Budapest Christmas Market 2023

From 24th November to 31st December 2023

Where love takes your hand.

The Advent Basilica, winner of the Best Christmas Market in Europe award of 2019, 2021 and 2023, is without doubt one of the most beautiful Christmas fairs in Europe. 

Where love takes your hand - with this slogan, the Advent Basilica, Budapest's uniquely beautiful Christmas fair, opens its doors again. From 17th November to 31st December 2023 (TBC), until the first day of the new year, in front of St. Stephen's Basilica in one of the most impressive, beautiful and breathtaking squares of the Hungarian capital.

In 2019, 2021 and 2022, in the online voting of the European Best Destinations, it has been voted as the ‘Most beautiful Christmas market in Europe’, and the Feast lives up to its reputation this year as well.

True to the tradition of this year's 12-year-old Advent Basilica, it promises a unique festive atmosphere around 120 domestic craft exhibitors, real gastronomic adventures, heart-warming programs with so much more surprises. The real, authentic Christmas spirit will move again into the heart of Budapest into the St. Stephen square! 

The spectacularly decorated glorious atmosphere of the feast not only does it impress everyone, but we cannot get enough of the highly successful light show either, which is projected each day of the fair on the facade of the basilica in recent years.

True to Christmas traditions each advent Sunday a new candle will be lit on our – shared with everyone - advent wreath. The lighting ceremony will be accompanied by different musical performances with amazing singers, choirs and orchestras.

The organizers will once again set up the interactive selfie-point, which debuted with great success in the last couple years and offers the opportunity to send Christmas greetings in 48 languages. Since we would like to appease everyone, it has become an essential and indispensable accessory of the fair this year as well.

As Christmas is the holiday of love and caring, organizers felt needed to include several charity organizations into their program, thus living up to their motto and to Christian values by helping the less fortunate and those in need.   

Besides the photo exhibition, domestic artisan exhibitors cannot be missed from Saint Stephen square either. Ceramicists, leather goods makers and goldsmiths with many years of experience returned with great pleasure, but visitors can meet new exhibitors and their brand-new products as well. Furthermore, as this holiday is about the gastronomy as well, apart from authentic winter flavors, true culinary delights also will be found for gastronomic adventurers. They also offer many programs for families with children as well, such as the free of charge skating rink with skates.

The Christmas tree is indispensable for the genuine spirit of the Holiday. The nearly 12-meter-tall tree, which determines the atmosphere, can be found in the centre of the square. The manger of Bethlehem and the monumental Advent wreath cannot be missed either, they take their worthy place in front of the Basilica.

Not only the spirit of the feast, but the wonderful handmade works, the fantastic gastronomic adventures, the artistic performances, the self-forgetting laughter of the skaters or the exciting 3-dimensional light show on the facade of the Basilica, these all contribute to the Advent season’s blessed, affectionate and fascinating atmosphere.

Book your flights, your accommodation in Budapest as well as your tours & activities in Budapest and visit one of the Best Christmas Markets in Europe.

In the fairy-tale huts Square visitors can browse through the remarkable products of almost eighty craftsmen, and will find unique, hand-crafted works of folk and applied art, textile and leather goods, pottery and jewellery along with designer clothes and accessories, or works of photographers and graphic artists. 

You can have a glass of mulled wine with your partner, friends, or colleagues, while tasting the unique culinary selection. Anyone can find nibbles of his or her preference: enthusiasts of the traditional style can taste hand-made chocolate, honey cake or chimney cake, while gourmands may choose from a wide range of unique and surprising versions of street food classics such as hot dogs, sandwiches and burgers. Waste will be collected for recycling, and only special biodegradable cups, plates and cutlery will be used.

Each day of the Feast we will decor the facade of the Basilica with majestic video mapping worthy of Advent after dawn. Every 30 minutes a visual experience: a new, monumental 3-dimensional video mapping will charm the admirers of the festive Christmas atmosphere.