Christmas in Bordeaux 2025: Your Local Festive Guide

Every year, someone asks me why on earth I love Bordeaux in December. It’s cold, it rains, the days are short… but somehow, this is exactly what makes the city feel magical. The lights switch on early, the markets smell like cinnamon and mulled wine, and the whole centre turns into a cosy winter walk. If you like good food, pretty streets, and a festive atmosphere that isn’t overwhelming, December is honestly one of the nicest times to be here.

So here is a simple guide with my favourite things to do: markets, lights, shows and a few foodie stops. Easy, warm, and very Bordeaux.

Note – if you still haven’t found a hotel for this lovely season, here’s my list of the best hotels in Bordeaux.

Christmas markets in Bordeaux

The biggest and most festive one is the Marché de Noël de Bordeaux, held on Place des Quinconces from 28 November to 28 December.
There are more than one hundred stalls offering decorations, local products, regional food, toys, candles and mulled wine.

For a more alternative and creative atmosphere, the Darwin Christmas Market takes place on December 5–7 and 12–14 with funky and creative stalls of local artists, food trucks and a fun family vibe.

👉 For more info about the best Christmas markets in Bordeaux, go to my market guide.

I also share many small neighbourhood and village markets in my Friday newsletter, so if you want to feel like a local, subscribe here to get all the updates.

Lights, mapping, and evening magic

The city lights are on from 28 November to 4 January, and they make evening walks feel gentle and festive even on rainy days.

Grand Théâtre Christmas Mapping

From 6 December to 4 January, daily from 17.30 to midnight.
A short and beautiful projection on the façade of the Grand Théâtre.
Completely free and very photogenic.

The Glass Christmas Tree (Le Sapin en Verre)

A glowing glass installation on Place Pey Berland that has become one of Bordeaux’s signature December decorations.
Minimal, modern, and lovely at night.

A perfect evening route is: lights in the centre → Grand Théâtre mapping → glass tree → warm drink in the centre or a stroll to the river.

Shows, indoor fun and cosy escapes

Luminiscence at the Cathedral

An immersive sound-and-light show inside the Bordeaux Cathedral.
The entire interior lights up with colours, music and storytelling about the building’s history.
Warm, peaceful and one of the most atmospheric winter activities.
Runs until 3 January 2026.
👉 Get your tickets here

Luminiscence at the Saint Andre Cathedral in Bordeaux

Bassins des Lumières

A massive digital art centre inside an old submarine base.
Huge projections, music, water reflections and a dark, warm environment make it ideal for winter days. Their latest production is an ocean-themed immersive show that takes you through reefs, jellyfish and giant marine creatures.
Perfect when you want culture without being outside in the cold.
👉 Get your tickets here

Cho c olate workshop

A hands-on workshop where you learn how to temper chocolate and make your own creations with a professional chocolatier.
Festive, creative and great for kids or couples.
👉Don’t miss your spot, this one is booking fast.

Be a winemaker for a day

Blend your own bottle of wine in one of the beautiful châteaux near Bordeaux.
You can reach the experience by tram or bus from the city centre, so no car is needed.
A fun and unique winter memory.
👉 Book your wine experience here.

Outdoor activities and winter walks

My Bordeaux Audio Tour

Perfect for December because you can stop for warm drinks whenever you want.
It mixes stories, food, architecture, and hidden corners without rushing.
👉 Grab the tour here.

Bakery and foodie tour

A warm and cosy morning tour that takes you through some of Bordeaux’s best bakeries with a mix of history and pastries.
👉 Book your spot on the tour here.

Christmas “ice rink”

Open from 28 November to 4 January at Allées de Tourny.
Important note: it’s not real ice.
It’s a plastic rink with music and lights.
Fun with kids or if you want a festive atmosphere, but don’t expect real skating.

La Grande Roue

Open from 17 novembre 2025 to 4 janvier 2026 at Place des Quinconces
The big wheel adds a nice touch to the Christmas mood and gives lovely views of the city lights at night.

