site runs 25 November to 23 December 2026, with a covered ice rink, Robert Fossett’s Circus in a big top, a Christmas market of Irish makers, a vintage fairground and plenty of food and drink. From 26 December to 3 January it’s the ice rink only.
- Hours: Tuesday to Friday 2pm–9pm; Saturday and Sunday 12pm–9pm; closed Mondays
- Entry: €2.50; children 12 and under go free but need a ticket. No event parking.
- Getting there: Lansdowne Road and Sandymount DART stations are about a five-minute walk away
What about the Dublin Castle Christmas market?
Sorry folks, not this year. The Dublin Castle campus is closed to the public until January 2027 while it hosts Ireland’s EU Presidency. That means no Christmas at the Castle in 2026. When it last ran, in 2024, it opened from 28 November to 18 December, so keep an eye out for its return in 2027.
Street markets and smaller pop-ups
Dublin City Council says there will be festive markets from Temple Bar to Inchicore, plus the annual Henry Street and Mary Street Christmas market and the Moore Street market. The council’s full Christmas programme is due in November.
Farmleigh House in the Phoenix Park usually holds Christmas weekends with a food and craft market, horse and carriage rides, carol singing and puppet shows. In 2025 these ran across the first three weekends of December, and entry was free. The 2026 dates haven’t been announced yet. Smaller pop-up markets in Dún Laoghaire and the Docklands have come and gone in recent years, and none had confirmed 2026 dates when we wrote this. We’ll add them to our events page as they’re announced.
Festive Lights and Events in Dublin
Big change for 2026: the Dublin Winter Lights festival is moving to January. It will start in mid-January 2027 and run to the St Brigid’s Day bank holiday weekend. Don’t worry, December won’t be dark. Dublin City Council is projecting Christmas designs onto the GPO and City Hall. It’s also lighting up Samuel Beckett Bridge and the rainbow Millennium Bridge, and running an expanded TwinkleTrail with up to 20 twinkle stars on O’Connell Street. The O’Connell Street tree, standing over 13 metres, is one of more than 30 lit trees across the city.
For something bigger, Wild Lights at Dublin Zoo returns from 12 November 2026 to 5 January 2027 with a new “Passport to Wonder” theme. It’s open every night except 24–26 December, and you’ll need to book online. If you’re making a day of it on the Southside, pair TwinkleTown St Patrick’s Park with a pint at the Guinness Storehouse, also in the Liberties. You can book Guinness Storehouse tickets here.
Belfast Christmas Market (City Hall)
Belfast’s market in the gardens of City Hall is the biggest on the island. Over half the stalls belong to local traders, and there’s an outdoor food court, a vintage carousel and a giant helter-skelter.
- Dates: Saturday 14 November (opens 12 noon) to Tuesday 22 December 2026 (closes 6pm)
- Hours: Mon–Wed 10am–8pm (bars to 9pm); Thu–Sat 10am–10pm (bars to 11pm); Sun 12 noon–6pm
- Entry: free
Getting there from Dublin: The Enterprise train runs roughly hourly from Dublin Connolly to Belfast Grand Central. The trip takes between 2 hours 5 minutes and about 2¼ hours. It’s the best choice if you want an evening under the lights. Remember Belfast uses sterling, not euro.
If you’d prefer someone else to do the driving, our Belfast City & Giant’s Causeway tour combines the city with the Antrim coast. It leaves Dublin at 7am and gets back around 8pm. The Belfast stop is in the morning, roughly 9:30 to 11:50, and is built around Titanic Belfast or a Black Taxi tour, so treat the market as a bonus glimpse rather than the main event. Book the Belfast & Giant’s Causeway day tour, or see the Belfast Titanic Experience day tour. The tour doesn’t run on 24–26 December.
Galway Continental Christmas Market (Eyre Square)
Galway’s market is a proper Christmas village. Galway Tourism describes it as having more than 50 wooden chalets around Eyre Square, a 32-metre Big Wheel, a carousel, Santa’s Express Train, a Santa’s Cabin and a famously busy Bier Keller.
- Dates: expected to run from about 7 November to 31 December 2026 (official dates TBC). A court has already licensed the beer tent to open from 6 November.
- Published hours: Mon–Wed 12 noon–8pm (bar to 10pm); Thu–Sat 10am–10pm; Sun 10am–8pm
- Entry: free. Rides, Santa and drinks are paid separately.
