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Sibiu Christmas Market 2026: opening hours, dates and what you will find in the Grand Square

The Grand Square looking towards its north-east corner, with a long Baroque building on the north side on the left, the Council Tower at the back and houses with terraces on the right, under a sky with white clouds
The Grand Square looking towards its north-east corner, with a long Baroque building on the north side on the left, the Council Tower at the back and houses with terraces on the right, under a sky with white clouds · Chainwit. · CC BY 4.0

The Sibiu Christmas Market 2026 is held in the Grand Square (Piața Mare), from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, every day, with free entry. The opening hours announced by the organisers are 11:00 to 22:00 from Monday to Friday and 10:00 to 22:00 on Saturdays and Sundays (targuldecraciun.ro, 4 November 2026).

This guide sets out what is known about the 19th edition: the dates, the opening hours, the attractions with their published prices, how to get there and where to leave the car, what to do with children and what else to see nearby. The concerts had not been announced as of 4 November 2026. The comparison with the other cities is in the guide to Christmas markets in Romania.

In short

  • The Sibiu Christmas Market 2026 is in the Grand Square, from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, which makes 52 days (targuldecraciun.ro and Zile și Nopți, October 2026).
  • The announced opening hours: Monday–Friday 11:00–22:00, Saturday–Sunday 10:00–22:00; entry is free, and the stalls take card payments.
  • The paid attractions have published prices: the Ferris wheel 30 lei, the carousel 20 lei, the children's train 20 lei, the tourist train 20 lei, a one-day Golden Ticket 99 lei.
  • The ice rink covers 600 m² and has skate hire; its price and opening hours had not been published as of 4 November 2026, and the entertainment programme had not been announced.
  • The Grand Square is pedestrianised: leave the car at Cazarma 90 or in Piața Teatrului (car parks with barriers), and from Sibiu railway station it is a 15–20 minute walk.
  • The 2026 edition brings the Christmas tree to the middle of the square, a larger permanent stage between the City Hall and the Brukenthal Museum and a new food area.

Sibiu Christmas Market 2026 at a glance

The table below brings together the answers to the most common searches. The details come from the market's official website, checked on 4 November 2026; they may change, and any change appears there first.

What you are looking forAnswer for 2026
Dates13 November 2026 – 3 January 2027 (52 days)
Opening hoursMonday–Friday 11:00–22:00; Saturday–Sunday 10:00–22:00
Locationthe Grand Square (Piața Mare), Sibiu's historic centre
Entryfree, for all ages
Paymentby card, at all the stalls
Ferris wheel (22 m)30 lei
Carousel, children's train, tourist train20 lei each
Golden Ticket, one day99 lei (carousel and children's train included)
Ice rink600 m², with skate hire; price not published as of 4 November
Concertsprogramme not announced as of 4 November 2026
Live webcamon targuldecraciun.ro, image refreshed about once a minute

Source: targuldecraciun.ro, 4 November 2026. The local press reported 100 lei for the Golden Ticket (Zile și Nopți, 26 October 2026); the text uses the figure from the official website. For the square itself, see the [Grand Square (Piața Mare)](/piata-mare-sibiu) page.

Opening hours and dates: how long the market lasts

The market opens on Friday, 13 November 2026, one day earlier than in 2025, when it started on 14 November, and closes on Sunday, 3 January 2027. The pattern is the same every year: from mid-November to the first days of January, so the square is still taken up by the market over New Year's Eve.

The hours are the same throughout, according to the official website: Monday–Friday 11:00–22:00 and Saturday–Sunday 10:00–22:00. The closing times for 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 January had not been published separately as of 4 November 2026. If you are going on a public holiday, check the official website or the live webcam first.

The entertainment programme (concerts, shows, the choirs on the community stage) had not been announced as of 4 November 2026; the official website says it will be published soon and points to the organisers' social media pages. The 2026 edition has a larger permanent stage, placed between Sibiu City Hall and the Brukenthal Museum, according to the organisers quoted by Zile și Nopți.

