Copenhagen’s main Christmas market is open every day except December 24 and 25. For a month and a half, Tivoli is transformed into a magical winter wonderland, decorated with spruce and illuminated with thousands of fairy lights. The Tivoli Christmas Market features around 60 rustic stalls and booths, selling Christmas gifts and souvenirs, holiday treats and hot drinks to keep guests warm.
At the Copenhagen Christmas market, you can find anything and everything Christmas related you can imagine! Vendors offer warm reindeer sweaters and thick woolen scarves, cute hats and mittens, traditional Christmas decorations and gifts for your friends and family, handmade candles and soap, handicrafts made of wood and glass, leather products, and more.
Food stalls offer traditional Danish dishes and Christmas treats such as risalamande (Christmas rice pudding), pork roast, caramelized browned potatoes (brunede kartofler), Danish sandwiches (smørrebrød), roasted almonds, gingerbread, Christmas cookies, and more. And hot drinks such as mulled wine and hot cider will keep you warm.
As far as entertainment is concerned, the Tivoli Christmas market has plenty to offer. There are spectacular light shows, a large outdoor ice skating rink, Santa Village, a variety of exciting rides, including a wooden roller coaster build in 1914 and the world’s second tallest carousel, Christmas cabarets, live performances, and a fireworks festival.
One of the market’s major highlights, alongside the Christmas and New Year celebrations, is the Lucia Parade. The procession is held on December 13 (the Feast of Saint Lucy). According to legend, Saint Lucy brought food and aid to Christians hiding in the catacombs during the Diocletianic persecution. The Lucia Parade features girls and young women, each holding a candle, and is headed by a girl portraying Lucia. She wears a white gown with a red sash and a crown of candles. Walking through Tivoli Gardens, they sing the traditional song “Santa Lucia” and Christmas carols.
