This year, the Christmas season of Helsinki will be opened on Saturday 22 November with traditional festivities. Christmas will arrive in Helsinki when the parade procession starts turning on the Aleksanterinkatu Christmas lights from 16.00 onwards. The City of Helsinki invites all residents to the event to bring in the Christmas season.
The history of the Christmas opening ceremony is full of enchanting atmosphere and festive lights, having been an integral part of the City’s heart for decades now. This will be the 77th time that the Christmas lights of Aleksanterinkatu are turned on.
The parade of Finland’s largest Christmas opening event will start from the edge of Senate Square at roughly 16.00 and proceed along Aleksanterinkatu to Mannerheimintie, from where it will continue along Pohjoisesplanadi to Unioninkatu and then back to Senate Square. The parade circuit will take roughly one hour in total.
Helsinki’s Christmas opening ceremony will feature numerous cheerful characters, animals and dance groups. The parade will be led by Mayor Daniel Sazonov and will feature the most anticipated guest of the Christmas season – the one from Korvatunturi.
“The traditional Aleksanterinkatu Christmas Street opening ceremony will kick off the Christmas season and invite everyone to enjoy the festive atmosphere in the city centre. I hereby invite everyone to come and watch the Christmas lights get turned on, as well as the cheerful parade,” says Sazonov.
Keskuskatu will again turn into Hyvän tahdon katu (Good Will Street), along which you will find charity points operated by We4You and the Salvation Army, among others, as well as a children’s toy collection point that collects toy donations for Hope ry to deliver to families in need of help for Christmas.
The atmospheric Helsinki Christmas Market will once again open at Senate Square on 28 November and invites visitors to enjoy its offerings every day until 22 December. A diverse group of Finnish small entrepreneurs provides sustainable gift ideas, and there is a wide selection of traditional and modern Christmas delicacies to enjoy on site. The programme ranges from Christmas carols to swinging jazz evenings. At the heart of the market are the free horse carousel, a favourite among children, and the heated Restaurant and Deli Yards. The extensive programme includes, in addition to visits by Santa Claus, a circus adventure for children and music ranging from jazz to a cappella.
The nearly 30 restaurants and cafés offer favourites such as spiced Christmas porridges, handmade lörtsy pastries and khachapuris, tasty fish and game dishes, Korean corn dogs, sweet bubble waffles, croffles and cookies, as well as mulled wines and glühweins in various flavours – plus more unusual specialties like spruce shoot and chaga lattes.
At the gift stalls, visitors can once again discover sustainable and distinctive alternatives to mass-produced gift items, from beloved classics to brand-new ideas.
On the opening day, Friday 28 November, the Mayor will officially open the Christmas market and the lights on the Christmas tree will be switched on at 18:00. Santa Claus will be present from 15:00 to 19:00, and the a cappella group Flok invites visitors to pause and enjoy new Christmas music at 17:30 and 18:30.
Helsinki Christmas Market is open at Helsinki’s Senate Square from 28 November to 22 December 2025, Sunday–Thursday 11:00–19:00 and Friday–Saturday 11:00–20:00. Admission to the market is free. On Independence Day, 6 December, the students’ Torchlight Procession ends at the square, and on Lucia Day, 13 December, the procession departs from the square.
In addition to Helsinki Christmas Market, there will be many other atmospheric Christmas market events held across Helsinki. The traditional Teurastamo Christmas Market will provide delicious flavours and a warm Christmas atmosphere on 20 and 21 December from 11.00 to 18.00. Maunula House will hold a Christmas market featuring seasonal products made by students and a Christmas café on 27 November and 11 December from 12.00 to 18.00.
Up-to-date information on the dates of market events can be found in the Hel.fi event calendar.
Whether you are a novice or an experienced creator of arts and crafts, you will have plenty of opportunities to let your creativity run wild during the festive season. The City’s libraries and cultural centres will hold various Christmas workshops where you can craft decorations and cards with your own hands.
The City Museum’s non-stop workshop will have attendees craft decorations for Christmas and New Year’s celebrations on Thursday 20 November from 15.00 to 18.00. Those looking to create Christmas cards can come to embroider beautiful Christmas images at Helsinki’s community houses on Thursday evenings until 11 December. At Pasila Library, visitors can craft Christmas cards from recycled materials on Wednesday 3 December from 18.00 to 20.00.
You can get a head start on Christmas as early as 29 November from 10.00 to 16.00 at Malmitalo by joining workshops for the whole family that involve crafting elves and Christmas cards and enjoying Christmassy movies. Munkkiniemi Library will hold a children’s Christmas event on 3 December, featuring Teatteri Tuomikko’s puppet theatre performance Suuri jouluseikkailu (‘The Great Christmas Adventure’) from 16.00 to 19.00. Both events are free of charge.
Residents can also get in the winter mood at outdoor events. The Seurasaari Christmas Path is a popular event for the whole family that will provide experiences and glimpses into Christmas traditions on Sunday 14 December from 12.00 to 17.00.
