The Bucharest Christmas market, Târgul de Crăciun București, sets up every year on Piața Constituției in front of the Palace of the Parliament. For 2026 it is expected to open at the end of November and run until late December. The city hasn’t announced the exact dates yet. The last edition ran from 29 November to 28 December 2025, opening on the weekend before Romania’s National Day on 1 December.
Entry is free, the square is huge, and there’s a stage with concerts most evenings. Below is what to expect, the other markets in town, the food to try and where to store your bags while you visit.
Bucharest Christmas market 2026: key facts
| Expected dates | Late November – late December 2026 (to be confirmed) |
| Last edition | 29 November – 28 December 2025 |
| Main location | Piața Constituției, in front of the Palace of the Parliament |
| Other markets | Piața Universității; National Opera esplanade |
| Organiser | Bucharest City Hall, through CREART |
| Entry | Free |
Daily hours are published once the market is announced. We’ll update this page when the 2026 programme is out. You can also follow CREART, the city’s cultural organiser, for the official dates and concert line-up.
What to expect on Piața Constituției
The 2025 edition was the 18th, with more than 120 stalls selling food and handmade goods. The square had a 30-metre ecological Christmas tree, billed as the tallest in Romania, plus Santa’s House (Casa lui Moș Crăciun) with workshops for children, a Ferris wheel and a two-storey carousel. Expect a similar setup in 2026.
The main stage hosts carols, folk shows and concerts by Romanian pop acts, especially on the opening weekend and around 1 December. In 2025 the Christmas lights across the city were switched on the same evening the market opened.
For gifts, look for ceramics, painted icons, wood carvings, wool and embroidered textiles, and jars of local jam and honey.
Other Christmas markets in Bucharest
- Bucharest Downtown Christmas Market, Piața Universității: the second city-run market, with food trucks serving international dishes, a carousel, a tree and light installations. In 2025 it ran on the same dates as the main market.
- Bucharest Opera Christmas Market, on the esplanade of the National Opera: a smaller market near Cotroceni.
- The Old Town (Centrul Vechi): no market as such, but the pubs and restaurants are the obvious place to warm up after the stalls.
Food and drink at the Bucharest Christmas market
Romanian Christmas food is hearty. Sarmale are cabbage rolls stuffed with minced pork and rice, usually served with mămăligă (polenta) and sour cream. Mici are grilled skinless sausages eaten with mustard. For something sweet, cozonac is the festive bread filled with walnuts, cocoa or Turkish delight, and you’ll also see kürtőskalács (chimney cake) at most markets. Vin fiert, the Romanian mulled wine, comes with cinnamon and orange.
Getting there
Piața Constituției is at the end of Bulevardul Unirii, below the Palace of the Parliament. The closest metro stations are Izvor (M1 and M3) and Piața Unirii (M1, M2 and M3), each about 10 minutes away on foot. From Henri Coandă airport, the 783 express bus goes into the centre, and trains run from the airport to Gara de Nord. Piața Universității is one metro stop north of Piața Unirii on M2, or a 20-minute walk from the main market.
Bucharest is cold in December, often around freezing at night, and the square is wide open to the wind.
Luggage storage near the Bucharest Christmas market
If you’re arriving on an early train or flying out at night, you can see the market without your suitcase. Radical Storage has luggage storage spots near Piața Constituției, the Old Town and Gara de Nord, inside local shops and hotels.
You book online in a couple of minutes, from €0.90 a day. Each bag is protected up to €10,000, and cancellation is free. Radical Storage has over 16.5K locations in more than 2.3K cities, with a 4.8/5 rating from travellers.
Bucharest Christmas market FAQ
The 2026 dates have not been announced yet. It usually opens at the end of November and runs until late December. In 2025 it ran from 29 November to 28 December.
The main market is on Piața Constituției, in front of the Palace of the Parliament. Smaller markets are held on Piața Universității and at the National Opera.
Yes, entry is free. You pay for food, drinks, rides and gifts.
Sarmale (stuffed cabbage rolls) with polenta, mici (grilled sausages), cozonac (sweet festive bread) and vin fiert, the Romanian mulled wine.
Take the metro to Izvor or Piața Unirii and walk about 10 minutes. The square is right below the Palace of the Parliament.
Radical Storage has luggage storage near Piața Constituției, the Old Town and Gara de Nord. Book online from €0.90 a day, with bags protected up to €10,000 and free cancellation.