Delft Christmas market 2026: what is on in December and what is open over Christmas

If you are looking for a Delft Christmas market that runs for weeks, like the ones in Germany, there is none: Delft’s big December night is Lichtjesavond on Tuesday 8 December 2026, when the Christmas tree on the Markt is lit and the old town fills with stalls, music and choirs for one evening. It opens Delft Verlicht, the city’s lights season, which runs until Sunday 3 January 2027. For a proper multi-week market, the Royal Christmas Fair in The Hague runs from 3 to 23 December 2026, daily 12:00 to 21:00, free entry, and Den Haag Centraal is 10 to 15 minutes from Delft by train.

We are Discover Delft, a small Delft company whose guides walk the old town all year, including the dark weeks of December. This guide sets out what is confirmed for 2026, what is not yet published, which museums close on which holiday, and how to build a December day that combines Delft with The Hague.

Is there a Christmas market in Delft in 2026?

Not in the sense of a fixed market that stands for the whole of December. What Delft has, going by the official programmes of recent years:

• Lichtjesavond (Tuesday 8 December 2026). The 29th edition. The tree on the Markt is lit and the centre turns into one long evening event. In 2024 the city programme listed a Christmas market in the Vaandelstraat near the Doelenplein, a lights market with stalls along the canals, poffertjes and food on the Markt, choirs, ice sculptures on the Oude Delft and canal boat trips. The 2026 programme was not yet published when we checked on 19 October 2026.
• One-day markets. In 2025 a Christmas market was held on the Markt on Saturday 20 December, 10:00 to 17:00, organised by the local party Onafhankelijk Delft. A 2026 edition had not been announced when we checked. Smaller Christmas markets, at a city-centre hotel and in community centres, were also held in December 2025; look for them in the city agenda.
• The regular Thursday market on the Markt runs through the winter. Note that 24 and 31 December 2026 are both Thursdays; check before you plan around the market on those days.

So the short answer for anyone searching for a Delft Christmas market: come for Lichtjesavond if your dates allow, and check the Delft Verlicht page on indelft.nl from November for the 2026 market dates.

Sources: indelft.nl (Delft Verlicht 2026 partner page and the 2024 Lichtjesavond programme), onafhankelijkdelft.nl.

When is Lichtjesavond 2026, and what happens?

Tuesday 8 December 2026, confirmed by Delft’s city marketing organisation on its Delft Verlicht page. The exact times for 2026 were not yet published. For reference, in 2024 the mayor read a Christmas story to children by the tree on the Markt at 17:30 and then lit it; in 2025 the evening ran from 16:00 to 22:00, with the opening on the Markt at 17:00 and light shows on the Stadhuis at 18:30, 19:30, 20:30 and 21:30 (TU Delft’s news site Delta reported the 2025 schedule). Entry is free.

What to expect on the night:

• Crowds. The 2025 organisers expected around 50,000 visitors. The Markt is full from the tree lighting onwards; the canals and the Beestenmarkt are calmer.
• Do not arrive by car. The municipality advised leaving the car at home in 2025 because the car parks fill early. The train is the easy option: Delft station is a ten-minute walk from the Markt.
• Dress for standing still. It is dark by about 16:30 in December and you will be outside for hours.

If you are staying in The Hague or Rotterdam, Lichtjesavond works as an evening trip: arrive around 16:00, walk the centre while it is still light, and be on the Markt for the tree.

What is Delft Verlicht?

Delft Verlicht (“Delft lit up”) is the lights season that Lichtjesavond opens, now in its fourth edition. It runs from 8 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027: lit streets and canals, tall Christmas trees on the squares and a programme of smaller events (music, theatre, Christmas walks) in the weeks after. The official page also mentions winter markets and an ice rink, but gives no 2026 dates or location for either yet, so we do not promise them here.

The practical point: any evening between 8 December and 3 January is a good evening to walk the centre. The lights do not depend on the event night.

What is open in Delft over Christmas and New Year?

This is the question that catches most visitors. Here is what each venue says for 2026, read on 19 October 2026.

