- The main Tbilisi Christmas market is the city-run New Year Village. In 2025/26 it filled First Republic Square, at the top of Rustaveli Avenue, from 12 December 2025. The main tree and ice rink stayed up until 14 January 2026.
- For 2026/27 an opening in mid-December 2026 is likely, possibly on or near Saturday 12 December. Tbilisi City Hall usually confirms the date and the square only a few days before, in December.
- Walking around the village is free. You pay for food, mulled Saperavi, crafts and the rides. The treats to look for are churchkhela and gozinaki, the walnut sweets of a Georgian New Year.
- Christmas in Tbilisi falls on 7 January (Orthodox) and the Old New Year on 14 January. Here 25 December is a normal working day, so the festive season lasts about a month.
- Evenings are cold but mostly dry, close to 1°C at night in December; use the metro and your feet, because taxis are scarce and dear on 31 December.
The Tbilisi Christmas market is the city's New Year Village. Every December, Tbilisi City Hall sets up a square of wooden stalls, an ice rink, a concert stage and the capital's main tree. In the 2025/26 season it opened on First Republic Square on 12 December. The 2026/27 market is expected to open around the same date. Lights stretch along Rustaveli Avenue, and smaller craft fairs fill single December weekends. The bazaars sell chichilaki, the curly wooden trees of a Georgian New Year.
Christmas in Tbilisi also keeps a different calendar. Georgians mark it on 7 January and raise a glass to the Old New Year a week later. So the holidays here stretch over a month instead of a long weekend. Below you will find where the market and the big tree have stood in recent seasons, and the likely 2026/27 dates. We also cover what to eat, drink and buy, what to wear and how to get around. Last comes a simple plan for a December trip with a day or two outside the city.
Tbilisi Christmas market 2026/27: expected dates and opening hours
Tbilisi runs one large municipal Christmas market and a handful of smaller private fairs. The municipal one, which City Hall calls the New Year Village or the Christmas Village, has no fixed date in the calendar. The mayor names the opening night at a meeting of the city government, often less than a week ahead. For 2025/26 the news came on 10 December. The switch-on followed two days later, at 8 pm on Friday 12 December. It lit the main tree and the decorations all over the city together.
For 2026/27 we expect the same rhythm. That means an opening in the middle of December 2026, quite possibly on or near Saturday 12 December. The programme would run up to Orthodox Christmas on 7 January 2027, and the tree and ice rink would stay until about 14 January. Treat all of these as expected dates, not announced ones. Our New Year Lights and Markets in Tbilisi calendar page is updated once City Hall confirms them. That usually happens in the first half of December.
| Season | Main tree | Market (New Year Village) | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023/24 | Rustaveli Avenue, outside Parliament; lit 15 Dec 2023 at 20:00 | Orbeliani Square and nearby streets, plus Dedaena Park | 16 Dec 2023 to early January (7 or 8 Jan 2024) |
| 2024/25 | Rustaveli Avenue, outside Parliament; switched on 16 Dec 2024 with no ceremony | Orbeliani Square | Mid-December 2024 into January 2025 |
| 2025/26 | First Republic Square; lit 12 Dec 2025 at 20:00 | First Republic Square | 12 Dec 2025 to 7 Jan 2026; tree and rink until 14 Jan |
| 2026/27 (expected) | Probably First Republic Square again | To be announced by City Hall | Expected mid-December 2026 to early or mid-January 2027 |
City Hall does not publish a timetable of opening hours. In 2025/26 the stalls traded roughly from midday until about 22:00. In earlier seasons on Orbeliani Square, some opened as early as 10:00. Expect much the same in 2026/27. The square is quiet at lunchtime and busiest from late afternoon, when the stage programme starts. Stalls stay open longest on weekend nights and in the run-up to 31 December.
Where the Christmas markets, the New Year tree and the lights are
Festive Tbilisi fits into a ~1.5 km strip between Freedom Square and First Republic Square, joined by Rustaveli Avenue. The main market has moved around inside that strip over the years, so here is what each spot is used for now.
First Republic Square: the New Year Village
This square sits at the northern end of Rustaveli Avenue, above Rustaveli metro station and next to the tall Radisson Blu Iveria hotel. It held the whole city programme in 2025/26. Around the main tree stood wooden market stalls with food and crafts, a concert stage and an ice rink. There were also fairground rides, a small holiday train and a house where Santa and his elves met children. The programme also listed cooking masterclasses, an open-air cinema, exhibitions and evening dance and fitness sessions. Streets around the square were closed to cars for the season, so it is easy to wander with a pushchair.
