Short answer: For Christmas markets in 2026, go to Strasbourg, Dresden, Tallinn or Copenhagen. For a big New Year’s Eve, go to Edinburgh for Hogmanay, London for the fireworks over the Thames, or New York for the Times Square ball drop. For a warm holiday, celebrate New Year’s Eve in summer in Sydney or Rio de Janeiro, or in mild Madeira, famous for its New Year fireworks.
Some travelers want lights, mulled wine and wooden market stalls before Christmas. Others want to be somewhere special at midnight on December 31. This guide covers both, with ten trips chosen for their 2026 holiday events.
For each place you get the 2026 dates where organizers have published them, typical December weather (1991–2020 averages, not forecasts) and a practical note. If you mainly want winter sun or the classic markets of Vienna, Nuremberg and Prague, see our guide to where to go in December; this list picks different places and focuses on the festive dates themselves.
Christmas market cities
Strasbourg, France
Why go: Strasbourg calls itself the Capital of Christmas, and it has the history to back it up. Its Christkindelsmärik dates from 1570, which makes it one of the oldest Christmas markets in Europe, and it has stood on Place Broglie since 1871. Today there are eight markets across the historic center, all within walking distance, including one at the foot of the Grand Sapin, the giant tree on Place Kléber.
2026 dates: the city has announced that the Christmas market opens on Friday 27 November 2026. The closing date for 2026 has not been published yet; the 2025 edition ran until 24 December.
Typical weather: highs around 43°F (6°C), lows around 33°F (1°C), and about 1.8 inches (45 mm) of rain or snow in December.
Best things to do: walk from the Cathedral Square market to the half-timbered lanes of La Petite France after dark, when the streets are lit up. Then take a short trip south to Colmar, another Alsace town known for its Christmas decorations.
Practical note: weekends draw the biggest crowds, so book rooms early and see the markets on weekday evenings if you can. See our Strasbourg travel guide and France travel guide.
Dresden, Germany
Why go: Dresden’s Striezelmarkt reaches its 592nd edition in 2026, which makes it one of Germany’s longest-running Christmas markets. It fills the Altmarkt square in the old town.
2026 dates: 25 November to 24 December 2026. On opening day it runs 16:00–21:00; from 26 November to 23 December it is open daily 10:00–21:00, and on 24 December 10:00–14:00.
Typical weather: highs around 39°F (4°C), lows around 31°F (−1°C), and about 1.7 inches (44 mm) of rain or snow in the month.
Best things to do: try a slice of Dresden stollen at the stalls, then walk to the Frauenkirche and the riverside terraces along the Elbe for the evening views.
Practical note: the market closes at 14:00 on Christmas Eve, so plan your last visit for the 23rd or the morning of the 24th. See our Dresden travel guide, Berlin travel guide and Germany travel guide.
Tallinn, Estonia
Why go: Tallinn’s medieval Old Town looks like a Christmas card in winter, and the market sits right in its heart, on Town Hall Square. The organizers say the market opens around the world’s first public Christmas tree, a claim the city has long made, and 2026 is the market’s 26th year.
2026 dates: 20 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, daily 10:00–20:00, with hot drinks served until 22:00 (23:00 on Fridays and Saturdays).
Typical weather: cold, with highs around 34°F (1°C), lows around 26°F (−3°C) and about 2.3 inches (59 mm) of precipitation in December.
Best things to do: walk the cobbled lanes up to Toompea Hill for the viewing platforms over the red roofs.
Practical note: the Old Town’s streets are steep and can be icy, so wear boots with a good grip. Some museums close on 24 December and 1 January, so check before you go. See our Tallinn travel guide and Estonia travel guide.
Copenhagen, Denmark
Why go: Copenhagen gives you Christmas and New Year in one place. Tivoli Gardens, the historic amusement park in the city center, turns into a Christmas world of lights, decorated stalls and rides for the holiday season, and it stays open through New Year’s Eve, when it ends the year with a fireworks display at midnight.
2026 dates: Christmas in Tivoli runs from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. Tivoli is closed on 24 December.
Best things to do: spend an evening in Tivoli when the lights come on, then take a winter canal tour past the colorful houses of Nyhavn.
Practical note: Tivoli tickets are sold online and the price varies by date, so buy ahead for weekends and the holiday weeks. The Copenhagen Card includes one Tivoli entry, but not the rides. See our Copenhagen travel guide and Denmark travel guide.
