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Lisbon in December: Christmas lights, markets, holidays and New Year's Eve

Facts checked by Roshid on 9 October 2026

December in Lisbon is mild and often wet, with the city lit up for Christmas and a big free New Year's Eve party by the river. Three public holidays and a planned airline strike are worth knowing about before you book.

December at a glance
TopicDecember
Average high / low14.9 °C / 8.7 °C
Rain100 mm over about 10 days
Public holidaysTuesday 1 December, Tuesday 8 December, Friday 25 December
EventsChristmas lights, Wonderland Lisboa, New Year's Eve at Praça do Comércio
FlightseasyJet cabin crew strike, 19–23 December

Weather

  • Temperature: an average high of 14.9 °C and an average low of 8.7 °C (IPMA climate normals, 1991–2020).
  • Rain: 100 mm on average, over about 10 days with at least 1 mm.
  • Pack a warm layer and a waterproof jacket, and shoes with grip for the stone pavements.

Public holidays

  • Tuesday 1 December: Restoration of Independence.
  • Tuesday 8 December: Immaculate Conception.
  • Friday 25 December: Christmas Day.
  • Friday 1 January 2027: New Year's Day.

Christmas Eve (24 December) is not a public holiday, but it is the main family celebration in Portugal, and many shops and restaurants close early.

Christmas lights and markets

  • Christmas lights go on in late November and stay on through December. In 2024 they were lit from 17:30 until midnight from Sunday to Thursday, until 01:00 on Fridays and Saturdays, and until 02:00 on Christmas Day and New Year's Eve.
  • Wonderland Lisboa in Parque Eduardo VII is the city's big Christmas fair: free entry, with a big wheel, an ice rink, food stalls and daily concerts. The 2025 edition ran from 28 November to 4 January; the 2026 dates are still to be confirmed.

Flying around Christmas

easyJet cabin crew based in Lisbon, Porto and Faro have called a strike for 19–23 December 2026. See our page on the easyJet strike for what it covers and what to do. Other airlines are not part of it. Arriving from outside the EU? Read about passport control and the EES at Lisbon Airport.

New Year's Eve at Praça do Comércio

Lisbon's main New Year's Eve party is free, in Praça do Comércio (Terreiro do Paço) by the river. The 2026 programme is usually announced in late December. Last year (2025–26) it went like this:

  • The square opened at 19:30, and the music started at about 21:30.
  • A drone show at 23:55 led into fireworks over the Tagus at midnight. The party ended at 01:00.
  • Terreiro do Paço Metro station closed from 17:00; the nearest open stations were Cais do Sodré and Baixa-Chiado.
  • The Metro closed at its usual time, 01:00, with extra trains on the Blue line.
  • Carris ran its night buses plus extra buses from Cais do Sodré, Rossio and Santa Apolónia. CP added late trains from Rossio to Sintra and from Cais do Sodré to Cascais, and Transtejo/Soflusa added extra ferries.

Sources