Bergen Christmas Market 2026: Dates (+ Rainy Day Tips)

Rain is part of the deal in Norway’s wettest city, and the Bergen Christmas Market is built around it. A heated tent seats several hundred, plus a fireside lounge with Chesterfield sofas. Head out between showers for the Ferris wheel, then come back in for a mug of gløgg with raisins and almonds in it.

Bergen Christmas Market 2026

Dates

Status: Confirmed
Bergen dates: 20th November to 22nd December 2026
Last checked: October 2026

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

Source: Verified by Ultimate Christmas Markets via Bergen Julemarked.

Plan Your Visit

Location and Times

Location: Festplassen, Bergen Sentrum (City Centre).
Opening times:
Monday to Friday: 12pm to 9pm.
Saturday and Sunday: 10am to 9pm.
Christmas Day: Closed.

Travel and Accommodation

Recommended tour: Take a cruise around the fjords.
Where to stay: Opus 16 is a cosy hotel that is 4 minutes from the square.

Amenities and Attractions

Admission: Free
Lights switch-on: No date announced.
Attractions: Ferris wheel, carousels, teacups, tree forest and heated tents.
Ice skating: No
Reason to visit: Fun Norwegian festive jumpers and the stunning nearby nature.

Dietary Options

Vegetarian: Plenty of options.
Vegan: Yes.
Gluten-free: Limited.
Specialities: Lamb ribs (pinnekjøtt) and persetorsk, a traditional Norwegian fish dish originating from Bergen.

Accessibility

Accessible: Yes.
Pet-friendly: Not recommended.

Convenient Hotels

Sentrum is the name of Bergen’s city centre. Although Bergen has many beautiful neighbourhoods, I suggest staying in the centre at this time of year, as it can be quite cold to walk around. Opus 16 is a great choice in this area, and it’s a short walk to the famous Bryggen Wharf.

If you’d rather stay directly in Bryggen, Thon Hotel Rosenkrantz is excellent value.

Interesting Tours

I recommend starting your visit with this walking tour of Bergen. It takes in Bryggen Wharf, the Fish Market and Bergenhus Fortress, so you’ll get your bearings on day one.

For the fjords, this cruise is particularly popular. It lasts 3.5 hours and travels through Osterfjord to the narrow Mostraumen strait.

Visitor Feedback

What Visitors Loved

• The Ferris wheel is the highlight for most, with views over the lights and the lake, while the carousels and teacups keep small children happy.
• The heated Varmestuen tent and the fireside Peisestuen are a relief on a cold or wet evening, though the seats go quickly.
• Elk burgers and reindeer hot dogs are the dishes visitors recommend most, and stalls handing out samples make it easy to graze.

Common Complaints

• Prices are high even by Norwegian standards, from gløgg to ride tickets, so budget for the one or two things you most want.
• Friday evenings and Saturday nights get crowded. Weekday afternoons are calmer, and with sunset before 4pm you’ll still see the lights.
• Rain is likely, so bring a proper raincoat rather than relying on an umbrella.

Event Location

What to Expect

Festplassen sits on the edge of Lille Lungegårdsvannet, the small octagonal lake in the city centre, and for a month it fills with more than 90 stalls, bars and rides. After dark the lights reflect off the water, and the Ferris wheel turning above it all gives you the best view of them. Below, there are carousels and spinning teacups for younger children.

When the rain sets in, and here it often does, most people head for the Varmestuen, a heated tent with a bar and seating for several hundred. The Peisestuen next door is the cosier choice, with chesterfield sofas and a longer drinks list. Out on the square, locals pick their Christmas tree from a small forest of firs, and the gingerbread city is a short walk away.

Regional Specialties

• Pinnekjøtt: Salted, dried lamb ribs that are rehydrated and steamed. It’s the Christmas dinner of western Norway, and at the market it also turns up as a sausage.
• Persetorsk: Bergen’s own Christmas fish, lightly salted cod pressed under weights, then boiled and served with potatoes.
• Lutefisk: If you’re adventurous with your food choices (for those of us who are not Nordic), you might try it. It’s dried cod soaked in lye, then rinsed, cooked and served with butter, salt and pepper.
• Riskrem: Sweet rice pudding with a tart red berry sauce called ‘rød saus’. One whole almond is hidden in the bowl, and whoever finds it wins a small prize.
• Multekrem: Cloudberries folded through whipped cream. The berries grow wild in Norway’s mountains and bogs, which is why they’re a treat.
• Pepperkaker: Thin, crisp gingerbread biscuits. You can taste the city’s gingerbread hearts at the end of the Pepperkakebyen route.
• Krumkaker: Delicate waffle biscuits rolled into cones and often filled with whipped cream.

At the Food Stalls

• Reindeer and elk: Game turns up in hot dogs and burgers, and it’s the most Norwegian thing on the food stall menus.
• Pølse i lompe: A hot dog wrapped in lompe, a soft potato flatbread, instead of a bun. It’s Norway’s favourite quick snack.
• Lefse: Soft potato flatbread spread with butter, cinnamon and sugar. Ask for a sample before you buy.
• Akevitt: Warm yourself with a shot of akevitt, a potato spirit flavoured with caraway, anise and fennel. This one’s not for me, that’s for sure, but you might like it!
• Gløgg: Of course, a winter market isn’t complete without mulled wine. Norway’s version comes with raisins and chopped almonds in the cup.

What to Buy

• Norwegian knitwear: Jumpers in the Marius pattern, instantly recognisable by its geometric bands, plus hand-knitted socks and blankets made from Norwegian wool.
• Small makers: Up to 12 different designers and craftspeople take a table in the heated tent each day, so what’s on sale changes from one visit to the next.
• Decorations: Carved wooden ornaments and painted baubles to take home as a reminder of Bergen.
• Cloudberry jam: A jar of this Nordic fruit is lovely on toast or with cheese, and it travels well.
• Fjåk chocolate: Norwegian bars in flavours like brunost (sweet brown cheese) and pepperkake.

Sustainability

• An eco-approved event: The market carries the Miljøgodkjent arrangement (eco-approved event) label from FEE Norway.
• Hand your mug back: Hot drinks come in a reusable mug with a deposit. Keep it as a souvenir, or bring it back and ask for your next drink without a new one.
• Ride the Bybanen: The city’s electric light rail stops at Byparken, right beside the square, and runs straight in from the airport.
• Buy a tree grown nearby: The Christmas tree forest on the square sells trees and greenery from Mjøs, a grower on the nearby island of Osterøy, with delivery to your door.