Where the market is and how to get there: square and parking

The market fills the Grand Square (Piața Mare), in the historic centre, and in 2026 the “Căsuța de Crăciun” (the Christmas Cabin), the mulled wine cabin, moves to the entrance from Nicolae Bălcescu Street. The centre is pedestrianised, so the last part of the way is on foot.

By car. Sibiu is on the A1 motorway, and the attraction pages give ~175 km from Cluj-Napoca, ~145 km from Brașov and ~275 km from Bucharest. You cannot park in the square. The organisers recommend the barrier car parks at Cazarma 90 and Piața Teatrului, 5–10 minutes' walk away, as well as the car park by the Courthouse, the station area and Promenada Mall. The streets around the centre are pay-and-display. At weekends and on public holidays the car parks fill up quickly, so come as early as possible or leave the car further out.

By train. Sibiu railway station is ~1.5 km from the square, a 15–20 minute walk through the lower town or a few stops on a Tursib bus.

By plane. Sibiu Airport is ~5 km from the centre, with buses and taxis.

The Small Square (Piața Mică) and Bridge of Lies are a few steps away, through the passage under the Council Tower.

What you will find: stalls, ice rink, Ferris wheel, carousel

The stalls. The organisers announce more than 120 exhibitors from 36 counties and from other countries, about a third of them new, and the number of stalls is capped at 120. They sell handmade goods, decorations, gifts, food and seasonal sweets. Exhibitor registration for 2026 has closed. New in 2026: a new food area (last year's grill is not coming back), and the Christmas tree stands in the middle of the square, with 1,000 white three-dimensional stars.

Ferris wheel and carousel. The wheel is ~22 m high and costs 30 lei; the carousel is 20 lei a ride.

Ice rink. The open-air ice rink covers 600 m² and has skate hire. Its price and opening hours had not been published as of 4 November 2026.

Trains. The children's train runs inside the market (20 lei), and the tourist train leaves from the Grand Square on a tour of the historic centre (20 lei).

Santa Claus. “Atelierul lui Moș Crăciun” (Santa's Workshop) is for children aged 5–9, by booking; the 2026 workshop makes photo frames from glass mosaic, in ~40 minutes, at 40 lei per child, in groups of 15–30. “Liftul fermecat” (the Enchanted Lift) takes you to Santa's House, with tickets sold online.

The Christmas Cabin. The Tyrolean après-ski cabin, with mulled wine and DJ evenings, moves in 2026 to the entrance from Nicolae Bălcescu Street.

The community stage. Choirs and local bands perform here; the 2026 programme had not been announced as of 4 November.

The Sibiu Christmas Market with children

Entry is free at any age, and the square is pedestrianised, so children can wander freely, away from traffic. For them there are the carousel (20 lei), the children's train (20 lei), the Ferris wheel (30 lei), the ice rink and Santa Claus. If you go on several rides, the one-day Golden Ticket at 99 lei includes the carousel and the children's train, but not the tourist train; part of the takings goes to a social cause.

Santa's Workshop is only for ages 5–9 and by booking, so it cannot be arranged on the spot. The minimum age for the ice rink, the rules for children and whether there are quiet hours had not been published as of 4 November 2026; call or write to the organisers beforehand (contact@targuldecraciun.ro).

How much it costs: entry, attractions and the Golden Ticket

Entry to the market is free. You only pay for what you buy: food, gifts, the rides and the ice rink. The stalls take card payments. The prices published on the official website as of 4 November 2026:

  • Ferris wheel 30 lei
  • carousel 20 lei a ride
  • children's train 20 lei
  • tourist train 20 lei
  • Santa's Workshop 40 lei per child, by booking
  • one-day Golden Ticket 99 lei

The ice rink and the Enchanted Lift had no price displayed. Food and gifts have no prices published by the organisers, because each exhibitor sets its own.

Going to the market is not a visit to an attraction with a ticket but an open market; for the square itself, see the Grand Square (Piața Mare).

