Christmas in Florence 2026 runs from mid-November to Epiphany. The Christmas market in Piazza Santa Croce opens on Saturday 14 November and closes on Sunday 20 December, with free entry. In December, the Teatro del Maggio stages ballet, a Christmas concert, Offenbach (seats from €15) and a New Year's Eve concert.
The Uffizi and, judging by past years, the Duomo monuments close on Friday 25 December and Friday 1 January. Below: the dates confirmed so far, what is open on the holidays, how to get around and where to stay.
Christmas in Florence 2026: the dates confirmed so far
In December the historic centre changes after dark. Garlands of light hang across the narrow streets between the Duomo and the river, lanterns glow against the stone, and a tall decorated fir stands in Piazza del Duomo in front of the cathedral's white, green and pink marble.
The Christmas market in Santa Croce
Dates: Saturday 14 November to Sunday 20 December 2026, with more than fifty wooden stalls in front of the Basilica of Santa Croce, according to Destination Florence, the official tourism site of the City of Florence.
Entry is free. The listing gives 10 am to 10 pm from Monday to Thursday and 10 am to 11 pm from Friday to Sunday, while its FAQ says 10 pm every day. Our guide to the Florence Christmas market 2026 covers the stalls, the basilica and the best times to go.
Lights and the Duomo tree
The City has not yet published its 2026 programme of Christmas lights or the date for switching on the tree in Piazza del Duomo. For reference, the official tourism site's 2025 page said the "Florence Lights Up" programme started on 6 December, with video mapping on Ponte Vecchio, Palazzo Vecchio and the church of San Paolino.
We will update this page when the City announces the new programme.
A holiday before the holidays
Tuesday 8 December, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, is a public holiday in Italy. With Monday 7 December in between, expect a busy long weekend from Saturday 5 December.
Music for Christmas at the Teatro del Maggio
Florence's opera house, the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, has its December 2026 calendar online. It stands in Piazza Vittorio Gui, near the Cascine park and the western edge of the centre.
Christmas concert and ballet
Christmas concert: "C'è Musica & Musica 3.0" on Sunday 6 December at 6 pm in the Sala Grande.
Roberto Bolle and Friends: the ballet gala plays on Thursday 10 and Friday 11 December at 8 pm and on Saturday 12 December at 3.30 pm and 8 pm.
The Nutcracker: Tchaikovsky's score in concert, conducted by Gianandrea Noseda, on Wednesday 23 December at 8 pm.
Offenbach over the holidays
Kent Nagano conducts Les contes d'Hoffmann in Laurent Pelly's staging on Sunday 20 December at 5 pm, Sunday 27 December at 3.30 pm and Wednesday 30 December at 8 pm.
Full-price seats range from €15 for restricted view to €110–130 in the front stalls, depending on the performance.
New Year's Eve
On Thursday 31 December at 5 pm the Sala Grande hosts "Disney Fantasia, Live in Concert", with music from Fantasia and Fantasia 2000.
Exhibitions worth planning around
Two major exhibitions are open through the holidays, and Palazzo Strozzi's "Broken" runs until 24 January 2027.
Artemisia Gentileschi at the Museo degli Innocenti
"Artemisia Gentileschi in Florence" runs until 4 April 2027, daily from 9.30 am to 7 pm, with tickets from €12 to €16 including the permanent collection.
It is one of the few venues with published holiday hours: 9.30 am to 3 pm on 24 and 31 December, closed on 25 December, 12.30 pm to 7 pm on 1 January, and open as usual on 8 and 26 December and 6 January.
Magnifico 1492 at Palazzo Pitti
From Thursday 3 December to 1 March 2027, the Treasury of the Grand Dukes in Palazzo Pitti shows the art collection of Lorenzo the Magnificent. It is open Tuesday to Sunday, 8.15 am to 6.30 pm, with a full ticket at €18.
What is open on Christmas Day and New Year's Day
In 2026 Christmas Day falls on a Friday and New Year's Day on the following Friday. Plan your big museum visits for the days around them.