Rustaveli Avenue and Freedom Square: the lights
Rustaveli Avenue carries the biggest canopies of lights, running from Freedom Square past the National Museum, the Parliament, the Rustaveli Theatre and the Opera. Until 2024/25 the main tree stood on the avenue outside the Parliament building. In 2024 it was switched on without the usual ceremony, because nightly political rallies were taking place in front of Parliament. In 2025 the city moved both the tree and the village up to First Republic Square. Freedom Square, at the avenue's southern end, usually gets its own installation with the season's slogan. In 2025/26 the slogan was "A City Full of Kindness".
One caution for 2026: the avenue has been under full reconstruction since 23 July 2026, with City Hall's deadline set for the end of November. If the works run late, parts of the pavement and the road may still be fenced off in December. Check before you plan a walk along it.
Orbeliani Square, Atoneli Street and Dedaena Park
Orbeliani Square, a few minutes on foot from Freedom Square, was home to the New Year Village from at least 2021/22 to 2024/25. In 2023/24 the village also spread into Dedaena Park, the Mother Language Garden next to the Dry Bridge. The children's rides and Santa's house stood there. Even in years without the village, Orbeliani Square, the yard of the Orbeliani Palace and Atoneli Street are among the most carefully decorated corners of the centre. Dedaena Park has also hosted weekend farm and food markets in mid-December.
Mtatsminda: the lights from above
Mtatsminda, the hill that rises behind Rustaveli Avenue, is about the view rather than the shopping. Its park is the best balcony over the lit-up city. On 31 December it looks down on the fireworks that families set off from every district at midnight. The Rustaveli to Mtatsminda cable car leaves from 52 Rustaveli Avenue. It costs about 12 GEL (about $5) one way in 2026, paid with the park's own card. The old funicular from Chonkadze Street is the other way up.
Other Christmas markets in Tbilisi: Fabrika, charity fairs and the bazaars
When locals talk about the Christmas market they mean the city-run village, but it is not the only place to shop. Independent fairs pop up on single December days and are often better for handmade gifts, and the old markets have their own festive trade:
- Fabrika Christmas fair: Fabrika is a former Soviet sewing factory in Chugureti that now houses a hostel, bars and studios. For one weekend, usually shortly before 25 December, its courtyard fills with designers' and makers' stalls, hot drinks and music. In 2025 it ran on 21 and 22 December.
- Charity and hotel fairs: the International Women's Association holds a one-day Winter Fair for charity. In 2025 it took place on 29 November at the Sheraton Metechi Palace hotel. The same hotel also hosted a craft fair on 20 December 2025. Other central hotels run one-day designer markets on December weekends.
- Food and farm markets: Dedaena Park has hosted weekend markets from small producers in the second half of December. They sell cheese, honey, preserves and street food.
- Dezerter Bazaar and Station Square: Tbilisi's big food market is where families shop for the New Year table. In the last weeks of December the streets around it fill with fir trees, pine branches, ornaments and chichilaki.
- Dry Bridge Market: the flea market by Dedaena Park is the place for old glass baubles and Soviet-era tree decorations. It trades in daylight, roughly 09:00-17:00 in 2026, so go before the lights come on.
What to eat, drink and buy at the Christmas market in Tbilisi
Food is the best reason to go. In recent seasons the stalls have poured mulled wine made with Saperavi, Georgia's dark red grape, alongside plain wine, coffee and hot chocolate. They have also sold grilled pork skewers, khachapuri and the two sweets that every Georgian family sets out for New Year.
| Try or buy | What it is | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Mulled Saperavi | Red wine heated with spices, sugar and citrus peel | Sold by the cup at most drink stalls, often next to plain red and white wine |
| Churchkhela | Walnut halves threaded on string and coated in layers of grape must cooked thick with flour | At Dezerter Bazaar in 2026 one costs about 3-5 GEL (about $1-2); village stalls charge a little more |
| Gozinaki | Walnuts, sometimes hazelnuts, cooked in honey, set flat and cut into diamonds | The New Year sweet; buy a few pieces first, it is very rich |
| Mtsvadi and khachapuri | Grilled pork skewers; bread baked around melted cheese | A proper supper on a cold night; one khachapuri feeds two |
| Chichilaki | A small tree of hazel wood shaved into fine curls, hung with dried fruit and sweets | About 10-50 GEL (about $4-19) at Dezerter Bazaar in 2026, depending on size |
| Crafts | Enamel jewellery, felt slippers and toys, ceramics, wooden toys and tree ornaments | Many sellers made the piece themselves; prices sit between the bazaar and Old Town gift shops |
Gozinaki belongs to New Year more than to any other day. Families cook it in the last days of December. It sits on the table next to churchkhela, walnuts, mandarins and a chichilaki. That little wooden tree is burned around Epiphany on 19 January to send the old year's troubles away. Supermarkets stock factory-made bars all winter, but a stall or a bazaar trader is likelier to have a homemade batch. For how churchkhela is made and where else to buy good strings in the city, see our churchkhela guide.
