The Stockholm Christmas Market on Stortorget, the main square of Gamla Stan, is the city’s classic Christmas fair, with red wooden stalls set among the tall merchant houses of the Old Town. The 2026 dates haven’t been published yet, but it usually opens in the second half of November and runs every day until 23 December. Skansen, the open-air museum on Djurgården, has confirmed its weekend Christmas market for 27 November to 20 December 2026. Below you’ll find dates, hours, food, transport and where to leave your bags.
Arriving at Central Station? Drop your bags near Stortorget and walk the Old Town lanes with your hands free.
Stockholm Christmas Market 2026: Key Facts
| Market | Dates | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Stortorget, Gamla Stan | Expected late November to 23 December 2026 (2025: 22 November to 23 December) | Sun–Thu 11:00–18:00, Fri–Sat 11:00–19:00 (2025) |
| Skansen, Djurgården | Weekends 27–29 November, 4–6, 11–13 and 18–20 December 2026 | Fri–Sat 10:00–17:00, Sun 10:00–16:00 |
| Christmas lights (#Stockholmsjul) | 14 November 2026 to 16 January 2027 | Kungsträdgården and about 40 streets and squares |
Stortorget is free to walk around. Skansen is a museum, so you need an admission ticket to visit its market. Check the Skansen market page for tickets and the weekend programme.
Stortorget in Gamla Stan
Stortorget is the oldest square in Stockholm, lined with narrow, colourful gabled houses and the Nobel Prize Museum on its north side. Around 40 red stalls fill the square in December (41 in 2025). They sell Swedish sweets, Christmas decorations, ceramics, handicrafts, sausages and game meat, and plenty of glögg.
The market is small, so you’ll see it in half an hour. The best plan is to combine it with a slow walk through Gamla Stan’s lanes, down Västerlånggatan and past Stockholm Cathedral (Storkyrkan) and the Royal Palace, both a couple of minutes away.
Skansen on Djurgården
Skansen is the world’s oldest open-air museum, with historic farmhouses and town buildings moved here from all over Sweden. On the four weekends before Christmas it holds a traditional market with handicrafts, design, homemade candles, sweets and Christmas table delicacies. Waffles, mulled wine and roasted almonds are on sale, and the old houses are decorated the way Swedes celebrated Christmas in earlier centuries.
It’s a good half-day out, especially with kids, since your ticket also covers the Nordic animals and the rest of the museum grounds.
Food and Drink at the Stockholm Christmas Market
- Glögg: Swedish mulled wine, served with raisins and almonds. Alcohol-free versions are easy to find.
- Pepparkakor: thin gingerbread biscuits, sold everywhere in December.
- Lussekatter: saffron buns, traditionally eaten around Lucia on 13 December.
- Game sausages: reindeer, elk and wild boar from the grill stalls.
- Christmas sweets: polkagris (striped peppermint rock), knäck toffee and marzipan.
Sweden is close to cashless, and cards or phone payments work at almost every stall. For a feel of overall prices, see our guide on what a trip to Stockholm costs.
Getting to the Stockholm Christmas Market
| From | How |
|---|---|
| Arlanda Airport | Arlanda Express or a commuter train to Stockholm Central (about 20–40 minutes) |
| Stockholm Central / T-Centralen | One metro stop to Gamla Stan, or about 15 minutes on foot to Stortorget |
| To Skansen | Tram 7 from the city centre, or the Djurgården ferry from Slussen |
| By car | Gamla Stan is mostly pedestrian; use public transport |
Lights, Lucia and Other Seasonal Events
The city’s Christmas lights, branded #Stockholmsjul, switch on in Kungsträdgården on 14 November 2026 and stay up until 16 January 2027. Kungsträdgården also has an outdoor ice rink in winter. On 13 December, Lucia processions with candle crowns and white robes take place in churches across the city, and Skansen holds its own Lucia celebration. The NK department store on Hamngatan is known for its animated Christmas windows.
Tips for Visiting
- It gets dark around 15:00 in December, so plan Skansen for the morning and Gamla Stan for the evening.
- Visit Stortorget on a weekday if you can. Weekends get very crowded in the narrow square.
- Skansen’s market only runs Friday to Sunday, so check the dates before you book.
- Wear shoes with grip. Gamla Stan’s cobbles get slippery in frost.
Luggage Storage Near the Stockholm Christmas Market
If you’re arriving on an early train or have a late flight from Arlanda, dragging a suitcase over the Old Town cobbles or onto the Djurgården ferry is no fun. Leave it close to the station or Gamla Stan instead.
Radical Storage works with verified local businesses across Stockholm, including spots in Gamla Stan, at Stockholm Central and around Slussen. Book online in a minute, drop your bags and pick them up later. Every bag is protected up to €10,000, cancellation is free, and travellers rate the service 4.8/5 across more than 16.5K locations in 2.3K+ cities.
- Luggage storage near Stortorget in Gamla Stan.
- Luggage storage near Stockholm Central Station for trains and the Arlanda Express.
- Luggage storage near Slussen, where the ferry to Skansen leaves.
Stockholm Christmas Market 2026 FAQ
The Stortorget market in Gamla Stan hasn’t published its 2026 dates yet. It usually runs daily from the second half of November to 23 December (22 November to 23 December in 2025). Skansen’s weekend market runs on four weekends from 27 November to 20 December 2026.
On Stortorget, the main square of Gamla Stan (the Old Town), next to the Nobel Prize Museum.
In 2025 Stortorget opened Sunday to Thursday 11:00 to 18:00 and Friday and Saturday 11:00 to 19:00. Skansen’s market opens 10:00 to 17:00 on Fridays and Saturdays and 10:00 to 16:00 on Sundays.
Not for Stortorget, which is a public square. Skansen is a museum, so you need an admission ticket to visit its Christmas market.
The #Stockholmsjul lights run from 14 November 2026 to 16 January 2027, centred on Kungsträdgården.
Radical Storage has partner locations in Gamla Stan, near Stockholm Central Station and around Slussen. Book online, drop your bags at a verified local business and collect them later, with protection up to €10,000 per bag.
