# Christmas in Cambridge 2026 > Christmas in Cambridge runs 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 in Cambridge. Opening times, where it is and entry cost, checked against the organiser on 11 October 2026. Source: https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/markets/cambridge/ Cambridge, [Cambridgeshire](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/areas/cambridgeshire/) Runs Friday 13 November to Sunday 3 January 2027 | Dates | Friday 13 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027 (52 open days) | | --- | --- | | Days Closed | None listed: open every day of its run | | Opening Times | Monday to Thursday, 13 November to 18 December: **11.30am to 10pm** Fridays, 13 November to 18 December: **11.30am to 11pm** Saturdays, 13 November to 18 December: **10am to 11pm** Sundays, 13 November to 18 December: **10am to 10pm** Sunday to Thursday, 19 December to 3 January: **10am to 10pm** Fridays and Saturdays, 19 December to 3 January: **10am to 11pm** Published hours are for the whole site; no separate market stall hours or Christmas Day closure are stated yet | | Where | Parker's Piece, the open green on the south-east edge of the city centre CB1 1NA [Open in Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=52.202,0.128) | | Entry | Free to enter. Site entry is free with no ticket; the ice rink, big wheel and other attractions are charged and bookable | | Organiser | Christmas in Cambridge (Alpine Christmas Markets). [Official page](https://christmasincambridge.co.uk/) | ## Checked Against the Source These dates and times come from the organiser's own page, not from another guide. - [Christmas in Cambridge (organiser)](https://christmasincambridge.co.uk/), checked 11 October 2026 - [Christmas in Cambridge (organiser)](https://christmasincambridge.co.uk/the-christmas-market), checked 11 October 2026 Organisers sometimes change hours or close early in bad weather. On the day, check the [official page](https://christmasincambridge.co.uk/). Spotted something out of date? [Tell us](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/contact/). ## Christmas in Cambridge: Quick Answers ### When does Christmas in Cambridge start in 2026? It opens on Friday 13 November 2026. ### When does Christmas in Cambridge end? The last day is Sunday 3 January 2027. ### What time does Christmas in Cambridge open and close? Monday to Thursday, 13 November to 18 December 11.30am to 10pm; Fridays, 13 November to 18 December 11.30am to 11pm; Saturdays, 13 November to 18 December 10am to 11pm; Sundays, 13 November to 18 December 10am to 10pm; Sunday to Thursday, 19 December to 3 January 10am to 10pm; Fridays and Saturdays, 19 December to 3 January 10am to 11pm. Published hours are for the whole site; no separate market stall hours or Christmas Day closure are stated yet. ### Is Christmas in Cambridge open every day? Yes. The organiser lists no closed days between 13 Nov and 3 Jan. ### Is Christmas in Cambridge free to enter? Yes. Site entry is free with no ticket; the ice rink, big wheel and other attractions are charged and bookable. ### Where is Christmas in Cambridge? Parker's Piece, the open green on the south-east edge of the city centre, Cambridge CB1 1NA. ## About Christmas in Cambridge A seasonal village on Parker's Piece with a market of wooden chalets and street food alongside an open-air ice rink, big wheel, curling lanes, funfair and a lodge bar. [Add the Dates to Your Calendar](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/markets/cambridge/dates.ics) ## Where Is Christmas in Cambridge? Parker's Piece, the open green on the south-east edge of the city centre, Cambridge CB1 1NA. The other dots are nearby markets. ## Meeting Santa at Christmas in Cambridge Christmas in Cambridge (Alpine Christmas Markets) says there will be a visit from Father Christmas (listed as "Santa Visits") at the 2026 event, but had not published its dates, times or price when we checked. Place given: Santa walks around the Christmas in Cambridge site on Parker's Piece and stops to greet families; the page does not describe a fixed grotto. This is Santa roaming the site rather than a bookable grotto, and the organiser says dates and times are still to be confirmed. Source: [Christmas in Cambridge (Alpine Christmas Markets)](https://www.christmasincambridge.co.uk/santa-visits), checked 12 October 2026. [All markets with a grotto](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/santas-grotto/). **Making a day of it?** Walking tours, day trips and other things to do in Cambridge can be booked ahead. [Tours and things to do in Cambridge on Viator](https://www.viator.com/Cambridge/d22327-ttd?pid=P00325279&mcid=42383&medium=link&campaign=bcm-cambridge) [affiliate link](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/affiliate-disclosure/) ![Brightly lit fairground rides, including a carousel and a children's car ride, on dark grass at night.](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/assets/photos/cambridge-north-pole-parkers-piece-960.webp) *Fairground rides at The North Pole on Parker's Piece, Cambridge, December 2015. Photo: [Hugh Venables](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:North_Pole_fun_fair,_Parker%27s_Piece_-_geograph.org.uk_-_4806701.jpg), CC BY-SA 2.0.* ## Getting There and Parking ### By Train Cambridge station is the nearest. It is managed by Greater Anglia and National Rail lists step-free access to all platforms. The organiser gives no walking distance. In a straight line the station is roughly two thirds of a mile south-east of the middle of Parker's Piece (our estimate from map coordinates), so allow a quarter of an hour or so on foot. The organiser's directions page simply says the city is well served by buses and points drivers to the park and ride. Source: [National Rail](https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/cambridge/), checked 11 October 2026; [Christmas in Cambridge (organiser)](https://christmasincambridge.co.uk/directions), checked 11 October 2026. ### Park and Ride The Cambridge park and ride website, published by Cambridgeshire County Council, lists five sites around the city. Parking is free for up to 18 hours and you pay for the bus: £4.50 adult return to the city centre and back, £1 for a child travelling with a paying