Daniel
•
October 17, 2026
•
8 min read
•
No comments
A Dubai Christmas market is worth planning around this year. Madinat Jumeirah runs Friday 4 December to Sunday 27 December 2026 with free entry. The brand-new DXB Winter Festival opens Tuesday 1 December beside Dubai Festival City Mall, runs to Sunday 10 January 2027, and promises 150+ stalls. Most other 2026 editions are not announced yet, so hold off booking anything else.
A Dubai Christmas market is a festive outdoor event with stalls, food and lights, usually set by the water. Dubai has no single official Christmas market, so you pick from a handful of commercial ones. This Dubai Christmas market guide compares them side by side, gives the two confirmed 2026 editions, and flags what changed from last year. If you are planning a December trip, start with our Dubai travel guide first.
| Market | 2026 status | Entry | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madinat Jumeirah Festive Market | Dec 4 to 27 (announced) | Free | Classic festive feel, families |
| DXB Winter Festival, Festival City | Dec 1 to Jan 10 (announced) | Ticketed, prices TBA | Biggest new event, New Year night |
| Winter City, Expo City Dubai | Dates TBA | Last season: AED 50 | Indoor snow, kids |
| Winter District, Emirates Towers | Dates TBA | Last season: free | After-work drinks |
| JLT Park Christmas Market | Dates TBA | Last season: free | Easy community vibe |
| LEGOLAND Christmas Bricktacular | Dates TBA | Park ticket needed | Young kids |
The biggest change to the Dubai Christmas market scene is at Dubai Festival City. The old free market on the waterfront is gone. In its place comes the DXB Winter Festival, a brand-new ticketed event running 1 December 2026 to 10 January 2027, the longest-running festive event in the city this season.
One ticket covers everything inside the grounds, though standard prices are not announced yet. The first 10,000 tickets get a 25% early-bird discount, and you register for a discount code at the festival’s official site before sales open. The festival spans 20,000 square metres with 150+ vendors, a funfair, Santa’s grotto, a main stage and a licensed outdoor area. Special evenings are planned for UAE National Day (2 December), Christmas, New Year’s Eve and Orthodox Christmas (7 January). Free entry still exists elsewhere this season, but only at Madinat Jumeirah among the big names, so the shift from free to ticketed at Festival City is the key thing to know before you pick which Dubai Christmas market to visit.
The Madinat Jumeirah Festive Market is the Dubai Christmas market most visitors know. It returns to Fort Island at Madinat Jumeirah from Friday 4 December to Sunday 27 December 2026. Entry is free on a first-come, first-served basis, and the 36-foot Christmas tree is again the centrepiece, with light-and-sound tree shows after dark.
Hours are 3pm until late Monday to Thursday, and noon until late Friday to Sunday. Kids get a mini train ride, a Venetian carousel, bungee jumping, a snow-fight zone, gingerbread-house decorating and an abra ride with Santa, while a live band plays seasonal music. Food and drinks include mince pies, hot chocolate and mulled drinks; the resort’s own announcement mentions mulled vino, and the market has licensed dining areas.
Parking is limited and the resort says so openly. Take a taxi if you can. Drivers get two paid parking options: the Madinat Jumeirah Conference Centre parking and Sahat Al Qasr parking. Guests of the resort’s own hotels enter through Jumeirah Mina A’Salam; everyone else comes in via Souk Madinat Jumeirah. Confirm dates and hours on the official Madinat Jumeirah Festive Market page.
This is the event to watch if you like big, loud festive nights. Doors open 4pm to midnight on weekdays and 2pm to midnight on weekends. The concept takes its cue from European Christmas markets: vendor streets, independent makers, festive food stalls and open-air cafes around a giant Christmas tree, with a daily programme of parades, workshops, comedy and live music.
Two details make this Dubai Christmas market stand out. It is the only festive event that runs past Christmas, so it is your option between 27 December and 10 January, and it hosts a New Year’s Eve countdown on the waterfront, which Madinat Jumeirah does not. Before or after your visit, the free IMAGINE water, laser and fire show plays on Festival Bay next door.