Venue	24 Dec (Thu)	25 Dec (Fri)	26 Dec (Sat)	31 Dec (Thu)	1 Jan (Fri)
Royal Delft	Closes 16:00	Closed	Closed	Closes 16:00	Closed
Vermeer Centrum Delft	Open	Closed	11:00 to 17:00	Open	11:00 to 17:00
Oude Kerk and Nieuwe Kerk	Check site	Check site	Check site	Check site	Check site
Mauritshuis, The Hague	10:00 to 16:00	Closed	10:00 to 18:00	10:00 to 16:00	Closed

Notes on the table (the Royal Christmas Fair in The Hague has ended by 24 December):

• Royal Delft is open daily 09:30 to 17:00 the rest of the season. Adult entry is €17.50. It is the sight most likely to catch you out: closed on both Christmas days.
• Vermeer Centrum Delft is open daily 10:00 to 17:00 and lists 25 December as its only closing day.
• The Oude Kerk and Nieuwe Kerk open on weekdays 11:00 to 16:00 and Saturdays 10:00 to 17:00 from November to January, and they are closed to visitors on Sundays. During the Christmas holidays they open 10:00 to 17:00 on weekdays and Saturdays, but the site does not list the individual holidays and the churches can close for services and concerts. Both churches together cost €10.00 for adults.
• Trains. NS says, as it does every year, that no trains run after about 20:00 on New Year’s Eve, and service restarts around 10:00 on New Year’s Day. If you are going back to Amsterdam or Rotterdam on 31 December, plan the evening around that.
• Museum Prinsenhof has been closed for renovation since January 2025 and has not announced a reopening date, so it is not an option this winter.

Sources: Royal Delft visitor information, Vermeer Centrum opening hours, Oude and Nieuwe Kerk prices and times, Mauritshuis special opening hours, NS news.

Are there Christmas concerts in Delft’s churches?

Yes, every year, but the 2026 programme was not online when we checked; the churches’ concert page listed nothing for December yet. To give you an idea of the pattern, the Oude and Nieuwe Kerk published this for Christmas 2024:

• Choir performances in the Nieuwe Kerk on Lichtjesavond, free entry.
• A Festival of Lessons and Carols in the Nieuwe Kerk in mid-December.
• A Christmas concert by Sela in the Oude Kerk on the Saturday before Christmas.
• On Christmas Eve, a children’s service at 19:00 and the Christmas night service at 22:00 in the Nieuwe Kerk.

The Nieuwe Kerk is the burial church of the House of Orange, and a carol service under its vaults is a different experience from a daytime visit with a ticket. Check the Oude and Nieuwe Kerk news page from late November.

How do I combine Delft with the Royal Christmas Fair in The Hague?

The Royal Christmas Fair fills the Lange Voorhout, the tree-lined avenue in the centre of The Hague, with dozens of Christmas chalets. For 2026 the official tourism site gives 3 to 23 December, every day 12:00 to 21:00, free entry. The entrances are at the Kloosterkerk and by Hotel Des Indes. The Mauritshuis is a few minutes’ walk away.

Because the fair opens at noon and Delft’s sights close at 16:00 or 17:00, the order that works is Delft in the daytime, The Hague after dark:

Time	Plan
10:00	Arrive in Delft, coffee on the Markt
10:30	Guided walk of the centre, two hours
12:30	Lunch near the Markt or the Beestenmarkt
13:30	Vermeer Centrum or Royal Delft (allow an hour or more)
15:30	Train to Den Haag Centraal, 10 to 15 minutes
16:00	Mauritshuis (check the closing time for your date)
18:00	Royal Christmas Fair on the Lange Voorhout until 21:00

On Tuesday 8 December you can turn it round: the fair at lunchtime, then back to Delft by mid-afternoon for Lichtjesavond.

One thing to know for Vermeer fans: the View of Delft is on loan to the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid from 9 October 2026 to 10 January 2027, so it is not in the Mauritshuis this December. Girl with a Pearl Earring is.

