Rome Christmas Markets 2026: Piazza Navona and More

The Rome Christmas markets center on Piazza Navona, where last season the stalls ran from December 1 to Epiphany on January 6. A few other seasonal villages open around the city, from Villa Borghese to the Auditorium. Rome hasn’t announced the 2026 dates yet, so below we give last season’s confirmed dates, what to expect at each market and what to check before you go.

Last updated: October 21, 2026. We checked the information below on Rome’s official tourism site (Turismo Roma), the Vatican Press Office and the organizers’ websites on that date.

Rome Christmas markets at a glance

All 2026–27 dates were still unannounced when we checked. As a result, use last season’s pattern for planning only, and confirm on Turismo Roma once the city publishes the new program.

The Piazza Navona Christmas market

Piazza Navona hosts Rome’s main Christmas market, which Romans also tie to the Befana, the witch of Epiphany. Last season it ran from December 1, 2025 to January 6, 2026. According to Turismo Roma, it was open every day from 9:00 am to 1:00 am, and until 2:00 am on public holidays and the evenings before them.

Expect handmade nativity figures, Christmas decorations, wooden toys and stalls of Befana sweets. Last season also had stands run by city services and readings for children from Rome’s public libraries. On January 6, 2026, the Befana arrived in the square at 2:00 pm, the traditional finale.

Entry is free, because it’s an open public square. However, since it stays open late into the night, a morning or weekday visit is the easiest way to browse without the evening crowds.

Other Christmas markets and villages in Rome

Christmas World at Villa Borghese

Christmas World is a ticketed Christmas village in Villa Borghese, entered from Piazzale delle Canestre on Viale del Galoppatoio. Last season it ran from November 29, 2025 to January 11, 2026. Its website says the 2025 season has ended and promises a new one, but it gives no 2026 dates or prices yet.

Natale all’Auditorium

The Auditorium Parco della Musica runs a Christmas program in its open-air Cavea. Last season it lasted from December 4, 2025 to January 6, 2026, with a gospel festival from December 20. The events in the Cavea were free, while some concerts needed a ticket. The official listing doesn’t mention a market, so treat it as a festive program rather than a shopping trip.

The 100 Nativity Scenes in the Vatican

It isn’t a market, but it’s a free Christmas visit right next to St. Peter’s. Last season, the 100 Presepi exhibition showed nativity scenes under Bernini’s colonnade in St. Peter’s Square from December 8, 2025 to January 6, 2026, with free entry.

Christmas trees and lights in Rome

The Vatican usually lights its tree and unveils its nativity scene in St. Peter’s Square in mid-December. In 2025, the ceremony took place on Monday, December 15, at 5:00 pm. The tree, a 25-meter spruce from the Val d’Ultimo in South Tyrol, stayed up until January 11, 2026, according to the Vatican Press Office. The date changes every year, and the 2026 one hasn’t been announced.

Rome’s own tree now stands in Piazza del Popolo. In 2025 it was a Nordmann fir more than 20 meters tall, lit on December 8, and the lights along Via del Corso ran from November 26, 2025 to January 6, 2026, according to Turismo Roma. For the Vatican side of the season, see our guide to Christmas at the Vatican.

When to visit the Rome Christmas markets

• Late November and early December: last season, the Via del Corso lights went on on November 26 and the Piazza Navona market opened on December 1.
• December 8: the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, a public holiday. Read our guide to December 8 in Italy for what’s open.
• Christmas week: expect closures on December 25 and 26. The Vatican Museums, for example, are closed on both days in 2026.
• January 6: Epiphany and the Befana’s arrival in Piazza Navona, as in our guide to Epiphany in Italy.

Make it a Christmas walk

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Rome’s churches are full of historic nativity scenes, and a guided walk links them with the markets. For example, this Christmas nativities and angels tour in Rome visits nativity scenes around the center. To choose where to stay, compare hotels in Rome on Expedia near Piazza Navona or the Pantheon, and check the Rome tourist tax.

For the whole season, read our Christmas in Rome guide, our list of events in Italy in December and our guide to the Christmas markets in Italy.

Sources and verification

On October 21, 2026, we checked Turismo Roma’s pages on the Piazza Navona market, Christmas World, Natale all’Auditorium and Rome’s trees and lights for 2025–26, the Vatican Press Office’s note on the 2025 tree and nativity scene, and the Christmas World website. We’ll update this page when Rome publishes the 2026–27 dates.

Frequently asked questions

When does the Piazza Navona Christmas market open in 2026?

Rome hasn’t announced the 2026 dates yet. Last season, the market ran from December 1, 2025 to January 6, 2026, open daily from 9:00 am to 1:00 am.

Is there an entry fee for Christmas markets in Rome?

The Piazza Navona market is free, because it’s held in a public square. Christmas World at Villa Borghese needs a paid ticket.

What are the best Christmas markets in Rome besides Piazza Navona?

Christmas World at Villa Borghese and the Christmas program at the Auditorium Parco della Musica are the main alternatives. The free 100 Nativity Scenes exhibition in St. Peter’s Square is also worth a visit.

When is the Christmas tree lit in St. Peter’s Square?

The date changes every year. In 2025, the Vatican lit the tree on December 15 at 5:00 pm, and the 2026 date hasn’t been announced.

Where is Rome’s main Christmas tree?

Rome’s city tree now stands in Piazza del Popolo, where it was set up for the 2025 season along with the lights on Via del Corso.