When is the Antwerp Christmas market, and how do you get there from Antwerp South?

You want to see the Antwerp Christmas market in December, but you would rather sleep somewhere calmer than the old town. Antwerp South is quieter, and the market is a tram ride away. Here are the official 2026 dates and hours, and the easiest way in while part of the premetro is closed.

When is the Antwerp Christmas market in 2026?

The Antwerp Christmas market, called Winter in Antwerpen, runs from Friday 4 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027. The city of Antwerp publishes the dates and opening hours on its Winter in Antwerp page, written for stallholders. Stalls open at noon on most days and stay open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

Antwerp Christmas market 2026: opening hours (source: city of Antwerp)

Besides the stalls, the city lists an ice rink with a winter bar, the JOE X-mas House, Christmas lights, Christmas trees and a nativity scene. A firework welcomes the new year on Thursday 31 December 2026. According to the city, the last edition drew over 1.5 million visitors, which makes it the largest Christmas market in Flanders. If you prefer smaller crowds, a weekday afternoon is a better bet than a Saturday evening.

Where is the Antwerp Christmas market?

The Antwerp Christmas market is spread over five places in and near the historic centre. They are the Grote Markt, the Suikerrui, the Groenplaats, the Handschoenmarkt and the Operaplein. The city does not list one single market square. The sites lie close together, so most visitors walk from one to the next.

A natural route runs from east to west. Start at the Operaplein, near Antwerpen-Centraal, and follow the Meir shopping street towards the old town. The Groenplaats lies just south of the cathedral, and the Handschoenmarkt sits right in front of it. The Grote Markt with the city hall is next door, and the Suikerrui leads from there down to the river Scheldt.

For your bearings, the Grote Markt is about 4.2 km in a straight line from the Hoost building. Our guide to Antwerp South and Middelheim Park explains the area you come from.

How do you get to the Antwerp Christmas market from Antwerp South?

From Antwerp South, take tram 2 or 6 from the stop near the building north to the Astrid or Diamant station at Antwerpen-Centraal. De Lijn lists both lines at both stations. From the Central Station, take tram 11 along the Meir to the Melkmarkt in the historic centre, or simply walk the Meir past the Operaplein.

Important

The premetro tunnel on the Opera, Meir and Groenplaats axis is closed for renovation. No trams stop at Opera, Meir or Groenplaats during the market. De Lijn explains the changes on its tunnel renovation page.

De Lijn started the works on 4 May 2026 and expects them to end around late March 2027. VRT reported on 29 September 2026 that the reopening has moved to 10 July 2027. Either way, the tunnel stays closed for the whole Christmas market. VRT also wrote that De Lijn is preparing an extra plan for the year-end period, so check the page again in December.

Tram 11 is the useful link this winter. De Lijn says tram 11 runs above ground from the Central Station, via the Rooseveltplaats and along the Meir, to the historic heart. Its timetable shows trams until 12:30 a.m. every day.

From Antwerp South to the Christmas market by tram

Tip

De Lijn is replacing the escalators at Diamant until the end of 2026 and advises travellers to use Astrid. Astrid connects underground with Diamant and the Central Station.

On Fridays and Saturdays the stalls stay open until midnight, so check your last tram 6 or 2 home in the De Lijn app. Our guide to getting around Antwerp by tram covers tickets and stops.

Can you drive to the Antwerp Christmas market?

You can drive to the Antwerp Christmas market, but the market squares sit inside the low-emission zone (LEZ) that covers the city inside the Ring. Many visitors therefore leave the car outside the centre and finish the trip by tram. That is simple from Antwerp South.

The Hoost building is outside the LEZ. P+R Olympiade is about 0.2 km from the building. It is the end stop of tram 6, which De Lijn runs between P+R Luchtbal and P+R Olympiade. Hoost has no parking on site, so guests who come by car park at P+R Olympiade. Our guide to parking and the LEZ in Antwerp explains when you need to register your car.

Accommodation for a Christmas market weekend in Antwerp

A Christmas market weekend in Antwerp is easier from an apartment with a kitchen and space to warm up after a cold evening. Hoost has four furnished apartments in one building at VIIde-Olympiadelaan 19, in Antwerp South near Middelheim Park. Stays start at 2 nights, which fits a Friday to Sunday market trip.

• Arrival: self check-in with a lockbox from 15:00, so a late Friday arrival is fine. Check-out is by 11:00.
• Families: a cot and a high chair are available on request. Each 2-bedroom apartment sleeps up to 4.
• Home comforts: a kitchen with cooking basics, a dining table, heating, a TV, bed linen and towels. A shared washer and dryer are in the building.
• Getting in: trams 2 and 6 stop near the building.

Up to 14 guests can stay across the four apartments, which helps when several families visit the market together. Send us your dates and the number of guests, and we reply with a proposal for our apartments near Middelheim Park.

When Hoost is not the right choice

Hoost is not the right base if you want to step out of the door straight into the market. Antwerp South is quieter than the centre, and the Grote Markt is a tram ride away, not around the corner. If that matters most, a hotel in the old town suits you better.

Hoost is also not the right fit if you need:

• a single night, because the minimum stay is 2 nights;
• daily housekeeping or a reception desk, because cleaning happens per booking;
• parking on site, because there is none, although P+R Olympiade is nearby;
• room for a pet, because pets are not allowed.

Planning more than the market? Read our ideas for a weekend in Antwerp, or see what staying in Antwerp South is like.