ADVENT 2026 · SAN SEBASTIÁN · BASQUE COUNTRY
San Sebastián Christmas market 2026: dates, places and opening times
The Christmas market in San Sebastián runs from 4 December 2026 to 6 January 2027 beside the Urumea and on Plaza Ramón Labayen. On Monday 21 December the one-day Feria de Santo Tomás adds farm produce and txistorra to the city centre. Here is an overview of the dates, places and hours as published by October 2026.
When and where is the San Sebastián Christmas market in 2026?
The organiser gives 4 December 2026 to 6 January 2027 for the San Sebastián Christmas market. It takes place in two areas of the same event: on Paseo del Urumea between the Santa Catalina and María Cristina bridges, and on Plaza Ramón Labayen with Calle Andía. Stalls open in a morning and an afternoon session with a lunchtime break. The tourism calendar lists 1 December as the start, so check the organiser's website shortly before you go. The Feria de Santo Tomás is a separate one-day fair on Monday 21 December 2026.
- Season
- 4 Dec 2026 – 6 Jan 2027
- Market areas
- Paseo del Urumea and Plaza Ramón Labayen
- Suggested windows
- 11:30-14:00 or 16:30-19:00
- Santo Tomás
- Monday 21 December 2026
Where are the Christmas markets in San Sebastián?
The multi-week Christmas market uses two areas in the centre. Santo Tomás and the everyday food markets add further places worth knowing.
Paseo del Urumea
The market conditions place this part of the Christmas market between the Santa Catalina and María Cristina bridges. Use the bridge names to find your way and the organiser's current map for the actual stall layout. The bridges mark the limits of the planned area, not a continuous line of stalls along the whole riverside. The hut layout is fixed at least five days before opening.
Plaza Ramón Labayen
The second named area is Plaza Ramón Labayen, and the conditions also include Calle Andía and its surroundings. It belongs to the same Christmas market, not to a separate event. By October no final allocation of products to this square had been published, so look at which stalls are open on your day before deciding whether to walk on to the river.
Feria de Santo Tomás
Santo Tomás is a one-day fair with an agricultural focus, confirmed by Donostia Kultura for Monday 21 December 2026. Plaza de la Constitución in the Parte Vieja is one of its locations. Txistorra served in talo or bread is the classic festival food. Some competition locations were still unconfirmed in October, so check the final programme nearer the date.
What are the opening times of the San Sebastián Christmas market?
The published sources do not fully agree. All of them include a lunchtime break between about 14:00 and 16:30.
Website hours
The organiser's website gives 11:00-14:00 and 16:30-20:00. The market conditions list 11:30-14:00 and 16:30-20:00 from Monday to Thursday, and 11:30-14:00 and 16:30-20:30 on Fridays, weekends and public holidays. The tourism calendar gives 10:30-14:00 and 16:30-20:30. Check the organiser's advice shortly before your visit.
Windows that work
For an ordinary visit, the guide suggests 11:30-14:00 or 16:30-19:00. Both windows fall within all the regular core hours stated in the material reviewed. They are not an official opening rule, and they do not guarantee that every stall trades on holidays when closure is permitted. An afternoon visit from 16:30 also lets you see the street lights on the way back.
Special dates
The website gives 19:00 as the earlier closing time on 24 and 31 December and on 5 January. On 25 December, 1 January and 6 January, individual businesses may stay closed with prior permission. The season ends on 6 January, but that does not mean every stall will still be trading that day.
Which other markets can you visit in San Sebastián in December?
Two everyday food markets complement the Christmas stalls. Neither is a seasonal Christmas market.
San Martín
San Martín stands at Calle Urbieta 9 in the centre. The operator lists Monday to Saturday, 08:00-20:00, for the traditional market, with fishmongers generally trading Tuesday to Saturday. On Sundays a limited selection of businesses opens from 08:00 to 14:00. A morning here pairs well with an afternoon at one Christmas market area.
Bretxa
Bretxa belongs to the food culture of the Old Town. It is being redeveloped, and the operator plans to move into the new market only in late January, after Christmas trading. Check which entrances and trading areas are in use before you go. The guide does not count Bretxa as an additional Christmas market.
Christmas lights
The organiser's lighting page names the Parte Vieja, Loiola and San Marcial streets, Avenida de la Libertad, Alderdi Eder and Zurriola. Choose one stretch that fits your way back from the market. No daily switch-on times or dated programme for rides such as a Ferris wheel or ice rink had been published by October.
San Sebastián Christmas market 2026/27: key dates
Dates as published by the organiser and Donostia Kultura in October 2026.
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4 Dec 2026
Christmas market opens
The market conditions and the allocation decision both give 4 December. The tourism events calendar lists 1 December.
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12–13 Dec
Example Advent weekend
A Saturday and Sunday inside the season, used in the guide's weekend route. No Santo Tomás on these days.
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21 Dec
Feria de Santo Tomás
One-day fair on Monday. Farm produce exhibition from 09:00 on Plaza de la Constitución, txistorra competitions from 11:00.
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24 and 31 Dec
Earlier closing
The organiser's website gives 19:00 as closing time. San Telmo and Tabakalera keep shorter hours too.
-
25 Dec and 1 Jan
Some stalls may close
Individual businesses may stay closed with permission. San Telmo and Tabakalera are closed on both days.
-
5–6 Jan 2027
End of the season
Closing at 19:00 on 5 January. The season ends on 6 January, when individual exhibitors may stay closed.
Before you visit the San Sebastián Christmas market
The San Sebastián Christmas markets guide
Our 50-page PDF guide brings the dates, market areas and opening times together with six routes, the Santo Tomás programme and practical travel information. It shows where sources disagree and links to the official pages.
- Season calendar and opening-time comparison
- Santo Tomás, San Martín, San Telmo and Tabakalera
- Airport buses, Dbus fares and a trip planner
Frequently asked questions
When does the San Sebastián Christmas market open in 2026?
The organiser's market conditions and allocation decision give Friday 4 December 2026 as the opening day. The tourism events calendar lists 1 December instead. The guide follows the organiser's specific date. Check the organiser's website a few days before travelling in case the start or hours change.
Is the San Sebastián Christmas market open at lunchtime?
All published hours include a break. Morning trading ends at 14:00 and the afternoon session starts at 16:30. Plan a meal in a restaurant for this time, or visit San Martín food market or a museum. For a relaxed visit, use 11:30-14:00 or 16:30-19:00.
Is the Christmas market open on Christmas Day and New Year's Day?
The market season includes these dates, but individual businesses may stay closed on 25 December, 1 January and 6 January with prior permission. On 24 and 31 December the website gives 19:00 as closing time. Expect fewer open stalls on the holidays and check the organiser's advice on the day.
Is Santo Tomás the same as the Christmas market?
No. The Christmas market runs for several weeks by the Urumea and on Plaza Ramón Labayen. The Feria de Santo Tomás is a separate one-day fair on Monday 21 December 2026 with farm produce, txistorra and competitions, partly on Plaza de la Constitución in the Parte Vieja.
Is there an ice rink or Ferris wheel at the San Sebastián Christmas market?
The organiser's general descriptions mention various attractions, but by October 2026 no clearly dated operating times or prices had been published. The guide therefore does not treat a Ferris wheel, ice rink or other rides as fixed parts of a visit. Check the current announcement if you want to include one.
More for your Advent trip
Research status 27 October 2026; Tabiara is an independent guide, so please check the official sources before travelling.