Dortmund Christmas Market Closes With 1.5 Million Extra Visitors, 2026 Dates Set

Hannover’s markets wind down on site-specific schedules, with Kröpcke running limited dates into early January.

Overview

Dortmund’s 126th Weihnachtsmarkt ran from November 20 to December 30, with exceptions on November 23 and December 25 and shortened hours on December 24.
Organisers reported roughly 1.5 million additional visitors downtown, noting especially strong turnout in the week before and after Christmas during cold, clear weather that benefited traders.
Successful formats such as expanded after-work areas, free family offerings and new scavenger hunts will return in 2026, with the next season scheduled for November 19 to December 30, 2026, and a possible special under consideration.
Signature features in Dortmund included the 45-metre engineered tree on Hansaplatz built from about 1,200 firs with more than 138,000 LEDs and a ‘time-travel’ light narrative along Kampstraße tying decorations to local history.
Hannover’s multi-site markets featured more than 170 stalls and themed areas, with most sites closed by December 22–30 but the Kröpcke pyramid operating on limited dates through December 31 and January 2–4, 2026.