L’Odyssée Lumineuse

A magical illuminated trail with glowing animals, giant lanterns and winter scenes.
It feels like walking through a small winter fantasy world and is perfect for families.
👉Get your tickets here.

Foodie gifts and small shops

Christmas gifts from Bordeaux — Chocolate Santa from Cadiot-Badie

Here is a list of original ideas for Christmas gifts from my favorite Bordeaux shops:

Cadiot-Badie

A historic chocolatier with beautiful chocolate boxes, fruit jellies and festive sweets.

Le Comptoir Bordelais

Packed with regional products: Basque treats, Bordeaux delicacies, spreads, wines and gourmet gift baskets.

La Perle des Dieux

Elegant sardines and seafood tins with beautiful packaging.
A fun foodie gift for someone who loves design.

Cadrimages

Prints, posters and illustrations, including Bordeaux-themed artwork.

Bokehli

Handmade ceramics and warm home decor pieces.

If you want a fully curated list of more than one hundred places for food, gifts, wine and local shopping, everything is in my Bordeaux Map.

Simple tips for a cosy December visit

Visit the big Christmas market on weekdays for a calmer experience.
Save the lights and theatre mapping for the evening.
Mix outdoor moments with at least one warm indoor activity.
Add something gastronomic to your trip: a bakery tour, wine tasting or chocolate workshop makes December feel even better.
If you have time, go on at least one day trip from Bordeaux to places like Arcachon, which has its own great Christmas market, Saint Emilion with its winter magic, or Libourne for the best Christmas market in the region.

Christmas martket in Arcachon, Gironde — Christmas market in Arcachon, Gironde

Bordeaux in December is all about soft lights, warm drinks and slow moments. If you lean into the winter mood, you’ll enjoy it more than you think.

You can also get plenty of tips on things to do in the Southwest of France via lost in Bordeaux’s social media accounts and email list, check them out here:

Facebook |Instagram |Email | Facebook group

*Note – A few links here are affiliate links. They’re free for you to use and help me keep sharing Bordeaux with you. And yes, I only recommend things I actually believe in 🙂

In Weekend plans

This weekend in Bordeaux (December 29-30)

This weekend I’ve decided to post a shorter version of my regular weekend list. I guess many of you left Bordeaux to visit your families or to travel during winter break. While I myself am currently on vacation, I didn’t want to leave those staying in Bordeaux without any weekend plans. So I gathered all the Christmas markets you can still visit in Bordeaux area (and some a bit further) and a few other interesting events. This is the (short) list of things to do this weekend in and around Bordeaux.

Marché de Noël de Bordeaux

The traditional Christmas market of Bordeaux will stay open until December 30. This is one of the biggest Christmas markets in the region with 150 pavilions selling all the traditional Christmas merchandise such as clothes, decorations, jewelry, toys and local products. Even if you don’t plan to buy any gifts at the market you can still enjoy the Christmas spirit with some hot wine and roasted chestnuts. For more info click here.

When: November 30 – December 30 from 10:30 to 21:30
Where: Allées de Tourny, 33000 Bordeaux

Drôle de Noël

The city of Talence invites you to their big Christmas celebration taking place on December 14-30 in Park Peixotto. This weekend (December 29-30) plenty of activities for kids will take place in a covered pavilion that was created especially for Christmas. For more info click here.

When: December 29-30
Where: Peixoto, 33400 Talence

Christmas celebrations in Mérignac!

The city of Mérignac is hosting a Christmas market and a variety of Christmas related activities on December 21-30. In the program: meeting Santa, a gospel concert, tastings of buches de Noël (a traditional Christmas dessert), fireworks and a Christmas market of course. The events will take place at the center of Mérignac. See more details here.

When: December 21-30
Where: Avenue du Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny, 33700 Mérignac

Arcachon Christmas market

The Christmas market of Arcachon officially started two weeks ago and will continue until January 6. Besides the traditional market stuff, this one includes an open ice skating rink on place Thiers. For more info click here.

