When is the Munich Christmas market on Marienplatz in 2026, and what else is on?

Marienplatz 2026: opening day, stalls and closures

• Opening: Friday 20 November at 17:00, when the mayor, Dominik Krause, receives the tree from the donor town of Sauerlach and it is lit for the first time.

• Closed: Sunday 22 November, Totensonntag. Our German Christmas markets guide explains that rule.

• Stalls: 138 in 2026, up from 137 in 2025. They spread from Marienplatz into Rindermarkt and the pedestrian streets around it.

• Last day: Thursday 24 December. Sales stop at 14:00. In 2025 a brass group played from the town hall balcony at 12:00 to close the market, so that is worth aiming for if it repeats.

• After it closes: stalls are emptied on 24 to 26 December and dismantled from 27 December. The city's schedule has the tree taken down on 11 January 2027.

• Crowds: the city estimated 3.2 million visitors in 2025.

A small warning if you read the city's pages closely: one calls 24 December a Sunday and another a Tuesday. It is a Thursday in 2026. The date itself is consistent.

What to time your visit around

• Music from the town hall balcony: Sunday to Thursday from 17:15 for half an hour.

• Singing under the tree: a half-hour sing-along in front of St Michael's Church on Wednesdays at 16:30. The city's page says it starts on 26 November, which is a Thursday in 2026, so that date may be left over from last year. Check before you go.

• Krampus run: Sunday 13 December, 15:00 to 17:00. Groups line up in Augustinerstraße and move through the pedestrian zone, Färbergraben, Rosental, Sendlinger Straße, Dultstraße, Oberanger, Rindermarkt and Petersplatz to the Viktualienmarkt, ending at the Altes Rathaus. Expect about 25 groups and more than 300 performers. The city's page says up to 50,000 spectators, and it estimated 70,000 for 2025. Our Krampus runs guide covers the tradition.

• Guided tour: Fridays at 16:00 on 27 November and 4, 11 and 18 December. The tour is in German, lasts 90 to 120 minutes and costs €30 (≈ $33) (€25 (≈ $28) reduced), including almonds and a Glühwein. Book through München Tourismus.

• Christkindltram: a decorated tram with Glühwein and gingerbread on board, listed for 27 November to 20 December, though the same page also shows 28 November to 21 December, so check before you go. It leaves from Sendlinger-Tor-Platz. The ride takes about 30 minutes through the old town. It runs Fridays from 15:30 to 20:00 and on Advent weekends every 45 minutes from 11:00 to 20:00. The last listed departure is 19:15. The published fares are 2025 prices: €5 (≈ $5.6) for adults and €3 (≈ $3.3) for ages 6 to 14.

Kripperlmarkt and the nativity scenes

The part of the market that sets Munich apart is the Kripperlmarkt, next to St Peter's Church. It is first documented in 1757, and the city calls it the largest of its kind in Germany. The stalls sell nativity figures, stables and tiny accessories, down to lanterns and feed for the ox and donkey. Some traders still build their own stables to traditional patterns.

Two large nativity scenes are close by. The Münchner Stadtkrippe, made in 1953 by Reinhold Zellner, stands in the Prunkhof of the New Town Hall, with figures in both Middle Eastern and Alpine dress. The Oberammergauer Großkrippe, with almost life-size carved figures by Georg Lang, is at the corner of Marienplatz and Rindermarkt.

Families can book the Himmelswerkstatt, a free craft workshop for children aged 6 to 12 in the New Town Hall, where they dress as angels. It runs daily from 26 November to 13 December, with sessions from 14:30 to 16:00 and 16:30 to 18:00. Meet at the Fischbrunnen. Registration opens 10 days before your chosen date through kindermuseum-muenchen.de.

Paying: the city says about 80% of traders take cards, some with a minimum spend, and not American Express. The official site does not give a mug deposit amount or a Glühwein price, so we don't quote them. Our German markets guide explains how the deposit works. For food beyond the stalls, see what to eat in Munich.

Other Munich Christmas markets in 2026

muenchen.de says the first markets open in mid-November. It also says all Christmas markets close on Totensonntag, 22 November, though the citywide listing does not confirm that separately for each one. Dates here are from muenchen.de or each organiser.

After 24 December

Marienplatz closes at 14:00 on Christmas Eve, and most of the city's other markets end by then too. If you arrive after Christmas, your options are Alpenwahn until 1 January, the airport market until 27 December and the Eiszauber rink until 10 January. Tollwood's market has been taken down by its New Year's Eve party, which starts at 19:00 and is ticketed separately.

Bavaria's shops close by about 14:00 on 24 December and stay shut on 25 and 26 December. In 2026 the 27th is a Sunday, so that is three closed days in a row. 6 January, Epiphany, is also a public holiday in Bavaria.

Getting to Marienplatz

The city says there is no parking around Marienplatz and asks visitors to use public transport.

• U-Bahn: U3 or U6 to Marienplatz, or U3, U4, U5 or U6 to Odeonsplatz and Karlsplatz (Stachus).

• S-Bahn: S1 to S8 to Marienplatz or Karlsplatz.

• Tram: 19 or 21 to Theatinerstraße.

• Accessible toilets: in the Prunkhof of the town hall, and a Toilette für Alle at Marienplatz station, by exit D.

From the airport, see our Munich airport transfer guide.

Where to stay near Marienplatz

• Altstadt: within a 10-minute walk of the market, and the easiest choice in cold weather.

• Around the Hauptbahnhof: the practical, cheaper option, with the S-Bahn one or two stops from Marienplatz.

• Maxvorstadt and Schwabing: quieter and more residential, on the U-Bahn.

Our where to stay in Munich guide compares them. How many days in Munich helps with a longer stay, and day trips from Munich covers rail trips out of the city. For more on the city itself, see our Munich guide. For markets elsewhere, our Europe Christmas markets planner compares dates.

Frequently asked questions