From Friday 27 November to Sunday 27 December 2026, wooden chalets fill the place des Quinconces, on the side of the Monument aux Girondins. This year the Bordeaux Christmas market celebrates its 32nd edition. For a whole month, people come for a gift made by a local maker, a hot chocolate between two errands, a photo with Santa Claus or a concert at the end of the day, when the lights come on above the aisles. Entry is free, and the market is open every day, including 24 and 25 December.

Opening hours only change at the end of the week. On Fridays and Saturdays the chalets stay open half an hour longer, which leaves time for one last stroll after dinner.

Craft chalets with new makers every week

The market brings together three kinds of chalets. The pop-up craft chalets welcome new makers every week, which gives you a good reason to come back at the start and at the end of December. The exhibitor chalets sell fashion accessories, decorations, ideas for the home, games and sweet or savoury treats. The charity chalets give local organisations a space to present their work over the festive season.

Food and treats

Several stalls serve traditional dishes and sweet treats to eat on the spot or take away, including vegetarian options. Most traders accept cards and cash, but it is best to check at the chalet before ordering.

Creative workshops, booking required

Some chalets are set aside for creative workshops. They are open to everyone, with booking through the market’s workshops page (in French).

Street shows, concerts and fairground rides

Throughout the month, street performers, concerts and brass bands make their way between the chalets. On opening night, Friday 27 November, the B. Graze Quartet plays from 6pm to 8pm while the stilt walkers of Compagnie Le Passage wander through the crowd from 6:30pm to 8:45pm. For children there are fairground rides, a hook-a-duck stall, free wooden games and several afternoons of charity face painting with the Clowns Stéthoscopes. The full day-by-day programme is published on the market’s entertainment page (in French).

• Pick your entrance. The market has four entrances, each with a visual bag check. The side entrances are often less busy than the main one.
• Travel light. A welcome desk at the main entrance looks after motorbike helmets and bulky or sharp items during your visit.
• Come by tram. Tram lines B, C and D stop at Quinconces, as do buses 2 and 3. A bike-share station is just a few steps away.
• Save the end of the day for the lights. Concerts and street shows mostly take place after 5pm, once the square is lit up.
• Bringing a dog? That’s fine as long as it stays on a lead. Security staff may however refuse entry to animals at the busiest times.

All entrances to the market are accessible to people with reduced mobility, and free accessible toilets are available on site.