Ghent’s Christmas market fills the medieval centre with more than 150 chalets, a big wheel by the river and an ice rink under a modern pavilion, and from 2026 it runs right through the Christmas holidays to 3 January. The city is bigger and livelier than Bruges, with a large student population and late-opening bars, but its towers and canals are just as handsome. It suits couples, groups of friends and rail travellers who want atmosphere as well as stalls.
Why go
The Gentse Winterfeesten spread through the old centre rather than sitting on one square. The chalets run from Sint-Baafsplein, below the cathedral, along the Botermarkt and Klein Turkije to the end of the Korenmarkt, so you walk past the Belfry, the town hall and the canal quays as you browse. Visit Gent describes a winter landscape stretching from Sint-Baafsplein to Sint-Veerleplein by the castle.
Ghent also does winter evenings well. Its towers, bridges and guild houses are lit after dark, and the festival programme adds free children’s entertainment every day. Bruges is a short train ride away, so the two make a natural pair; see our Bruges Christmas market 2026 guide.
Ghent
Don’t miss
The places that make the trip, and why each one deserves your time.
Michielverbeek / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Sint-Baafsplein and St Bavo's Cathedral
The Winterfeesten begin on the square below Ghent's Gothic cathedral, home to the Van Eyck brothers' Ghent Altarpiece, with chalets running towards the Belfry.
Belfry of Ghent
The medieval bell tower, crowned by its gilded dragon, rises between the cathedral and St Nicholas' Church and watches over the market below.
Ice rink under the Stadshal
Skaters circle beneath the open timber-and-glass canopy of the modern city pavilion on the Emile Braunplein, in the middle of the medieval centre.
Book a skating ticket ahead on the festival site.
Ed Webster (Flickr) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 Korenmarkt and the Ferris wheel
The big wheel turns over the old grain market, and from the top the towers of Ghent line up behind the gabled houses of the Graslei.
Ride after dark for the city lights.
Michiel Hendryckx / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Graslei and Korenlei
Two quays of guild houses face each other across the Leie, the city's most famous view, especially when the lights reflect in the water at night.
Marc Ryckaert (MJJR) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 Gravensteen
The moated castle of the Counts of Flanders, with its battlements and dark stone keep, sits a few minutes' walk from the Korenmarkt.
Declercq, Daan / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 Patershol
A tangle of narrow cobbled lanes behind the castle, once home to leather workers and now full of small restaurants, for a quieter dinner away from the chalets.
Ghent Christmas market 2026 dates and locations
The Gentse Winterfeesten run from Thursday 3 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027, according to the official festival site and Visit Gent. From 2026 the city has extended the festival to the last Sunday of the Christmas holidays, instead of ending on 31 December.
- Christmas chalets: More than 150, from Sint-Baafsplein along the Botermarkt and Klein Turkije to the Korenmarkt.
- Ferris wheel: On the Korenmarkt.
- Ice rink: Under the Stadshal, the open pavilion between the Belfry and the Emile Braunplein. Skating needs a ticket; opening hours and online booking were not yet live at the time of writing.
- Sapin Magique: On the Goudenleeuwplein, beside the Belfry.
- Other squares: The city has said the festival keeps the same locations as in 2025, which also included the Poeljemarkt and the Emile Braunplein.
Opening hours
The 2026 hours had not been published at the time of writing. As a guide, in 2025 the market opened from noon on weekdays and 11am at weekends, and stayed open until midnight, or 1am on Fridays and Saturdays, with shorter hours of noon to 5pm on 24 and 31 December. Check gentsewinterfeesten.be before you travel, especially for Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
Tip: Go on a weekday afternoon to browse, then come back after dark for the Ferris wheel and the lights on the Graslei.
The 48-hour route
Day 1
Morning: Start in St Bavo’s Cathedral, where the Van Eyck brothers’ Ghent Altarpiece, the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, is the great treasure. Then step out onto Sint-Baafsplein, where the market begins.
Afternoon: Walk the chalets past the Belfry and the Goudenleeuwplein, with the Sapin Magique, to the Stadshal. Skate under its canopy or watch from the Emile Braunplein, then carry on along the Botermarkt and Klein Turkije.
