Antwerp Christmas Market 2026: 7 Linked Squares

Antwerp is an easy train ride from Brussels, yet in December it feels nothing like the capital. The Antwerp Christmas Market is looser and more spread out, and the glass of warm, spiced cherry beer (glühkriek) in your hand tells you straight away that you are in Flanders.

Antwerp Christmas Market 2026

Dates

Status: Confirmed
Antwerp dates: 4th December 2026 to 3rd January 2027
Last checked: October 2026

Update: Dates were announced in May. Sign up for our newsletter to be notified of changes.

Source: Verified by Ultimate Christmas Markets via Visit Antwerp.

Plan Your Visit

Location and Times

Locations:
Grote Markt (the main centre square)
Groenplaats
Suikerrui
Operaplein (food stalls only)
Hendrik Conscienceplein
Handschoenmarkt
Steenplein
Opening times:
Sunday to Thursday: 12pm to 10pm.
Friday and Saturday: 12pm to midnight.
Christmas Day: Open from 12pm to 10pm.
New Year’s Day: Closed.

Travel and Accommodation

Recommended tour: The Highlights Walking Tour is a 2-hour small group tour of historic Antwerp.
Public transport: Widely available and accessible.
Parking: Please take public transport to help limit congestion.
Travel tip: Antwerp is easy to visit on a day trip from Brussels.
Where to stay: Gulde Schoen is around 250 metres from the event.

Amenities and Attractions

Admission: Free
Lights switch on date: Opening evening
Santa: Yes
Ice skating: Groenplaats
Winter bar: Den Après
Nativity scene: In the city centre
Fireworks: New Year’s Eve
Reason to Visit: Follow the lights that lead the way past the historic highlights of Antwerp. Start at Central Station and continue towards Groenplaats and then Grote Markt.

Dietary Options

Vegetarian: Yes, plenty of options.
Vegan: Yes, plenty of options.
Gluten-free: Limited. Ask individual vendors, but beware of cross-contamination.
Food specialties: Enjoy coffee, beer or brunch at one of the many heated terraces.

Accessibility

Accessible: Yes.
Pet-friendly: Yes, but not recommended.

Convenient Hotels

Antwerp’s historic centre sits between the River Scheldt and Antwerpen-Centraal station. The most popular areas are the old sailors’ quarter (Schipperskwartier) to the north, and Sint-Andries and the theatre district (Theaterbuurt) to the south. Any of them works well for a short stay.

I visited Antwerp on a day trip, but if I were booking a place to stay, I would choose Gulde Schoen, as it’s located in the most central part of the popular area. Groenplaats is only 50 metres away, and Grote Markt is 250 metres away.

You can find several other excellent places to stay in my guide to hotels in Antwerp.

Plan your holiday with our Belgian Christmas Markets list. Discover where to go, things to do and the best ways to experience Belgium’s food, history and culture.

Visitor Feedback

What Visitors Loved

• Because the market is split across several squares, walking between them takes you past the cathedral, the town hall and the riverfront, so it doubles as a sightseeing route.
• The illuminated guild houses on Grote Markt and the light tunnel on Suikerrui get the most praise after dark.
• Visitors who know Bruges and Brussels find Antwerp noticeably less touristy, with more locals than tour groups at the stalls.
• Families rate the ice rink and the Ferris wheel by the Scheldt as the reason to stay into the evening.

Common Complaints

• It is smaller than the markets in Brussels or Liège, and first-timers expecting a big shopping market are sometimes underwhelmed.
• Food and drink stalls outnumber gift stalls, so it is better for grazing than for serious present shopping.
• Local writers grumble that prices have crept up, with the cup deposit on top of your mulled wine and Ferris wheel tickets singled out.
• The smaller squares, Hendrik Conscienceplein in particular, can feel empty on weekday afternoons, while Grote Markt and Groenplaats are packed on weekend evenings.

The Bottom Line

Treat Antwerp as a city break with a market attached rather than a shopping trip, and it rarely disappoints. Arrive mid-afternoon on a weekday, walk the squares in daylight, then loop back once the lights come on.

Location Map

What to Expect

Market Stalls

Winter in Antwerp (Winter in Antwerpen) is the largest winter festival in Flanders, with around 70 stalls selling gifts, decorations, toys and food. Preference goes to products that are handmade, locally produced, high-quality and sustainable. Each square has its own role: skaters circle the statue of Rubens on Groenplaats, the Ferris wheel usually stands on Steenplein overlooking the Scheldt, and a vintage carousel turns on Operaplein.

Food Specialties

• Antwerpse handjes: Chocolates and butter biscuits shaped like a hand, a nod to the Brabo legend. Chocolatiers across town sell them.
• Speculaas: Spiced shortcrust biscuits, a traditional Flemish treat in the weeks around St Nicholas.
• Glühkriek: Belgian cherry beer, warmed and spiced like mulled wine.
• Bolleke: Antwerp’s own amber ale from the De Koninck brewery, named after the round goblet it is served in.
• Smoutebollen: Deep-fried dough balls dusted with icing sugar, a fixture at Flemish fairs. Some stalls sell the Dutch version, oliebollen, often with raisins or currants.
• Stoemp: Potatoes mashed with seasonal vegetables such as carrots, leeks or spinach, served with a rich gravy.
• Witloof in de oven: Belgian endives wrapped in ham, coated in bechamel sauce and baked under cheese.
• Waffles: Choose between the light, rectangular Brussels waffle and the denser, caramelised Liège version.

What to Buy

• Local fashion: Antwerp has been a fashion city since its Royal Academy launched a wave of avant-garde designers, and you will find one-of-a-kind pieces by local designers alongside winter hats and scarves.
• Belgian sweets: Beyond the chocolate, look for speculoos biscuits, cone-shaped cuberdon candies (typically from Ghent) and marzipan fruits.
• Belgian lace: Tablecloths, handkerchiefs and doilies in fine Belgian lace make a light gift to carry home.
• Belgian beer: Nearly every Belgian beer has its own branded glass, and gift sets pairing the two are easy to find.
• Ceramics: Belgian potters sell glazed bowls, mugs and plates, as well as small figurines.

Sustainable Travel Tips

• Return your cup anywhere: Every stall serves in reusable cups, bowls and plates with a €2 deposit per item, and any drinks stand takes back any cup, any food stall any bowl or plate.
• Less rubbish on the cobbles: The city says reusable serveware has cut residual waste at its winter markets by around 40 per cent, some 11 tonnes, with roughly 60 per cent less litter.
• Shop at Handschoenmarkt: This small square beside the cathedral is kept for charities, whose takings go entirely to their causes, and for first-time traders given a week’s pitch at a reduced rate.
• Walk the loop: The route linking all seven squares is about 4.4 km, so once you are in the centre you will not need transport at all.
• Take the premetro: De Lijn trams 3, 5, 9 and 15 stop underground at Groenplaats, directly beneath the ice rink.
• Leave the car outside the LEZ: The whole city centre is a low-emission zone (lage-emissiezone), and foreign-registered cars must be checked or registered before driving in, so arriving by train at Antwerpen-Centraal is far simpler.
• Borrow a Velo: The city’s red shared bikes can be hired on a day pass through the Velo app, handy for a ride along the Scheldt quays.