To get to this Dubai Christmas market, the nearest metro is Creek station on the Green Line, then continue by taxi. There is no metro station at the mall itself.
As of 17 October 2026, none of the following have announced 2026 editions. Last season’s facts are below so you know what to expect; confirm on each organiser’s site before you plan.
Winter City at Expo City Dubai. Last season: daily 4pm to 10pm until 31 December, AED 50 general admission, under-3s free, with a chalet-style market, a 16-metre tree and carols by candlelight. Confirm the 2026 edition on expocitydubai.com.
Winter District at Emirates Towers. Last season: free entry, running until 28 December at Jumeirah Emirates Towers. Some guides still list its old Media City location, which is out of date.
JLT Park Christmas Market. A small community market, free last season. Check jlt.ae closer to December.
Al Habtoor Winter Garden. Last season it ran at Al Habtoor City. Check alhabtoorcity.com for 2026 dates.
LEGOLAND Christmas Bricktacular. A kids’ event inside the theme park; normal park admission applies. Check dubaiparksandresorts.com.
Expect mince pies, bratwurst, gingerbread, hot chocolate and mulled grape drinks at every Dubai Christmas market in the city. Mulled wine is available only inside licensed areas, and the licensing differs by venue: Madinat Jumeirah has licensed dining areas, and the DXB Winter Festival is planning a dedicated licensed outdoor area. The smaller community markets are usually dry, so pick accordingly.
Madinat Jumeirah (Umm Suqeim):
DXB Winter Festival (Dubai Festival City Mall):
For the wider transport picture, read our guide on how to travel in Dubai as a tourist.
A lot of the Dubai Christmas market content ranking right now is stale. Some pages still give Madinat’s dates as 5 to 31 December, but the official 2026 announcement is 4 to 27 December. Several roundups list the Dubai Festival City free market as “to be confirmed”, when the waterfront is now the ticketed DXB Winter Festival. You will also see Dubai Opera, Times Square Centre and Queen Elizabeth 2 Christmas markets in 2026 guides, but none are on any confirmed 2026 list. And Madinat Jumeirah closes on 27 December, so it is not open in the week between Christmas and New Year, even though generic guides imply it runs into January. If you are staying near the action, see our where to stay in Dubai guide, and for December gigs check our concerts in Dubai guide.
The first confirmed opening this season is the DXB Winter Festival on 1 December 2026. Madinat Jumeirah opens on 4 December 2026. Other markets have not announced 2026 dates yet; last season most opened in the second week of December.
Yes. Entry to the Madinat Jumeirah Festive Market is free on a first-come, first-served basis for the whole run, 4 to 27 December 2026. Rides and activities inside are paid, and parking near the venue is paid too.
For the classic festive look, Madinat Jumeirah, with its 36-foot tree and abra rides, is the favourite. For the biggest night out, the new DXB Winter Festival has 150+ stalls, a funfair and the only New Year’s Eve countdown. For kids who want snow, Winter City at Expo City was last season’s pick.
Very. Madinat Jumeirah has a mini train, carousel, bungee jumping, a snow-fight zone, gingerbread decorating and Santa’s grotto. The DXB Winter Festival adds a funfair, creative workshops and a main-stage programme, all in one ticketed ground.
No. The markets have snow-fight zones and winter decorations, but real snow only exists indoors at Ski Dubai in Mall of the Emirates, a short taxi ride from Madinat Jumeirah. That is the easy add-on if snow is the point of the evening.
Written by
Daniel
Daniel is the travel writer behind Go Dubai Now, covering Dubai's attractions, parks, restaurants and practical travel topics. Every guide is researched against official sources — government portals, operator websites and current local listings — and updated regularly so timings, prices and rules stay accurate. His goal is simple: answer the exact questions travelers ask before they go, with no fluff and no outdated information.
Handpicked guides, itineraries and money-saving tips for your Dubai holiday — all in one place.