New Year’s Eve celebrations
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
Why go: Scotland’s Hogmanay is not one night but a whole festival, and Edinburgh’s is among the most famous New Year celebrations in the world. The midnight fireworks go off with Edinburgh Castle as the backdrop.
2026 dates: Edinburgh’s Hogmanay runs over four days from 29 December 2026. The program opens with the Torchlight Procession, a river of fire through the city, on 29 December. On 30 December there is a concert with The Fratellis in Princes Street Gardens. On 31 December comes the Street Party in the city center, a concert with Underworld in the Gardens, and the midnight fireworks. On New Year’s Day, First Footin’ is a free, unticketed live music trail around the city’s venues.
Typical weather: highs around 45°F (7°C), lows around 35°F (2°C), and about 2.7 inches (67 mm) of rain in the month.
Best things to do: join the Torchlight Procession, then spend New Year’s Eve at the Street Party below the castle. Visit Edinburgh Castle on another day of the trip.
Practical note: most Hogmanay events need tickets, which were listed as “coming soon” in early October, so sign up for updates on the official site. Edinburgh Castle is closed on 25 and 26 December, closes at 16:00 on 24 December and opens at 11:00 on 1 January. See our Edinburgh travel guide and United Kingdom travel guide.
London, England, United Kingdom
Why go: the Mayor of London’s New Year’s Eve show is one of the best-known fireworks displays in the world. It starts with the chimes of Big Ben, and fireworks, lights and music fill the sky around the London Eye over the River Thames.
Christmas too: Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, London’s big Christmas fair with rides, shows and food stalls, runs from 19 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, so a late-December trip can include both.
Best things to do: watch the fireworks from one of the official riverside viewing areas, then see the Christmas lights in the West End. The Tower of London and Westminster Abbey are good picks for the quieter days after New Year.
Practical note: the riverside viewing areas are ticketed, and only tickets from the official seller, Ticketmaster, are accepted. In recent years the first tickets went on sale in mid-October, so watch for the 2026 announcement now. Several big museums close from 24 to 26 December. See our London travel guide.
New York City, United States
Why go: New York is the classic American holiday trip. The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree goes up in November and is lit at the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony in early December; Rockefeller Center announces the exact date each year. Then, at midnight on December 31, the New Year’s Eve Ball descends atop One Times Square as confetti rains down.
Typical weather: cold, with highs around 44°F (7°C), lows around 34°F (1°C), and about 4.4 inches (111 mm) of rain or snow in December in Central Park, including on average about 4.9 inches of snowfall.
Best things to do: see the tree and the skaters at Rockefeller Center, walk past the holiday windows on Fifth Avenue, and watch the ball drop in Times Square.
Practical note: watching the ball drop in Times Square is free, but people arrive many hours early to get a spot, so dress warmly and plan for a long wait. Many museums, including the Met, MoMA and the American Museum of Natural History, close on Christmas Day. See our New York City travel guide and United States travel guide.
Warm holiday escapes
Sydney, Australia
Why go: Sydney is one of the first big cities to welcome the new year, and it does it in summer. More than a million people gather around Sydney Harbour to watch fireworks light up the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House.
2026 dates: Thursday 31 December 2026. There are two fireworks shows over the harbor, at 9 p.m. and at midnight. The earlier show suits families with young children.
Typical weather: early summer, with highs around 80°F (27°C), lows around 65°F (18°C) and about 2.9 inches (73 mm) of rain in December, often in short showers.
Best things to do: spend Christmas week on the beaches, walk the coastal path from Bondi to Coogee, and take the ferry to Manly. On New Year’s Eve, find your spot on the harbor foreshore.
Practical note: the official Sydney New Year’s Eve site lists both free and ticketed vantage points around the harbor. The popular free spots fill early in the day, so bring water, sunscreen and a hat. See our Sydney travel guide, Melbourne travel guide and Australia travel guide.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Why go: Réveillon, New Year’s Eve on Copacabana Beach, is one of the biggest beach parties on Earth. Music plays on stages along the sand all evening, fireworks are fired from barges offshore at midnight. Many people dress in white, and some walk into the sea after midnight to jump seven waves, one for each wish for the year ahead.
What to expect: the city has not yet announced its program for New Year’s Eve 2026. For the last edition, it set up three stages in Copacabana and Leme, among 13 across the city, and staged 12 minutes of fireworks from 19 barges along the shore, with a drone show for the first time.
