Christmas Markets in Ireland: Where to Go and How to Do Them Well
Why a market weekend works
A Christmas market on its own is a couple of hours: a mulled wine, a bratwurst and a bauble you didn’t need. Turn it into a night away, though, and it becomes one of the best weekends of the year. Dinner somewhere warm, a wander round a city lit up like a fairground, a lie-in and a slow breakfast before you head home.
The catch is that everyone else has the same idea. Rooms in Galway and Waterford for the first two Saturdays of December go early, so book now. If you can do a Thursday or a Sunday night, you’ll pay less and get more elbow room at the stalls.
Which market should you pick?
- The big one: Galway’s Eyre Square. It’s the market people travel for, and the Latin Quarter is two minutes away for dinner and music.
- Best for families: Waterford Winterval, spread across the whole old city, with lots of it free.
- Best for food and an international feel: Belfast City Hall.
- Small and easy: Kilkenny’s Yulefest, compact enough to see in an afternoon, with a castle as the backdrop.
- On your doorstep: Dublin’s TwinkleTown and Cork’s Glow, great for an evening if you live there or are passing through.
Getting there without the car
Parking near any market in December is a test of character you don’t need. The train is the easy way. Galway’s station is right beside Eyre Square, Kilkenny’s is a short walk from The Parade, Waterford’s is just across the river from the city centre, and the Enterprise from Dublin drops you a short walk from Belfast City Hall. Friday evening trains in December are busy, so book a seat.
Where to stay
Stay central so you can walk back after the market. In Galway that means around Eyre Square or the Latin Quarter, in Waterford the Viking Triangle, in Belfast the streets around City Hall and the Cathedral Quarter, and in Kilkenny anywhere near The Parade and the castle. Compare prices in each town with the buttons below, and go for a free-cancellation rate if you’re booking early.
Beyond the markets
If the crowds aren’t for you, there’s plenty else. Many of the big houses, like Powerscourt in Wicklow, Westport House and Kilkenny Castle, run Christmas events and Santa visits, and garden centres put on light trails. Then there’s the Christmas Day swim, a proper Irish tradition at the Forty Foot in Dublin, Salthill in Galway and dozens of beaches around the coast, usually raising money for charity.
Practical tips
- Check each market’s official site before you book: dates are announced in autumn and now and then they change.
- Wear proper shoes and a warm hat. You’ll stand around for longer than you think, often on wet cobbles.
- Bring some cash for small stalls and kids’ rides, even though most take cards.
- Book dinner. Restaurants in market towns fill up from mid-November.
- Go early on a weekday evening for the lights without the crush.
The markets in 2026
Dates and hours for this season. Markets sometimes change them, so check the official site before you travel.
Galway: Eyre Square
Dates: 6 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. The market itself runs to 22 December; the Big Wheel and amusements keep going after that.
Hours: Mon to Wed 12:00 to 20:00 (bar until 22:00), Thu to Sat 10:00 to 22:00, Sun 10:00 to 20:00.
Good to know: the German Bier Keller doesn’t open on day one. Because of licensing it opens a week later, on 14 November.
Galway’s Continental Christmas Market is one of the biggest in the country, with over 450,000 visitors last year, and entry is free. Go early on a weekday evening if you can, and take the train: the station is right beside Eyre Square.
Waterford: Winterval
Dates: 13 November to 23 December 2026, on selected dates (mostly weekends and Christmas week).
Hours: vary by event. The official opening and Light Up ceremony is on 13 November at 5:30pm.
Winterval is Ireland’s largest Christmas festival, and it spreads right across the old city. The market runs through John Roberts Square, Arundel Square, Georges Street and O’Connell Street, with an ice rink, a Ferris wheel, a light show on the medieval walls and a Santa trail for the kids.
Much of it is free. Book the paid bits, like the rink and Santa’s Grotto, ahead.
Belfast: City Hall
Dates: 14 November to 22 December 2026.
Hours: Mon to Wed 10:00 to 20:00 (bars until 21:00), Thu to Sat 10:00 to 22:00 (bars until 23:00), Sun 12:00 to 18:00. On opening day, 14 November, it opens at noon rather than 10am.
Belfast’s market has the most international feel of the lot, with stalls from all over Europe, though over half the traders are local. Entry is free. Look out for the vintage carousel and the giant helter-skelter.
It’s an easy trip from Dublin on the Enterprise train. Stay for the evening: the Cathedral Quarter has some of the best pubs on the island.
Dublin: TwinkleTown and more
Note: Christmas at the Castle isn’t running in 2026. TwinkleTown is the main city-centre alternative.
TwinkleTown, Smithfield Square: 20 November to 31 December 2026. Free entry; skating and some attractions are ticketed.
TwinkleTown, St Patrick’s Park: 27 November to 23 December 2026. Free entry.
Everwinter at the RDS, Ballsbridge: 25 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. A big new family attraction with an ice rink.
Opening hours vary by venue and by day, so check the official Dublin Christmas guides before you go.
Cork: Glow and the Christmas Markets
Dates: 20 November to 22 December 2026, on selected dates.
Days: Wednesday to Sunday.
Hours: Glow is an evening event, so arrive after 4pm to see the lights at their best. The park usually opens mid-afternoon.
The Christmas Markets in Bishop Lucey Park bring together food producers, makers and local traders. The wider Christmas in Cork programme adds a Ferris wheel on Grand Parade and a Family Festive Hub.
Good for a few hours, then dinner on Oliver Plunkett Street.
Kilkenny: Yulefest
Dates: 28 November to 23 December 2026.
Hours: Saturdays 11:00 to 20:00, Sundays 11:00 to 18:00, Christmas week (Mon to Wed) 11:00 to 19:00.
Yulefest fills The Parade with wooden huts selling festive food and crafts, and entry is free. Santa arrives by boat to launch it on 28 November, with live music from 2pm and the lights switched on at 5pm.
Compact, walkable and an easy train ride from Dublin.
Book a room early
Rooms in event towns go weeks ahead. Compare prices in:
Planning time off? Use the leave planner What's open on bank holidays
Frequently asked questions
When do Christmas markets in Ireland open?
Most open between mid and late November and close a day or two before Christmas. Dates vary each year, so check before you travel.
Which is the best Christmas market in Ireland?
Galway’s Eyre Square market is the biggest in the Republic. Waterford Winterval is the best all-round festival for families. Belfast City Hall has the widest range of food and stalls.
Are Christmas markets free to enter?
Yes, entry to all the main markets is free. You pay for food, drink, rides, the ice rink and Santa visits.
Escapes to pair with it
Co. Galway · About 2 hours 30 minutes from DublinGalway CitySmall, loud, creative and walkable, with the Aran Islands, Connemara and the Burren on the doorstep. Galway is the west's favourite city for a weekend.
Co. Kilkenny · About 1 hour 30 minutes from DublinKilkennyCastle, cathedral, crafts and a pub on every corner: Ireland's most walkable small city.
Co. Waterford · About 2 hours 30 minutes from DublinWaterford Greenway & DungarvanIreland's longest greenway, a harbour town at the end of it and a coastline full of coves. The easiest active weekend in the country.More seasonal guides: St Patrick's Festival in Ireland Easter in Ireland