Evening: Finish on the Korenmarkt. Ride the Ferris wheel, then walk out onto St Michael’s Bridge for the classic view of the three towers and the lit-up Graslei and Korenlei.
Day 2
Morning: Visit the Gravensteen, the moated castle of the Counts of Flanders, and climb to the battlements for views over the rooftops.
Afternoon: Wander the lanes of the Patershol behind the castle, then cross to the Vrijdagmarkt. For something modern, Design Museum Gent reopened on 3 October 2026 after a four-year renovation; read more in our museum reopenings update.
Evening: Have dinner in the Patershol, then return to whichever stretch of the market you liked best for a last drink.
What to eat and drink
- Gentse waterzooi: Ghent’s creamy stew of chicken or fish with vegetables, the city’s signature dish.
- Cuberdons: Cone-shaped raspberry sweets with a soft syrupy centre, known locally as neuzekes, or little noses.
- Ghent mustard: Sharp local mustard, good with a sausage from the stalls and easy to take home.
- Glühwein and jenever: Mulled wine, or a shot of the Belgian juniper spirit, often in winter flavours.
- Waffles and croquettes: Warm Belgian waffles and fried croquettes are the quickest market snacks.
- Belgian beer: Look for winter and Christmas beers, which tend to be darker and stronger.
Where to stay
- Old centre (Korenmarkt and Sint-Baafsplein): Steps from the market and the lights. Best for first-timers and short stays.
- Patershol: Quiet lanes near the castle, with restaurants on the doorstep. Best for couples.
- Around Gent-Sint-Pieters: Easy arrivals and departures, with trams into the centre. Best for rail travellers and a Bruges day trip.
- Near Gent-Dampoort: On the east side, within walking distance of the centre. Best for trains towards Antwerp.
Getting around
The market squares sit within a few minutes’ walk of each other, so you rarely need transport once you are in the centre. During the Winterfeesten there is no traffic between the town hall and the Emile Braunplein.
Getting there: Gent-Sint-Pieters is the main station, with trains from all Belgian cities. Trams 1 and 3 run from the station to the centre every 10 minutes. High-speed travellers can change at Brussels-Midi, Antwerp or Lille. Gent-Dampoort, the second station, is within walking distance of the centre. Drivers can use the city’s free park-and-ride sites and take a tram or bus in.
Good to know
- Dates: 3 December 2026 to 3 January 2027, a fortnight after Bruges opens. Compare other cities in our Christmas markets 2026 dates roundup.
- Hours: Not yet published for 2026; the festival site will list them.
- Entry: Walking around the market is free; the ice rink and some rides need tickets.
- Late nights: In 2025 the market stayed open past midnight at weekends, so evenings are lively.
- Into January: Ghent is one of the markets on our Christmas markets open in January 2027 list.
- More markets: See our best Christmas markets in Europe hub and the Brussels Christmas market weekend guide.
FAQ
When is the Ghent Christmas market 2026?
The Gentse Winterfeesten run from 3 December 2026 to 3 January 2027. From 2026 the festival continues to the end of the Christmas holidays instead of closing on 31 December.
Where is the Christmas market in Ghent?
In the old centre. The chalets run from Sint-Baafsplein, by the cathedral, along the Botermarkt and Klein Turkije to the Korenmarkt, with the ice rink under the Stadshal and the Ferris wheel on the Korenmarkt.
Is there an ice rink at the Ghent Christmas market?
Yes. The rink sits under the Stadshal in the city centre. Skating needs a ticket, and 2026 hours and booking will appear on the festival site.
Is the Ghent Christmas market open on New Year’s Day?
The festival runs to 3 January 2027, but 2026 holiday hours had not been published at the time of writing. In 2025 it closed early, at 5pm, on 24 and 31 December, so check before you plan around the holidays.
Can you combine Ghent and Bruges at Christmas?
Yes. The two cities are a short train ride apart, and Bruges’s market opens on 20 November. A weekend between 3 December and 3 January lets you see both.