Why it is the best known: the market's history

The official website presents it as the first and best-known Christmas market in Romania. It started in 2007, the year Sibiu was European Capital of Culture, as a private initiative. Today it is organised by the Events for Tourism Association in Sibiu. The 2020 edition was cancelled, and the 2026 one is the 19th.

In 2026 the market received the EECMA “Excellent European Christmas Market” seal, one of 12 Christmas markets recognised in Europe out of more than 600 assessed, according to the official website. The same website says that The New York Times and Condé Nast Traveler have written about it and that Big 7 Travel ranks it among the top ten markets in the world.

The setting matters as much as the awards. The Grand Square (Piața Mare) has been the town's market square since the Middle Ages, so the market sits in front of the houses with “eyes” in their roofs, the Jesuit church and the Brukenthal Palace. The claim of being “the first in Romania” is the organisers'; no independent source confirming it had been found as of 4 November 2026.

What else to see in Sibiu in winter, near the market

From the Grand Square you go through passages and along pedestrian streets to the rest of the centre in a few minutes:

  • Small Square (Piața Mică) and Bridge of Lies: the second square of the old town and the cast-iron footbridge from 1859. Both are free and always open.
  • Council Tower (Turnul Sfatului): you can see it from outside, but it has been closed for restoration since 19 January 2026, for about 24 months, according to Sibiu City Hall. You cannot climb it.
  • Brukenthal Palace: on the west side of the square, with the galleries of European and Romanian art. An adult ticket costs 50 lei, and the museum is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. In January it usually closes for a few weeks (in 2026, from 12 January to 3 February); check the website before you go.
  • Evangelical Cathedral of Sibiu: the Gothic church with its 73 m tower. The church and the tower cost 10 lei each, the combined ticket 15 lei; visits are suspended during services and concerts.
  • ASTRA Museum of Traditional Folk Civilisation: the open-air museum in Dumbrava, outside the centre. In winter the opening hours are shorter (in winter 2025–2026: 08:00–17:00), and the hours for 2026–2027 had not been published as of 4 November; check them on the website.

Frequently asked questions

When does the Sibiu Christmas Market open in 2026?
On 13 November 2026, according to the official website targuldecraciun.ro (checked on 4 November 2026). Last year it opened on 14 November.
How long does the Sibiu Christmas Market last?
Until 3 January 2027, 52 days in all, according to the official website and the local press.
What are the opening hours of the Sibiu Christmas Market?
Monday–Friday from 11:00 to 22:00 and Saturday–Sunday from 10:00 to 22:00, according to targuldecraciun.ro, 4 November 2026. The hours for 24–25 and 31 December had not been published separately.
How much does it cost to get into the Sibiu Christmas Market?
Nothing: entry is free for all ages. You only pay for the rides (the wheel 30 lei, the carousel and the trains 20 lei) and what you buy; the one-day Golden Ticket costs 99 lei.
Where is the Sibiu Christmas Market held?
In the Grand Square (Piața Mare), in the historic centre. The square is pedestrianised, so the last part of the way is on foot; the recommended car parks are Cazarma 90 and Piața Teatrului.
Where can I park for the Sibiu Christmas Market?
The organisers point to the barrier car parks at Cazarma 90 and Piața Teatrului, as well as the Courthouse, the station area and Promenada Mall. You cannot park in the square, and at weekends the car parks fill up quickly.
Does the Sibiu Christmas Market have an ice rink?
Yes, a 600 m² open-air ice rink with skate hire. Its price and opening hours had not been published as of 4 November 2026.
What is the concert programme at the Sibiu Christmas Market 2026?
It had not been announced as of 4 November 2026; the organisers say it will be published soon on targuldecraciun.ro and on their social media pages.
Is there a live webcam of the Sibiu Christmas Market?
Yes, targuldecraciun.ro has a webcam with images of the Grand Square, refreshed about once a minute.
Can you climb the Council Tower during the Christmas market?
No. The Council Tower has been closed for restoration since 19 January 2026, for about 24 months, and can only be seen from outside.

Sources

All guides