Getting there from Dublin: Our Connemara & Galway day tour leaves Dublin at 8am, stops in Cong, drives through the Maam Valley and Connemara, and gives you about 2.5 hours of free time in Galway City before getting back around 8pm. That’s just enough for a mulled wine and a spin on the wheel. For more west-coast ideas, see our top 10 day tours from Dublin.
Waterford Winterval
Winterval bills itself as Ireland’s largest Christmas festival, and Waterford holds the European City of Christmas title. It’s spread across the historic city centre rather than one square. The Christmas market is in John Roberts Square, and there’s also Winterval on Ice on the Quay, the Waterford Eye, the Winterval Illuminates light show in Cathedral Square and a Polish Christmas Village.
- Dates: weekends from 13 November to 23 December 2026. Some events run on other dates too.
- Santa: the grotto is in the medieval caverns under the Medieval Museum. Tickets cost €26 per child, with up to two adults free per child, and sell fast.
- New for 2026: The Hive, a 1,200-capacity venue for live entertainment
Getting there from Dublin: InterCity trains run from Dublin Heuston, and Bus Éireann’s Expressway is Winterval’s official transport partner. Check the “Getting Here” pages on winterval.ie for current times.
Cork: Christmas in Cork (formerly Glow)
If you’re searching for Glow, it’s gone. Cork scrapped it in 2023, and since 2024 the city’s celebration has been better known as “Corkmas”. Christmas in Cork runs from 15 November to 31 December 2026 and opens with the Christmas Parade on Sunday 15 November. Expect a Christmas market in Bishop Lucey Park, festive entertainment at Counting House Plaza, and the Ferris wheel and carousel on Grand Parade from 27 November. There’s also something new: Nollaig – A Journey to Believe, an immersive Santa experience at Elizabeth Fort. It runs on 18 selected nights between 27 November and 22 December, with tickets from €19.50.
Getting there from Dublin: Direct InterCity trains run from Dublin Heuston to Cork Kent.
Tips for Christmas Markets in Ireland
- Go midweek or early. Weekend evenings get packed.
- Book the ticketed extras early. Santa visits, ice skating sessions and Wild Lights time slots are limited, and the popular ones go early.
- Dress for Irish weather, not postcard weather. Bring a rain jacket and warm layers.
- Mind the closing dates. Belfast shuts on 22 December and Winterval ends on 23 December. Smithfield and Galway are your best bets for the week after Christmas.
- Use public transport in Dublin. Luas, DART and buses beat hunting for a space. If you must drive, see our guide to parking in Dublin city centre.
FAQ
Is there a Christmas market at Dublin Castle in 2026?
No. The Dublin Castle campus is closed to the public until January 2027 for Ireland’s EU Presidency. The closest big alternatives are TwinkleTown (Smithfield and St Patrick’s Park) and Everwinter at the RDS.
When do the Dublin Christmas markets open in 2026?
TwinkleTown Smithfield opens on 20 November and runs to 31 December. TwinkleTown St Patrick’s Park runs 27 November to 23 December. Everwinter runs 25 November to 23 December, and its ice rink stays open to 3 January.
Are Irish Christmas markets free?
Mostly, yes. TwinkleTown, Belfast, Galway and the Winterval market are free to enter. Everwinter charges €2.50, and children 12 and under go free. Rides, skating and Santa visits cost extra everywhere.
Can I visit the Belfast Christmas Market as a day trip from Dublin?
Easily. The Enterprise train takes just over two hours from Connolly to Belfast Grand Central. The market runs from 14 November to 22 December 2026 and stays open until 10pm Thursday to Saturday.
What are the Galway Christmas Market 2026 dates?
It’s expected to run from early November (around 6–7 November) to 31 December in Eyre Square, but the organisers haven’t published final dates yet.
Are the Dublin Winter Lights on in December 2026?
The Winter Lights festival moves to mid-January 2027 and runs to St Brigid’s weekend. December still has Christmas projections, bridge lighting and the TwinkleTrail around the city centre.
Plan Your Festive Trip
Whether it’s skating in Smithfield, mulled wine in Eyre Square or a sterling-fuelled evening at Belfast City Hall, there’s a market for every kind of Christmas person. Check our Dublin events page for updates as more 2026 dates are confirmed, and browse Dublin tours and activities to round out your trip. Nollaig shona!
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