The Uffizi
The Uffizi is open Tuesday to Sunday from 8.15 am to 6.30 pm and closes on Mondays, 25 December and 1 January. Thursday 24, Saturday 26 and Thursday 31 December are normal opening days. A full ticket costs €25 on the day or €29 booked in advance.
The Duomo and its monuments
The Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore has not yet published its 2026 holiday timetable. In its notice for 2024–2025, all the monuments of Piazza del Duomo closed on 25 December and 1 January, and the cathedral itself also closed to visitors on 26 December and 6 January.
The cathedral's usual holiday mass times are 9 am, a chapter mass in Latin and Gregorian chant at 10.30 am, noon and 6 pm, with Vespers at 5.15 pm. The Christmas Eve and Christmas Day schedule is not out yet.
Getting around and where to stay
The centre is compact and best seen on foot. The historic core is a camera-controlled limited-traffic zone (ZTL), so do not drive in.
The 42nd Firenze Marathon starts and finishes in Piazza del Duomo on Sunday 29 November. Road closures along the route begin at about 8.30 am and last until the race ends.
For a Christmas stay, the streets between the Duomo and Santa Croce put the market, the lights and the main churches within a short walk. If you are going to the opera, the area around Santa Maria Novella is closer to the Teatro del Maggio.
Our selection of hotels in Florence lists properties with a guest score of 8.0 or higher. For neighbourhoods and day trips see the Florence City Guide, and with three days to spare follow our Florence itinerary for 3 days.
What Christmas in Florence means for hosts and local businesses
The 2026 calendar gives the season clear peaks, and they are worth planning around now.
The weekends to watch
The first is the marathon weekend, Friday 27 to Sunday 29 November. Then comes the opening of Magnifico 1492 on 3 December, followed by the Immaculate Conception weekend from 5 to 8 December and the Bolle gala from 10 to 12 December.
Christmas falling on a Friday creates a long weekend from Thursday 24 to Sunday 27 December, and New Year's Day on a Friday does the same from 31 December to 3 January.
Those are the nights where a minimum stay is easiest to justify. The midweek gaps between them suit flexible rates. A pre-arrival message with the holiday closures, the market hours and the ZTL warning saves guests time and avoids fines.
Tourist tax and paperwork
Florence's imposta di soggiorno applies per person per night for up to seven consecutive nights, and children under 12 are exempt. The City's example for tourist rentals shows €6.00 per night for stays from 1 February 2025.
A new City regulation and new monthly declaration forms apply from 1 November 2026. Since 26 June 2026, under Tuscan regional law 9/2026, hosts who live in the property they rent must first file a start-of-activity notice (CIA) with the SUAP through the regional STAR portal.
Our guide to Florence short-term rental rules and our page on living in Florence go further. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.
Christmas in Florence: frequently asked questions
When does Christmas start in Florence?
The Santa Croce Christmas market opens on 14 November 2026. The City has not yet announced the lights or the Duomo tree for 2026; in 2025 the light shows started on 6 December.
Are museums open on Christmas Day in Florence?
Most are closed. The Uffizi closes on 25 December and 1 January, and the Museo degli Innocenti closes on 25 December and opens at 12.30 pm on 1 January.
What is on in Florence on New Year's Eve 2026?
The Teatro del Maggio hosts "Disney Fantasia, Live in Concert" at 5 pm on 31 December. The City has not yet published its New Year's Eve programme for the squares.
Programmes can change: check the organiser's page before you go.
Official sources, checked on 12 November 2026: Destination Florence, Christmas Market in Piazza Santa Croce, Destination Florence, Christmas around Florence (2025 edition), Teatro del Maggio, December 2026 calendar, Teatro del Maggio, Les contes d'Hoffmann, Destination Florence, Artemisia Gentileschi in Florence, Destination Florence, Magnificent 1492, Palazzo Strozzi, Uffizi Galleries, the Uffizi, Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, Christmas closures 2024–2025, Florence Cathedral, liturgical celebrations, Destination Florence, Firenze Marathon 2026 and City of Florence, tourist tax.
Photo credits: cover by Anto Grossolano; street lights, pizzeria tree and light garlands by Mihaela Claudia Puscas; all via Unsplash, with light colour and detail finishing by Holiplanet.
