Stay inside the walls this weekend, check dates Check dates and book direct
If you are searching for the York Christmas lights switch-on for 2026, the date to note is Thursday 12 November. York BID, which runs the city's Winter Lights scheme with Make It York, told The Press that installation is under way across the city centre and that the official switch-on will take place on Thursday 12 November. The lights are being tested as they go up and then turned off again until that date, so any glow you see before then is just the crews at work.
The display is a big one. York BID says the Winter Lights use 175,000 lights stretching 15 kilometres across more than 50 streets, with garlands, drop lights and solar-powered Christmas trees on historic buildings, trees and lamp posts. On Parliament Street, programmable twinkly lights animate the trees around the Christmas Market, and the Tree of Light runs an ever-changing display. The non-festive parts of the scheme stay up until February to keep the streets bright through the darker months.
The switch-on falls on the same day York Christmas Market opens. Make It York says the market runs from Thursday 12 November to Monday 21 December 2026, open Wednesday to Monday from 10.30am to 7pm (closing at 5pm on the final day) and closed every Tuesday for a weekly rest day. Shops, cafés, restaurants and attractions across the city stay open on Tuesdays as usual.
The best way to see the lights is on foot after dark, when the market chalets are lit and the streets inside the walls are at their prettiest. A gentle evening loop from Micklegate over Ouse Bridge, along Coney Street to St Helen's Square and Stonegate, then down to Parliament Street and the Shambles takes in many of the lit streets in under an hour.
Tips for your visit
- Visit the market on a weekday evening for a quieter stroll under the lights, and remember it is closed on Tuesdays.
- Wrap up warm and wear comfortable shoes: York's cobbles can be slippery on frosty nights.
- Pair an evening under the lights with other things to do in York this Christmas, from the market to a festive dinner.
Looking for York Christmas market accommodation? Our York apartment with parking sits inside the walls in the Skeldergate area, so you can park once and walk to the lights and the market. Check your dates and book direct with us. Book direct
Stay inside the walls this weekend, check dates Check dates and book direct
Sources: The York BID: Winter Lights; The York BID: Experience; Make It York: York Christmas Market 2026, dates announced; Visit York: York Christmas Festival; The Press: York Winter Lights installation begins ahead of switch-on