There is no entry fee for the village itself, its stage shows or the lights. Expect to pay a small fee for the ice rink and the fairground rides.
Christmas in Tbilisi: why to stay for 7 and 14 January
In Georgia, 25 December is an ordinary working day. The Georgian Orthodox Church follows the Julian calendar, so Christmas, Shoba, falls on 7 January. That changes the shape of a winter trip. The market and the lights are already up for Western Christmas, and the biggest crowds come out for New Year. The church holidays follow in January.
| Date | What happens | Day off? |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-December (expected around 12 Dec 2026) | Main tree lit, New Year Village opens, city lights switched on | No |
| 24-25 December | Western Christmas: market open as usual; some hotels and restaurants serve Christmas dinners | No, normal working days |
| 31 December | New Year's Eve: a free concert on a central square (First Republic Square in 2025), then private fireworks over every district at midnight | No, but many places close early |
| 1-2 January | New Year and Bedoba, the day said to set your luck for the year | Yes, public holidays |
| 6-7 January | Christmas Eve night liturgy, then Orthodox Christmas and the Alilo procession | 7 January is a public holiday |
| 13-14 January | Old New Year: another family dinner and more fireworks at midnight | No |
| About 14 January | Main tree and ice rink usually taken down (2025/26 pattern) | No |
| 19 January | Epiphany (Natlisgheba): water blessed at churches; chichilaki burned around this date | Yes, public holiday |
If you are in town on 7 January, do not miss the Alilo Christmas Procession. In 2026 it set off from First Republic Square, right where the village stands, at 14:00. It walked through the centre with icons, banners and choirs to Sameba Cathedral. The walk finished there at about 16:00 with a prayer service. Walkers collect food, clothes and donations for families in need, so bring something small to hand over. Our pages on Orthodox Christmas and Alilo explain the carols, the night service and what to wear in church.
The Old New Year is the encore. As 13 January turns into the 14th, families sit down to one more festive dinner and fireworks go up again at midnight. In 2025/26 the main tree was still lit until the 14th. Staying until then gives you the festive city without the crush of New Year's Eve. New Year itself is a long family night at home for most Georgians. Our New Year in Georgia pages cover the traditions, from the first guest of the year to Bedoba.
Tbilisi weather in December and January: what to wear
Winter in Tbilisi is cold but fairly dry. By the 1991-2020 averages, December brings afternoon highs of about 8°C (46°F) and nights close to 1°C (34°F). Rain falls on only four or five days of the month. January is a degree colder, and on roughly half of its nights the thermometer slips below zero. Snow lies in the city on a day or two in a typical December. The market is an evening outing. After sunset, at about 17:30 in mid-December, the air cools quickly. Dress for standing still outside for two hours rather than for a brisk walk.
- A warm coat or down jacket with a hood: the wind that funnels along Rustaveli Avenue is the coldest part of the evening.
- Hat, gloves and a scarf. One hand will hold a hot cup and the other a skewer.
- Shoes with a good grip. Old Town cobbles and new stone pavements turn slippery after rain or a frosty night.
- Thermal layers if you add a mountain day: Gudauri and Kazbegi are far colder than the city.
- For church on 6 and 7 January, women should cover their hair and wear a skirt below the knee, and men long trousers. If you forget, there is often a basket of loan scarves inside the entrance.
Getting to the Christmas market and around Tbilisi over the holidays
First Republic Square sits right on top of Rustaveli metro station, so the metro is the easiest way in. Liberty Square station, one stop further along the same line, serves Freedom Square, Orbeliani Square, the Dry Bridge and the Old Town. A single ride is 1 GEL (about $0.40) in 2026 on a Metromoney card. The trains keep going from about 6 am until midnight. Our Tbilisi metro guide explains the card and the fares.
On foot, Freedom Square to First Republic Square is ~1.5 km, about 20-25 minutes at an evening stroll if the avenue's pavements are open. Most places in this guide lie on that walk or a few minutes off it. Fabrika is about 10 minutes on foot from Marjanishvili station and Dezerter Bazaar is next to Station Square station, both on the same metro line.
Taxis are the weak link. On 31 December waits for a Bolt get long, fares jump and many drivers take the night off. Be where you want to celebrate by about 22:00, then walk or ride the metro back. In recent years the city has kept public transport running late on New Year's night, and sometimes free. Look for the Tbilisi Transport Company's notice in the last week of December.
Road closures add to the traffic. In 2025/26 the streets around First Republic Square were closed to cars from 1 December to 20 January. Rustaveli Avenue shut overnight from 20:00 on 31 December to 08:00 on 1 January. The airport bus 337 has also been diverted while Rustaveli Avenue is rebuilt. Check its current route if you arrive by bus, or book a private transfer that drops you at your hotel door.