When: December 15- January 6
Where: center of Arcachon

Marché de Noël à Sarlat

If you’re in the mood to travel a bit this weekend, why not go to one of the most impressive Christmas markets in the South of France, the Sarlat Christmas market. Sarlat is a magical place that is worth a visit any time of the year, but this market makes it even more worthwhile. The village includes 70 chalets selling local products, clothes, decorations, hot wine and more. For more info click here.

When: December 5-31
Where: Place de la Grande Rigaudie , 24200 Sarlat-la-canéda,

A traditional marionette theater

Guignol Guérin is the oldest family-run marionettes theater in France. While their well-known show runs in the summer, the theater’s winter edition is only two years old and plays at the center of Bordeaux. Their traditional spectacle takes place in Théâtre l’Inox between December 15 and January 5. This year, this Bordelaise institution celebrates its 165 anniversary with an exhibition of some of the marionettes that have been a part of this family since 1853. For more details click here.

When: December 15 to January 5
Where: 13 Rue Fernand Philippart, 33000 Bordeaux

GamingFX Exhibition

Throughout the winter vacation (December 22- January 6) Musée Replay together with Cap Sciences will host an exhibition that follows the evolution of digital technologies and the use of special effects in video games. Entry is 4€, for more details click here.

When: December 22 to January 5 (14:00 – 19:00)
Where: Hangar 20, Quai de Bacalan, 33300 Bordeaux

I want to use this opportunity to wish you all a happy new year! I hope you’re starting the new year with plenty of energy to discover new places, because plenty of great articles are on their way 🙂 For those of you who still haven’t subscribed to my email list, what are you waiting for? Subscribe here and discover all the secrets of Bordeaux. Have a great weekend!

In Bordeaux Monthly

10 things to do in Bordeaux in December 2018

This month is all about Christmas, there’s no way to escape it! Markets, photo shoots with Santa Claus and plenty of creative people trying to sell us original Christmas gifts. I admit that in this list of 10 things you don’t want to miss in December in Bordeaux area, Christmas is included several times. But I did try hard to offer other fun activities and places to visit this month, so that you won’t feel like you’re in a Christmas horror movie 🙂 Now go and check my list of 10 things to do in Bordeaux in December 2018. Hope you’ll find it useful!

Celebrate Christmas

The Christmas season is officially on in Bordeaux and you have plenty of great markets to attend this month! The official Marché de Noël de Bordeaux with all the traditional stands and a lot of vin chaud (hot wine) opened its gates a few days ago. If its your first Christmas in France, the traditional Christmas market is a must! However if you feel that you’ve seen it too many times try one of the smaller markets where all the local artists and craftsmen present their stuff. I have made a whole list of Christmas markets in Bordeaux so check it out.

Visit the new covered market in Talence

Finally we have a new place to get drunk on rainy days!! Biltoki, the company that brought us the Halle de Bacalan are opening another market in Bordeaux metropolitan, this time in Talence. In the last few months they have been presenting the merchants that are going to occupy the stands of the market and all of them look very promising. The market will open with a 3 days inauguration party on December 7th. For more info click here.

When: Opening party on December 7
Where: Place Alcala de Henares, Talence 33400

Take your kids to Cirque Pardi!

Cirque Pardi! is a modern circus whose shows combine a lot of dance and humor and are very entertaining for both kids and adults. This year they are coming back to Bordeaux for the second time with their show BorderLand, which gained a great success on their last visit here in 2015. Cirque Pardi! will perform 15 shows from November 30 to December 22. The temporary circus will be located on Quai de queyries, just next to Darwin. For all the dates and tickets click here.

When: November 30- December 22
Where: 86 quai des Queyries, 33 100 BORDEAUX

Taste the best French wines

This month you have the chance to taste all the best French wines in one place at an event called “Bordeaux Tasting”. During two days (December 15-16) more than a hundred wine houses from Bordeaux area and other regions in France like Bourgogne, Rhône, Alsace and Loire will be there to present their best wines. The tasting will take places in six different sites around Place de la Bourse:
– Palais de la Bourse : les grands bordeaux / les cognacs / les grands invités
– Le Gabriel : Pomerol Séduction
– La Bulle : les bordeaux / bordeaux supérieur
– Le Musée national des Douanes : les grands étrangers
– l’Espace Saint-Rémi : les champagnes
– la Maison Darnozan : l’espace des vins bio

Tickets are 23-27€ depending on the day. For more details click here.

