When to go, and what is closed
Vienna’s markets open between 6 and 20 November and they do not all end on the same day. Arrive on 23 December and you will find half the city already packed away.
About the facts in this text: the checked dates and the links to every organiser are on the list of all markets (checked 21 September 2026). Opening hours, prices and programme mentioned in the running text refer to the 2025/26 season or to the state of the organiser's page when this was written — check before you travel.
How the 2026 season runs
Unlike in some neighbouring cities, the Vienna dates for 2026 have already been published officially. The season starts in stages: Schönbrunn and Stephansplatz open on 6 November, the large group around Rathausplatz, Spittelberg, Karlsplatz, Am Hof, Campus Altes AKH, Türkenschanzpark and Schwarzenbergplatz on 13 November, the Freyung on 14 November, Maria-Theresien-Platz and the Wintermarkt am Riesenradplatz on 20 November.
The end of the season is the part visitors underestimate.
| Ends | Markets |
|---|---|
| 20 December 2026 | Hirschstetten, Schloss Hof |
| 23 December 2026 | Spittelberg, Am Hof, Freyung, Karlsplatz, Campus Altes AKH, Türkenschanzpark |
| 26 December 2026 | Rathausplatz, Stephansplatz, Maria-Theresien-Platz, Schwarzenbergplatz |
| 6 January 2027 | Schönbrunn, Wintermarkt Riesenradplatz (as New Year markets) |
Anyone arriving only on 23 December therefore catches just part of it. Anyone coming between Christmas and New Year finds four to six markets open — and those are the large ones.
The quiet weeks
If you want the markets without the crush, the last week of November and the first days of December are the quietest window: everything is already running and the city centre is not yet permanently full. It is busiest on the Advent Saturdays and in the week before Christmas.
Within a single day, everywhere is calmer before 16:00. Once darkness falls, Rathausplatz in particular fills up considerably.
Opening hours are not uniform
A common planning mistake: the markets do not all open at 10:00. Spittelberg opens only at 14:00 on weekdays, Campus Altes AKH likewise from 14:00, and the food stalls at the Türkenschanzpark only from 15:00 on working days. Art Advent am Karlsplatz runs daily from 12:00 to 20:00 and so closes earlier than most of the others.
If you are planning a morning, plan it for Rathausplatz, Freyung, Schönbrunn or Stephansplatz — not for Spittelberg. The exact times are given for each market in the market list.
24 December
24 December is not a public holiday in Austria, but retail closes early: work ends at 13:00, and in most shops the doors shut between 12:00 and 13:00. After that the city becomes very quiet, because the Bescherung, the exchange of presents, takes place in the afternoon or evening and is a family occasion.
The markets still open that day also close earlier: Rathausplatz 10:00–18:30, Schönbrunn 10:00–16:00, Stephansplatz and Schwarzenbergplatz 11:00–16:00, Wintermarkt am Riesenradplatz 11:00–17:00. The Türkenschanzpark is closed on 24 December.
In the evening the Mitternachtsmette, the midnight mass, is one of the few public fixtures; it is celebrated in the Stephansdom.
25 and 26 December, 1 and 6 January
25 December (Christtag, Christmas Day), 26 December (Stefanitag, St Stephen’s Day), 1 January and 6 January (Epiphany) are public holidays: shops, supermarkets, banks and public offices stay closed.
Over the Christmas days the four large markets stay open — Rathausplatz, Stephansplatz, Maria-Theresien-Platz and Schwarzenbergplatz — with shortened hours, at Stephansplatz and Schwarzenbergplatz 11:00–19:00. Schönbrunn and the Riesenradplatz carry on as New Year markets until 6 January.
Opening hours of museums, sights and restaurants differ from normal operation on 24, 25 and 26 December and on 1 January, and many places are closed on the afternoon of 24 December. Check the relevant website before you go — there is no single rule here.
New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day
On 31 December the city centre turns into the Silvesterpfad, the New Year’s Eve trail of stages with free entry; one of its stops is at the Riesenradplatz in the Prater. The Wintermarkt there is open from 12:00 to 02:00 on 31 December and on 1 January. At midnight the Pummerin, the great bell of the Stephansdom, rings.
The Stephansplatz underground station is closed on 31 December for safety reasons from about 21:00. On 1 January the Wiener Philharmoniker play the New Year’s Concert; anyone without a ticket can follow the broadcast in the open air, from about 11:00 on the LED wall at the Riesenradplatz.
One fixture that runs longer
When the Vienna markets have already been taken down, the light park at Schloss Esterházy in Fertőd is still running: from 21 October 2026 to 10 January 2027, daily 17:00–21:00, closed on 1 November, 24 and 25 December and 1 January. The park is operated by DECOLED, the publisher of this site, and it is not in Vienna but in Hungary, around 100 km by road.
For the days between Christmas and New Year it is one of the few options that is reliably open.
Common questions
When do the Vienna Christmas markets open in 2026?
In stages: Schönbrunn and Stephansplatz on 6 November, Rathausplatz, Spittelberg, Karlsplatz, Am Hof, AKH, Türkenschanzpark and Schwarzenbergplatz on 13 November, the Freyung on the 14th, Maria-Theresien-Platz and Riesenradplatz on 20 November.
Which markets are open between Christmas and New Year?
Rathausplatz, Stephansplatz, Maria-Theresien-Platz and Schwarzenbergplatz until 26 December; Schönbrunn and the Wintermarkt am Riesenradplatz carry on as New Year markets until 6 January 2027.
Are the shops open on 24 December?
Only until midday. Work ends at 13:00 and in most shops the doors shut between 12:00 and 13:00. On 25 and 26 December and on 1 and 6 January retail is closed by law.
From what time is Spittelberg open?
Monday to Friday from 14:00, on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 11:00, in each case until 21:30. A morning visit does not work there.
What is the quietest time for a market visit?
The last week of November and the first days of December, and within the day before 16:00. The busiest periods are the Advent Saturdays and the week before Christmas.
