Marienplatz hosts Christkindlmarkt from 20 November 2026

Marienplatz hosts the Christkindlmarkt from 20 November 2026, bringing Munich’s municipal Christmas market back to the square for a longer season. The site is Marienplatz, and the market is organised by the Department of Labour and Economic Affairs of the City of Munich.

Christkindlmarkt opens early at Marienplatz

The 2026 market runs from 20 November to 24 December, according to the city’s official event page. It opens three days earlier than in previous years, making the first Saturday part of the market period for the first time under the new calendar.

The stalls will close on Totensonntag, 22 November 2026, and reopen on 23 November. The city lists more than 130 merchandise and food stalls, with the market extending from Marienplatz towards Rindermarkt and the nativity market in front of St Peter’s Church. The official 2026 programme also includes Advent music from the New Town Hall balcony, a children’s workshop and a Krampus run.

New Town Hall frames a market tradition

The market has taken place at Marienplatz since 1972, while its history reaches back to the fourteenth century, the city states. Its setting combines the neo-Gothic New Town Hall with the Old Town Hall, St Peter’s Church and the Mary’s Column at the centre of the square.

The relationship between date and place is unusually direct this year: the opening also marks the first lighting of the large Christmas tree in front of the New Town Hall. The tree remains after the stalls have closed and is scheduled to shine until 6 January 2027. The surrounding square has been at the centre of Munich since the city’s foundation in 1158, providing a civic setting for a market whose permanent Christmas form began in 1972. Munich Tourism’s market guide records the site’s continuing traditions and the 2026 dates.

Programme links the square with Advent customs

The programme reaches beyond the stalls. A Krampus run is scheduled for 13 December 2026, with masked figures travelling through the Old Town before finishing near the Old Town Hall. In the New Town Hall, the Himmelswerkstatt runs from 26 November to 13 December 2026 for children aged six to twelve.

Music from the balcony forms another link between the market and its architectural setting. The city says that brass ensembles, choirs and other musicians perform as part of the Advent programme. The nativity market beside St Peter’s adds a separate focus for visitors interested in traditional religious folk art and nativity figures.

Visiting Marienplatz: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The Christkindlmarkt takes place from 20 November to 24 December 2026 at Marienplatz, Rindermarkt and the nativity market beside St Peter’s Church.
• The market is not open on Totensonntag, 22 November 2026. The stalls reopen on Monday, 23 November, so visitors planning an opening weekend should account for that interruption.
• Marienplatz is served directly by the U3 and U6 underground lines and by every S-Bahn line from S1 to S8, according to the city’s visitor information.
• The square connects the New Town Hall, Old Town Hall, St Peter’s Church and the Mary’s Column, so the market route includes historic buildings and paved central-city streets.

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Frequently asked questions about Marienplatz

When does the Christkindlmarkt take place at Marienplatz?

The market runs from 20 November to 24 December 2026. It is closed on Totensonntag, 22 November 2026.

Where is Marienplatz and how do you get there?

Marienplatz is in Munich’s Old Town. The U3, U6 and S-Bahn lines S1 to S8 serve the square directly.

What is Marienplatz?

Marienplatz is Munich’s central historic square, at the centre of the city since its foundation in 1158. It is framed by the New Town Hall, Old Town Hall and St Peter’s Church.