When: December 15-16
Where: Place de la Bourse, Bordeaux

Interactive special effects exhibition

Do you ever wonder how the special effects you see in movies are made? A new exhibition for kids (older than 6 yo) by the name of “Effets speciaux” is taking place these days in Cap Science. It’s an interactive exhibition that allows you to see the behind the scenes of the cinema world and experiment with different especial effects like the green screen. Entry range from 6.5€ to 9€ and free for kids under 5 years old. For more info click here.

When: until August 26
Where: Hangar 20 quai Bacalan, 33000 BORDEAUX

Go ice skating

an open air ice skating rink during Christmas time is quite a tradition in many French cities. Until a couple of years ago Bordeaux also used to have one on place Pey Berland. However, after the city decided that setting up the rink only for a few weeks is too expensive and not environmentally friendly, this tradition was canceled. But that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy ice skating during Christmas time! La Patinoire de Mériadeck will open its covered ice skating rink in a Christmas spirit with Santa Claus, games, dance and more.

When: until January 1st
Where: 95 cours du Maréchal Juin 33000 Bordeaux

Search for beautiful antiques at the Brocante

The big brocante of Bordeaux is hosted twice a year at place des Quinconces with 200 antique dealers, horticulturists, restaurants and craftsmen. It’s the biggest brocante event in the area and the selection is huge, from vintage home decor, to paintings, antique furniture, garden accessories and more. While some items can be pricey, you can still find plenty of affordable pieces at this antiques market. The merchants are very nice and are open to negotiations. The brocante is taking place until December 9. For more info and the list of exhibitors click here.

When: until December 9
Where: Place des Quinconces

Go to a classical music concert

If you need a more classic vibe on Christmas, attend the special Christmas concert by the National Orchestra of Bordeaux at the Auditorium of Bordeaux. Concert de Noël de Radio Classique, conducted by Paul Daniel will take place during three nights prior to Christmas, on December 20, 21 and 23. For the tickets click here.

When: December 20,21,23
Where: Auditorium de Bordeaux, 9 cours Georges Clemenceau, 33000 BORDEAUX

Discover Christmas markets in Gironde

Christmas is a great opportunity to visit other beautiful towns in Gironde in a more festive atmosphere. Most towns have their own Christmas markets and events, but I’ll just give you the noticeable ones:

Arcachon – The official Christmas market and accompanied activities will take place from December 15 to January 6, with an open ice skating rink on place Thiers. For more info click here.

Saint Emilion – A Christmas market will take place on December 8 at the l’UDP de Saint-Emilion (8 Haut Gravet, 33330 Saint-Émilion). For more info click here.

Cadillac – a Christmas market with creative workshops and activities for kids will take place December 15-16 on place de la République. For more info click here.

Celebrate new years eve on a boat

If you’re staying in Bordeaux on December 31 and looking for a place to celebrate new years eve, here’s an idea for you.. The Iboat in the Bassins à flot neighborhood is one of the coolest venues for concerts and parties in Bordeaux, and its new years celebrations have become a tradition. This year the theme of the electronic party is heaven and the dress code should be inspired by nature (you can take that wherever you want 🙂 ). Tickets are 29€ at the entrance, 25€ on pre sale or 18€ if you come before midnight. For more details click here.

When: December 31
Where: quai Armand Lalande, 33300 Bordeaux

These are my suggestions for things to do in Bordeaux in December 2018. Hope it’ll help you discover this city and to never be bored, even if you don’t love Christmas 🙂 If you like this post it would make me very happy if you share it with your friends on social media 🙂

If you want more of these ideas and updates about new places in Bordeaux, join my newsletter where I share extra info about exhibitions in Bordeaux, great coffee places, new markets and anything else you need to know to enjoy Bordeaux. You can subscribe here.

Enjoy December in Bordeaux 🙂

Ira

noel