If you would rather not organise the two cities yourself, the private tour of The Hague and Delft from our sister brand Holland City Tours covers both in four and a half hours with the train ride included. For more markets around the country, see Christmas markets and winter city breaks in the Netherlands.

Source: denhaag.com, Royal Christmas Fair.

Is Delft worth visiting in December?

Yes, if you know what you are getting. The canal boats run only at weekends in November and stop after that, and the Saturday antiques market is over, so December Delft is about the old town itself: lit canals, the two churches, Vermeer, Delft Blue and long lunches indoors. December is a quiet month for visitors, so the churches and the Vermeer Centrum are quiet on weekdays. The light is the catch: it is dark by about 16:30, so do the outdoor walking in the morning and keep the museums for the afternoon.

This is where a guide earns their fee. In two hours on a cold morning our guides cover the Markt, the Nieuwe Kerk, the Oude Delft and the Oude Kerk, with the stories that make the buildings make sense, and the tour can end wherever suits you. The Highlights of Delft private walking tour is €199 for your whole group, up to 20 people, starting at the statue of Hugo Grotius on the Markt.

For the rest of a December day, our Delft in one day itinerary has a rain plan that suits winter, and if you want to take Delft Blue home as a present, read where to buy real Delft Blue first.

Do your tours run on Christmas Day and Boxing Day?

Our private tours run through the winter on any day you book them. For 25 and 26 December and 1 January, please ask us before you book: guides are available on some holidays and not others, and the food and drink tour depends on which shops and cafés open that day. The Vermeer tour includes entry to the Vermeer Centrum, which is closed on 25 December. Online bookings close 24 hours before the start, so for a holiday date contact us a few days ahead.

If nothing fits, the self-guided audio tour of Delft works offline, at any hour, on any day.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a Christmas market on the Markt in Delft?

Not for the whole of December. The Markt is the centre of Lichtjesavond on Tuesday 8 December 2026, with the tree lighting and food stalls, and in 2025 a one-day Christmas market was held there on Saturday 20 December. The 2026 market dates were not published when we checked, so look at indelft.nl from November.

What date is Lichtjesavond in Delft in 2026?

Tuesday 8 December 2026. It is the opening night of Delft Verlicht, which runs until Sunday 3 January 2027. Entry is free; check indelft.nl for the timetable once it is published.

Is Royal Delft open between Christmas and New Year?

Yes, from 27 to 30 December at normal hours, 09:30 to 17:00. It is closed on 25 and 26 December and 1 January, and closes at 16:00 on 24 and 31 December.

Is there an ice rink in Delft at Christmas?

The official Delft Verlicht page mentions an ice rink in its description of the season but gave no 2026 dates or location when we checked. If one is confirmed, it will be on indelft.nl.

How far is the Royal Christmas Fair from Delft?

The fair is on the Lange Voorhout in the centre of The Hague. The train from Delft to Den Haag Centraal takes 10 to 15 minutes, and from there it is a walk into the centre. Tram 1 also runs from Delft to The Hague but takes longer.

Can I get back from Delft by train on New Year’s Eve?

Only in the early evening. NS stops running trains around 20:00 on 31 December and restarts around 10:00 on 1 January. Check the NS planner for the exact last train on your route.

Are Delft’s churches open on Christmas Day?

The Nieuwe Kerk holds Christmas services, but the churches do not publish visitor hours for the individual holidays and they are closed to visitors on Sundays. Check the Oude and Nieuwe Kerk site before you go.

See Delft in December with a local guide

Three private tours that work well in winter, each private to your group and available in English, Dutch, German, French, Spanish and Italian:

• Highlights of Delft: 2 hours, €199 per group. The old town, the canals and the two churches; church entry can be added when you book.
• Vermeer’s Delft: 2.5 to 3 hours, from €275, with entry to the Vermeer Centrum. A good choice for a dark afternoon.
• Dutch food and drink tour: 3 hours, from €250, six tasting stops that replace a meal. Warm places, short walks between them.

All three start on the Markt and can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours before.

Photos: Primasz, public domain; Mlefter, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.