adult, or £10 for a group of up to three and £15 for up to five (October 2026). Tickets are bought from the driver by cash or contactless. The Milton and Newmarket Road pages show buses up to every 10 minutes Monday to Saturday and every 15 minutes on Sundays. The site gives no Christmas arrangements, and the organiser's own figure of nine sites does not match it. | Site | Postcode | | --- | --- | | Babraham Road | CB22 3AB | | Madingley Road | CB3 0EX | | Milton | CB24 6DQ | | Newmarket Road | CB5 8AA | | Trumpington | CB2 9FT | Source: [Cambridge park & ride (Cambridgeshire County Council)](https://cambridgeparkandride.info/pricing.shtml), [page 2](https://cambridgeparkandride.info/milton.shtml), [page 3](https://cambridgeparkandride.info/babrahamroad.shtml), [page 4](https://cambridgeparkandride.info/madingleyroad.shtml), [page 5](https://cambridgeparkandride.info/newmarketroad.shtml), [page 6](https://cambridgeparkandride.info/trumpington.shtml), checked 11 October 2026. ### Parking Queen Anne Terrace is the car park for Parker's Piece: the organiser puts it about 200 metres from the site and the city council recommends it for events there. It is also the council's cheapest for longer stays and is free in the evenings from 6pm. Grafton East is the next nearest; Grand Arcade is in the middle of the shops and costs more. At all three, Blue Badge holders can claim three hours free by scanning the badge when paying. Prices were read in October 2026. | Car Park | Postcode | Spaces | Price | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Queen Anne Terrace | CB1 1ND | 572 | £2.60 an hour weekdays, £3.30 weekends, free after 6pm (October 2026) | | Grafton East | CB1 1PS | 412 | £3.10 for 1 hour on weekdays (October 2026) | | Grand Arcade | CB2 3QF | 951 | £3.70 for 1 hour weekdays, £4.70 weekends (October 2026) | Source: [Cambridge City Council](https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/queen-anne-terrace-car-park), [page 2](https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/grafton-east-car-park), [page 3](https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/grand-arcade-car-park), checked 11 October 2026; [Christmas in Cambridge (organiser)](https://christmasincambridge.co.uk/directions), checked 11 October 2026. ### Accessibility The organiser says there are accessible toilets on site alongside the men's and women's, and that the Alpine Lodge bar has ramps and its own accessible toilet. The ice rink is described as wheelchair accessible, with wheelchair users welcome at any skating session, though electric wheelchairs may struggle on the ice in rain. Assistance dogs are welcome in all the venues. Nothing is published about ground surfaces on Parker's Piece, quiet sessions or Changing Places facilities. Source: [Christmas in Cambridge (organiser)](https://christmasincambridge.co.uk/faqs), checked 11 October 2026. ### Where to Stay Parker's Piece sits between the shops and the station, so most of central Cambridge is close. The streets around Regent Street, the Grafton centre and Mill Road are within five to ten minutes on foot, the market square and colleges about ten, and the station area around fifteen. North of the river, around Chesterton, is a longer walk of twenty minutes or more. **Staying the night?** See hotels and rooms near the stalls on a map, priced for Saturday 14 November. Map by Stay22. [affiliate](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/affiliate-disclosure/) **Making a weekend of it?** A cottage within reach of the market gives you an early start before the day trippers arrive. [Holiday cottages from Sykes](https://www.sykescottages.co.uk/) ## Questions People Ask **Is Christmas in Cambridge free to get into?** Yes. The organiser says the site is free and no entry ticket is needed. The ice rink, big wheel and other attractions are charged, and booking ahead is advised. **Is Christmas in Cambridge open on Christmas Day?** The organiser has not said. Its published run is 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 with no closed days listed, and when we checked in October 2026 no page mentioned 25 December either way. Check before travelling on or around Christmas Day. **Where do you park for Christmas in Cambridge?** Queen Anne Terrace car park (CB1 1ND) is about 200 metres from Parker's Piece according to the organiser, and is free after 6pm. The park and ride is the alternative. **Can I bring my dog?** The organiser would rather you did not, because the site gets very busy, but dogs are allowed in the outside areas. Assistance dogs are welcome everywhere. **Do the market stalls stay open as late as the rest of the site?** The published hours (to 10pm, or 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays) are for the whole site. The organiser has not published separate stall hours, so stalls may close earlier. ## Have You Been to Christmas in Cambridge? Tell other visitors whether it was worth the trip. One vote per market, no account needed. ## Other Christmas Markets Nearby [Mill Road Winter Fair Cambridge, Cambridgeshire 5 Dec 2026 Under a mile away](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/markets/mill-road-winter-fair/) [Saffron Walden Indoor Christmas Market Saffron Walden, Essex 20 Nov to 5 Dec 2026 Open Fridays and Saturdays only. Closed on Fri 27 Nov, Sat 28 Nov 13 miles away](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/markets/saffron-walden/) [Ely Cathedral Christmas Gift & Food Fair Ely, Cambridgeshire 19 to 21 Nov 2026 15 miles away](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/markets/ely/) [Huntingdon Christmas Markets Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire 5 to 19 Dec 2026 Open Saturdays only 16 miles away](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/markets/huntingdon/) [Christmas Market at Shuttleworth House Old Warden, near Biggleswade, Bedfordshire 5 to 6 Dec 2026 21 miles away](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/markets/shuttleworth/) See all [Christmas markets near Cambridge](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/near/cambridge/). More in [East of England](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/regions/east-of-england/), or see [every market's 2026 dates](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/dates/).