Typical weather: it is summer in Rio, so expect hot, humid days and the chance of short, heavy showers.
Best things to do: ride up Sugarloaf Mountain and Corcovado to see Christ the Redeemer over the city, and spend the days after New Year on Ipanema and Copacabana beaches.
Practical note: hotel rooms near Copacabana are in high demand for New Year’s Eve, so book as early as you can, and check the city’s official announcements in December for stage line-ups and transport changes on the night. See our Rio de Janeiro travel guide and Brazil travel guide.
Madeira, Portugal
Why go: Madeira mixes mild weather with one of Europe’s best-known New Year celebrations. Its New Year’s Eve fireworks over Funchal Bay were recognized by Guinness World Records in 2006 as the largest fireworks display in the world. In December the streets of Funchal are hung with Christmas lights, and the island keeps its own traditions, such as the Missas do Parto, the traditional masses held in the days before Christmas.
2026 dates: Madeira’s Christmas and New Year festivities run from 1 December 2026 to 10 January 2027. The best-known of the traditional Christmas nights is the Market Night at the Farmers’ Market in Funchal on 23 December, and the New Year’s Eve fireworks last about eight minutes.
Typical weather: mild, with highs around 70°F (21°C) and lows around 60°F (16°C) in Funchal. December has the most rainy days of the year in Funchal, about nine on average, so pack a light rain jacket.
Best things to do: watch the fireworks from Funchal’s waterfront or the hills above the bay, then spend the next days on a levada walk such as Levada das 25 Fontes or at the viewpoint of Cabo Girão.
Practical note: the Funchal–Monte cable car runs every day except Christmas Day, and the Aerobus airport shuttle does not run on 25 December, so plan arrivals around that date. See our Madeira travel guide and Portugal travel guide.
Your 2026 festive calendar at a glance
- Opening first: Copenhagen’s Tivoli (13 November), Hyde Park Winter Wonderland in London (19 November) and Tallinn (20 November).
- Late November: Dresden’s Striezelmarkt (25 November) and Strasbourg (27 November).
- Early December: the start of Madeira’s festivities (1 December) and the Rockefeller Center tree lighting in New York.
- Christmas and New Year in one place: Tallinn (market until 6 January), Copenhagen (Tivoli until 3 January) and Madeira (festivities until 10 January).
- Biggest New Year’s Eve nights: Edinburgh, London and New York in the cold; Sydney, Rio and Madeira in the warmth.
The holiday weeks are the busiest and most expensive of the year in all ten places, so book as soon as your plans are set.
Plan your holiday trip
Our free trip planner builds a day-by-day plan for your dates, travelers and budget from our guides. To see what the weather is usually like on your exact dates, open the Destination weather tool, and use the packing list to pack for a cold market night or a summer beach party.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the best place to spend New Year’s Eve in 2026?
It depends on the night you want. Edinburgh’s Hogmanay is a four-day festival with fireworks over the castle; London and New York have their famous midnight moments on the Thames and in Times Square. For warm weather, choose Sydney’s harbor fireworks, Rio’s beach party on Copacabana or Madeira’s fireworks over Funchal Bay.
Which Christmas markets stay open after Christmas?
Tallinn’s market on Town Hall Square stays open until 6 January 2027, Christmas in Tivoli in Copenhagen runs until 3 January 2027, and Hyde Park Winter Wonderland in London is open until 3 January 2027. Dresden’s Striezelmarkt closes at 14:00 on 24 December, and Strasbourg’s 2025 market also ended on 24 December.
Do I need tickets for New Year’s Eve fireworks?
For some, yes. London’s riverside viewing areas are ticketed and sold only through Ticketmaster, and most of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay events need tickets. Watching the ball drop in Times Square is free. Sydney has both free and ticketed vantage points around the harbor.
Where is warm for Christmas and New Year?
In the Southern Hemisphere it is summer: Sydney has typical December highs around 80°F (27°C), and Rio is hot and humid. In Europe, Madeira is mild, with highs around 70°F (21°C) in Funchal.
When do the 2026 Christmas markets open?
Tivoli in Copenhagen opens for Christmas on 13 November 2026, Tallinn’s market on 20 November, Dresden’s Striezelmarkt on 25 November and Strasbourg’s market on 27 November.