Christmas in Brussels
Winter Wonders (Plaisirs d'Hiver, Winterpret) fills the centre from the Grand-Place to the Fish Market with more than 200 chalets from 27 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, free to walk through.
Checked: 12 November 2026. Prices and hours can change; check the official site before you go.
What's on
Winter Wonders Christmas market
More than 200 wooden chalets follow a trail from the Grand-Place past the Bourse to Sainte-Catherine and the Fish Market. This year's guests of honour are Béarn-Pyrénées and the Basque Country, with their own village on Place de la Bourse.
Ice rink and curling
In 2025 a covered ice rink with a toddlers' area and three curling lanes stood on Place De Brouckère, open from 12:00 to 22:00 and the most visited attraction of the event. The 2026 rink, its location and its prices have not been published yet.
Grand-Place sound and light show and Christmas tree
A short video-mapping show with music is projected on the Gothic town hall every half hour after dark, next to the big Christmas tree. The city lists the show and the tree in the 2026 programme; the show's title, exact times and start date have not been announced yet.
Ferris wheel
A 55 m wheel with 42 cabins gave a view over the old town's rooftops in 2025, and a carousel stood nearby. The city's 2026 programme lists a Ferris wheel again, but its location, dates and prices are still to come.
View Tower Experience (City Hall tower climb)
Climb 200 steps of a spiral staircase from the town hall courtyard to a panorama above the Grand-Place. You need to be fit; it is not recommended for pregnant visitors, children under 7 or people with reduced mobility.
Santa's Workshop at the Black Tower
In 2025 children could meet Saint Nicholas and Santa Claus at the medieval Black Tower in the middle of the market. The 2026 days and times have not been announced.
Brussels by Lights (street illuminations)
Since 2013 the City of Brussels has hung light figures and artistic installations over its shopping streets, with illuminated walks for each district. The 2026 edition and its dates have not been announced; in 2025 it ran from 26 November to 4 January.
Floridylle light festival at Meise Botanic Garden
A 3 km illuminated walk through the botanic garden, themed this winter on 'The Wonderful Water World', with a winter village of food trucks. It lies outside the Brussels region, and you enter only through the Empress Charlotte entrance with a ticket for a time slot.
New Year's Eve fireworks at the Atomium
For New Year's Eve 2025 the City held a free party at the Atomium with a DJ, lasers and midnight fireworks, and the whole STIB network was free overnight. The 2026 edition has not been announced; bags and glass bottles were banned in 2025.
What to eat and drink
Mulled wine and Christmas beers
Hot spiced wine is the drink of the chalets, and Belgian seasonal beers (dark, spiced ales) are poured alongside it.
Croustillons
Small balls of fried dough dusted with icing sugar, sold by the paper cone at market stalls.
Speculoos
Spiced caramelised biscuits, shaped like Saint Nicholas around his feast on 6 December and sold in moulded figures all season.
Cougnou
A sweet brioche shaped like a swaddled baby, sold by bakers from early December and eaten at Christmas breakfast with hot chocolate.
Hot chocolate
Belgian chocolatiers serve thick hot chocolate in winter, a natural warm-up between market squares.
Bûche de Noël
The Yule log cake that ends the Christmas meal; pastry shops take orders for 24 and 25 December.
Holiday opening times
24 December
Winter Wonders closes at 18:00 and there is no Grand-Place show. The Royal Museums of Fine Arts close early (15:00 on their pages, 14:00 on an older one: check before you go). The Atomium is open 10:00-16:00, last entry 15:30.
25 December
Public holiday (a Friday). The Royal Museums of Fine Arts are closed. The Atomium opens 12:00-18:00, last entry 17:30. Most shops are closed.
26 December
Not a public holiday in Belgium: shops and museums keep their normal Saturday hours.
31 December
Winter Wonders closes at 18:00 with no Grand-Place show. The Atomium is open 10:00-16:00 and the Fine Arts museums close early. The city's New Year party has not been announced for 2026 (in 2025 it was a free event at the Atomium).
1 January
Public holiday (a Friday). The Royal Museums of Fine Arts are closed; the Atomium opens 12:00-18:00 and then closes for annual maintenance from 18 January to 5 February 2027. Many restaurants and shops are closed.
Getting around
On New Year's night 2025-26 the whole STIB network was free from midnight until the morning, with metro and trams running late and Noctis night buses until about 05:00. Nothing is announced for 2026-27 yet: check stib-mivb.be in December.
Museums
The Royal Museums of Fine Arts (Magritte, Old Masters) are closed on Mondays, 25 December and 1 January. Most Brussels museums close on 25 December and 1 January: check each one.
Shops
Shops in the centre may open on Sundays, but December Sunday openings for 2026 are not confirmed. Most shops close on 25 December and 1 January.
Plan your trip → Put these places in a day plan with walking times.
More guides
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