Plan your December in Tbilisi: four days around the market
Three or four days let you enjoy the market without letting it take over the trip. This plan works for any dates from mid-December to mid-January:
- Day 1: Old Town, baths and the first evening at the village
Wander Old Tbilisi, ride the cable car up to Narikala and warm up in a sulphur bath at Abanotubani in the afternoon. After dark, take the metro to Rustaveli and spend the evening at the New Year Village with mulled Saperavi and a skewer. - Day 2: Flea market, lights walk and the view
Hunt for old ornaments at the Dry Bridge Market in the morning and see the National Museum after lunch. At dusk, start at Freedom Square, loop through Orbeliani Square and walk up Rustaveli Avenue to the main tree. Then ride the cable car up Mtatsminda for the city lights from above. - Day 3: A day outside the city
Mtskheta, the old royal capital ~20 km away, makes an easy half day with Jvari and Svetitskhoveli. Kakheti, about 2 hours east, gives you Sighnaghi, Bodbe Monastery and a cellar lunch with new wine. From mid or late December, when the lifts usually start, Gudauri is ~2-2.5 hours away for a ski or snow day. - Day 4: Festive shopping and a long dinner
Spend the morning at Dezerter Bazaar among churchkhela, spices, pickles and chichilaki, then book a long supra with toasts and table songs. Around New Year many restaurants serve only a set festive menu, so reserve a few days ahead.
Earlier in the month, the Tbilisi International Film Festival normally takes over the city's cinemas for a week in early December. It is a good reason to come before the market opens. For a month-by-month picture of the climate, see our Tbilisi weather guide. For sights, food and neighbourhoods beyond the holidays, see things to do in Tbilisi.
Every Maspindzeli tour is private, so it starts on any date you choose and works for any group size. Pick a city break timed to the opening night or a walk through the lit-up centre with a guide in your language. Or come for a ski week in Gudauri after Christmas.
Tips for the Tbilisi Christmas market and New Year's Eve
- Book New Year's Eve dinner weeks ahead. Many restaurants close that night or serve only a fixed festive menu.
- Plan for 1 and 2 January. Banks and many small shops close, museums may keep holiday hours, but supermarkets and the big malls mostly stay open.
- Watch the midnight fireworks from high ground: Narikala, Mtatsminda and the lanes of Betlemi above the Old Town look out over the whole city.
- Bring small children in the afternoon, when the rink and the rides have the shortest queues and the stage is quieter.
- Go early for the Christmas night liturgy at Sameba on 6 to 7 January. The cathedral is packed, and many people simply stand outside to watch.
- Rustaveli Avenue outside Parliament was the scene of nightly political rallies through the 2024/25 season. If a rally is announced while you are in town, check local news and use other streets that evening.
Tbilisi Christmas market FAQ
When does the Tbilisi Christmas market open in 2026?
Tbilisi City Hall has not announced it yet. In each of the last three seasons the main tree was lit between 12 and 16 December, so expect mid-December 2026, possibly Saturday 12 December. The date is usually confirmed only a few days ahead.
Where is the Christmas market in Tbilisi?
In 2025/26 the city's New Year Village stood on First Republic Square, where Rustaveli Avenue ends, above Rustaveli metro station. It had the main tree, food and craft stalls and an ice rink. Before that it was on Orbeliani Square near Freedom Square. Smaller fairs run at Fabrika and in hotels on single December days.
How long does the Christmas market in Tbilisi last?
About four weeks. In 2025/26 the village programme ran from 12 December to 7 January, Orthodox Christmas. The main tree and the ice rink stayed until 14 January, the Old New Year.
Is the Tbilisi Christmas market free?
Yes. Walking around, watching the stage shows and seeing the lights cost nothing. You pay for food, drinks and crafts, and the ice rink and fairground rides charge a small fee.
When is Christmas in Tbilisi?
Georgians celebrate Christmas on 7 January, following the Julian calendar, and it is a public holiday with the Alilo procession in the afternoon. 25 December is a normal working day, although the stalls and decorations are in place by then.
Where is the big New Year tree in Tbilisi?
In 2025/26 the main tree stood on First Republic Square, the first time it had moved there. In earlier seasons it stood on Rustaveli Avenue, outside Parliament. Freedom Square usually has its own festive installation as well.
Is Tbilisi worth visiting in December?
Yes, if you enjoy a city in winter. Days reach about 8°C and hotels are quiet outside New Year week. The market and lights run from mid-December, and the ski slopes of Gudauri are about 2-2.5 hours away by road. Pack warm clothes for the evenings.
What should I buy at a Christmas market in Tbilisi?
Edible gifts travel best: churchkhela, gozinaki and mountain honey. For decorations, look for a small chichilaki, handmade felt or ceramic ornaments, or vintage Soviet glass baubles at the Dry Bridge Market.
