Château de Chambord hosts Christmas from 28 November

Château de Chambord hosts Christmas at Chambord from 28 November 2026 to 17 January 2027 in Chambord, France. The programme combines decorations, illuminations, family activities and a new show with the château’s culinary-history exhibition.

Christmas at Chambord begins on 28 November

The Domaine national de Chambord is organising the 2026 edition under the theme Gargantua’s Gourmet Christmas. The official programme places the event at the château and the wider Chambord estate from 28 November 2026 to 17 January 2027, although the listed highlights have different end dates.

The programme includes Renaissance activities from 28 November to 13 December, storytelling sessions from 29 November to 20 December, and nature workshops from 28 November to 30 December. Visitors can also find traditional games linked to the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries, meetings with Father Christmas and horn concerts organised by the Trompes de l’école de Chambord. The official Christmas programme identifies the château as the venue and sets out the dates.

Gargantua theme links the château to its food history

The decorations and lights are planned around Gargantua, the giant imagined by François Rabelais in the sixteenth century. The estate says the festive design will extend through the château’s rooms and façades, while the Christmas programme will echo Les Festins de Chambord on the second floor of the keep.

That exhibition runs from 26 September 2026 to 24 January 2027 and examines the château’s culinary history from the Renaissance to the present day. It recreates four historical tables beneath the keep’s carved vaults, facing the double-helix staircase, and was curated by the Domaine national de Chambord with the European Institute of Food History and Cultures. The link between the two programmes gives the November launch a specific setting: seasonal activities are presented alongside a display about food, hospitality and court life at Chambord. Details of the food-history exhibition describe its dates and location inside the keep.

The estate is a Renaissance château and has been listed among France’s Historic Monuments since 1840. It has held UNESCO World Heritage status since 1981, making the festive programme part of a site with a documented national and international heritage designation. Chambord’s heritage profile records both milestones.

Visiting Château de Chambord: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• Christmas at Chambord begins at Château de Chambord on 28 November 2026 and continues through 17 January 2027.
• The château remains the venue for the decorations, Renaissance activities, storytelling, games and nature workshops; the listed family show runs from 19 December 2026 to 2 January 2027, except on 25 December and 1 January.
• The Les Festins de Chambord exhibition is on the second floor of the keep from 26 September 2026 to 24 January 2027.
• Chambord is in the Loire Valley in France and includes the château, formal gardens and the surrounding estate.
• The site has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981 and was listed among France’s Historic Monuments in 1840.

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Frequently asked questions about Château de Chambord

When does Christmas at Chambord take place at Château de Chambord?

The programme runs from 28 November 2026 to 17 January 2027, with individual activities using shorter periods.

What is included in the Christmas programme at Château de Chambord?

The programme includes decorations, illuminations, Renaissance activities, storytelling, traditional games, nature workshops and meetings with Father Christmas. The family show is scheduled from 19 December 2026 to 2 January 2027, except on 25 December and 1 January.

Where is Château de Chambord and what is it?

Château de Chambord is in Chambord in France’s Loire Valley. It is a Renaissance château and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981.