Upcoming Events & Concerts, Delhi
Christmas Events in Delhi NCR 2026: Markets, Midnight Mass, Carnivals and Lights
Part of: Events in Delhi NCR
Last updated: 1 November 2026. Dates for 2026 are added here as organisers announce them, so bookmark this page.
Christmas Day 2026 falls on a Friday, and 25 December is a public holiday in Delhi, so this year brings a three-day weekend from 25 to 27 December. The season starts well before that: Delhi’s embassy and charity Christmas markets usually run from late November to mid-December, and they get crowded, so plan ahead.
This guide to Christmas events in Delhi NCR covers what happens every year and where, with last year’s dates as a guide until this year’s are out.
Christmas 2026 at a glance
| What | Where | Usually | 2026 dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Embassy and charity Christmas markets | Chanakyapuri and central Delhi | Late November to mid-December, mostly weekends | Not announced yet |
| German Christmas Market | Chanakyapuri (PSOI Lawns in 2025) | A weekend in mid-December (13–14 Dec in 2025) | Not announced yet |
| Midnight mass and carols | Sacred Heart Cathedral, Connaught Place, and churches across NCR | Night of 24 December | Thursday 24 December |
| Christmas Day masses | Sacred Heart Cathedral, St James’ Church and others | Morning of 25 December | Friday 25 December |
| Mall carnival, tree and Santa | Select CITYWALK, Saket | The days around 25 December | Not announced yet |
| Dilli Haat Christmas bazaar | Dilli Haat, INA | Through late December, open on Christmas Day | Not announced yet |
Christmas markets in Delhi
Delhi’s best Christmas shopping happens at one-weekend markets, many of them on embassy lawns in Chanakyapuri, with handmade decorations, cakes, gifts and food. These were last year’s, as a guide to what to expect and when:
| Market | Venue | 2025 date |
|---|---|---|
| Swiss-German Christmas Market | Embassy of Switzerland, Nyaya Marg, Chanakyapuri | 29–30 November |
| Winter at the Lawns | Residence of the Belgian Ambassador, Shantipath, Chanakyapuri | 6 December |
| Christmas Earth Mela | Embassy of Italy lawns, Chanakyapuri | 6–7 December |
| LMNOP Christmas Market | The Claridges, New Delhi | 9 December |
| Tamana Winter Carnival | Residence of the British High Commissioner, Chanakyapuri | 13 December |
| German Christmas Market (26th edition) | PSOI Lawns, Vinay Marg, Chanakyapuri | 13–14 December |
| The Sorbet Soirée Christmas Market | Sunder Nursery, Nizamuddin | 19–20 December |
| The Pop Box Christmas Edit | Select CITYWALK, Saket | 19–21 December |
| The Winter Soirée | Front Lawn, Punjabi Bagh Club | 20 December |
Tip: embassy venues may ask for photo ID at the gate, and parking in Chanakyapuri fills up fast on market weekends. Go early, or take a cab.
The German Christmas Market
The biggest and longest-running of them. The Indo-German Chamber of Commerce held its 26th edition on 13 and 14 December 2025 at the PSOI Lawns in Chanakyapuri, with more than 120 stalls of festive decorations, handicrafts and German food, choir singing, evening live bands, and children’s activities including games, workshops, a painting competition and Santa. The 2026 dates haven’t been announced yet; going by past years, expect a weekend in mid-December.
Midnight mass and Christmas Day services
Sacred Heart Cathedral, Connaught Place (1 Ashok Place, Gole Market) holds Delhi’s best-known Christmas services. Its 2023 programme shows the pattern: carols from 10 pm and the midnight service at 11 pm on 24 December, then morning masses on 25 December in English, Hindi and Malayalam. In 2023, the main Christmas services were held on the St Columba’s School ground next door because of the crowds. Check the cathedral’s notice board or website in December for this year’s timings.
St James’ Church, Kashmere Gate is Delhi’s oldest church, built in 1836 by Colonel James Skinner, and holds a Christmas morning service. Entry is free. It’s a short walk from Kashmere Gate metro station.
Tip: for the midnight service, arrive at least an hour early. Seats and standing room fill up well before it starts.
Lights, malls and a Christmas walk
- Select CITYWALK, Saket: the mall’s Christmas carnival, with a giant tree, pop-up stalls, live music and Santa, runs around 25 December. Best from afternoon into the evening.
- Connaught Place: holiday lights, decorated cafés and the colonnades make it the classic Christmas evening walk.
- Hauz Khas Village: quieter lanes with boutiques and cafés under festive lights, good for an evening out.
- Dilli Haat, INA: a Christmas bazaar through late December, open on Christmas Day itself. Next to INA metro station.
- Old Delhi churches walk: in 2025, a guided walk on Christmas morning started at St James’ Church and took in St Mary’s Church near the Red Fort and St Stephen’s Church near Fatehpuri. Watch for this year’s dates.
Christmas with children
Most of the markets above have something for children, and the German Christmas Market has a full children’s area. For a cold evening at home, the family can play Ludo, Carrom or Game Night together on Game Adda, our free games for kids and families.
Eating out over Christmas
Hotels and restaurants announce their Christmas Eve dinners and Christmas Day brunches in early December, and the popular ones sell out, so book as soon as menus are out. Out late after midnight mass? Our guide to late-night food in Delhi NCR lists places that stay open.
Using the long weekend
With Christmas on a Friday, the 25–27 December weekend is a good one for a short break. See our weekend getaways within five hours of Delhi NCR, and book early: it’s one of the busiest travel weekends of the year.
Frequently asked questions
Is Christmas a holiday in Delhi in 2026?
Yes. 25 December is a public holiday, and in 2026 it falls on a Friday.
When is the German Christmas Market in Delhi in 2026?
The dates haven’t been announced yet. In 2025 it was on 13 and 14 December at the PSOI Lawns in Chanakyapuri. We’ll add the 2026 dates here as soon as they’re out.
Where can I attend midnight mass in Delhi?
Sacred Heart Cathedral in Connaught Place holds the city’s best-known midnight service (in 2023: carols from 10 pm, service at 11 pm on 24 December). Most churches across Delhi NCR hold a service that night too.
Which Christmas markets in Delhi are free to enter?
Entry rules and fees vary from market to market and change from year to year, so check each organiser’s page before you go.
Know of a Christmas event we should add? Tell us and we’ll check it and list it.
Sources: Indo-German Chamber of Commerce (German Christmas Market 2025); LocalSamosa (2025 markets); Outlook Traveller (churches, Select CITYWALK, Dilli Haat, Christmas walk); Sacred Heart Cathedral (Christmas programme).
