With beautifully decorated streets, atmospheric Christmas markets and plenty of festive activities, there’s something for everyone visiting the city at this time of year. Whether you want to browse the Christmas stalls, take a spin on the ice rink or enjoy one of the many Christmas concerts, Stavanger is a lovely place to get into the Christmas spirit.
Foto: Brian Tallman / Brian Tallman Photography
Julemarked, julemarked og atter julemarked!
If you love Christmas markets, Stavanger is a great place to be in the run-up to Christmas. The city has two Christmas markets, where you can browse stalls filled with handmade gifts, crafts and tasty Christmas treats.
In Byparken, by the lake Breiavatnet, the park fills up with Christmas huts, stalls and food trucks in the weeks before Christmas. The market is open at weekends from 28 November to 20 December, and also on Thursdays and Fridays in the last two weeks before Christmas. On Sunday 29 November 2026, Old Stavanger holds its Christmas market among the white wooden houses. Artists and craftspeople open their workshops, and at the Norwegian Canning Museum you can taste freshly smoked salmon.
About an hour’s drive from the city, you’ll also find the Christmas town of Egersund, known as one of Norway’s best Christmas markets. It’s open over two long weekends, 3–6 December and 10–13 December 2026, on Thursday and Friday afternoons and evenings and during the day on Saturday and Sunday. You can also take the train from Stavanger.
Foto: Brian Tallman / Brian Tallman Photography
Christmas at Kongeparken
On selected days from mid-November to mid-December, Kongeparken, south of Stavanger, is transformed into a Christmas adventure for the whole family. Here you can join Christmas workshops, meet Father Christmas and enjoy lots of shows and activities that make the season extra cosy. The park also has Christmas lights, warm spiced drinks and activities where you can make your own Christmas presents and decorations. Tickets must be bought in advance.
Gingerbread Town at the Norwegian Petroleum Museum
No Norwegian Christmas town is complete without a gingerbread town! In Stavanger, you can visit the gingerbread town at the Norwegian Petroleum Museum, where local people contribute imaginative gingerbread creations every year. Here you can admire the detailed houses and structures that together make up a whole miniature town. The gingerbread town usually opens at the end of November and can be visited throughout December.
Foto: Rune Egenes/Norsk Oljemuseum
Bambi or Thumper on the ice?
A popular Christmas tradition in Stavanger is a trip to the ice rink at Kjeringholmen, by the Petroleum Museum. The rink is lit up and there’s music while you skate. It’s usually free if you bring your own skates, or you can hire a pair. The dates for this year’s season haven’t been announced yet, but in recent years the rink has opened in late November.
Foto: ©Marie von Krogh/Vinterfilm/Ut i Sandnes
Bonus Tip: Beverly Hills Fun Pub
If you’re visiting Stavanger at Christmas, a stroll along Skagenkaien is well worth it. The street is reminiscent of Nyhavn in Copenhagen and is part of Stavanger’s historic waterfront – but in the run-up to Christmas, it’s Beverly Hills Fun Pub that catches everyone’s eye. The pub is decorated with countless Christmas lights that have made the street and the pub well known far beyond the city – and for many locals, the lights at Beverly are a sign that Christmas has arrived in Stavanger.
Foto: Beverly Hills Fun Club
Plan Your Christmas Holiday in Stavanger with Fjord Line
Start your Christmas trip with a sailing from Hirtshals to Stavanger with Fjord Line. The ship docks in Risavika in the morning, and after a short drive you’re in Stavanger city centre, ready for the Christmas markets, the gingerbread town and much more.
If you’d like to stay right in the city, with the Christmas market and the waterfront just outside your door, you can choose a city break with a hotel in the centre. If you prefer somewhere quieter, you can stay at the historic Kronen Gaard Hotell in Sandnes, where you can enjoy food from local producers and still be close to both Stavanger and Kongeparken.
Check out our offers on crossings to Stavanger, and start planning your Christmas holiday today.
Take a look here for Fjord Line's package deals to Stavanger.
