“Every year again …” takes a sad turn in 2020 – and of course the pandemic is to blame. Strolling through the Christmas market with friends and family drinking mulled wine? That won’t be possible this year – or at least not as usual. In many municipalities, the limit values have been above the critical value for weeks. Numerous cities have therefore completely or partially canceled their Christmas markets.
Where do Christmas markets fail due to Corona, where do they take place under special protective measures and in a modified form? The current status in major German cities.
Christmas markets in the Corona year: what is the legal situation?
The decision as to whether or not Christmas markets can take place lies with the respective municipalities. The respective corona protection ordinances of the federal states serve as the basis for the decisions. We summarize here what they say about Christmas markets and other major events. There is no general ban on Christmas markets in Germany.
In many cities and communities, advice is still being given on how Christmas markets can be set up safely during the corona pandemic. Some of them are approved in a modified form and subject to special spacing and hygiene requirements until further notice.
Corona and Christmas markets 2020: cancellations from Düsseldorf, Ludwigshafen and Co.
- 17.11.2020: Düsseldorf – The “Drive In Christmas Market” planned for the Düsseldorf soccer stadium has been finally canceled. “We have decided not to realize the light market and to stop planning,” said a spokeswoman for the municipal event subsidiary D.Live of the “NRZ”. Official reason: According to D.Live, several people on the production team had tested positive for Corona – and no replacement was found at short notice. But behind the scenes there should also have been a row with the city.
- 17.11.2020: Ludwigshafen – Due to the corona pandemic, the Ludwigshafen Congress and Marketing Society (Lukem) canceled the “Winter Magic” Christmas market. “Unfortunately, the infection process leaves us no other choice, the decision to do so is extremely difficult for us,” said managing director Christoph Keimes on Tuesday. The booth magic was originally supposed to start on November 6th and was initially postponed to December due to the Corona regulation in Rhineland-Palatinate. The current development does not allow any easing to be expected, said the Lukem.
- 10.11.2020: Berlin – The popular Christmas market in the Kulturbrauerei in the Berlin district of Prenzlauer Berg is canceled this year due to the corona pandemic. The organizers announced this on Tuesday. The lack of clarity about possible permits or bans of politics was the reason for the cancellation, it said.
- 10.11.2020: Zwickau – Due to the corona pandemic, there will be no Christmas market in Zwickau this year. The organizers Kultour Z. announced on Tuesday that the parties involved had reached an agreement with the city.
- 6.11.2020: Göttingen – The traditional Christmas market in Göttingen is also canceled this year. The unclear development of the infection process does not allow reliable planning for the market feeders in the remaining weeks, said Mayor Rolf-Georg Köhler (SPD) on Friday. At best, “a kind of Christmas market light” with individual stands at different locations in the old town is conceivable. As long as the infection situation is there, this alternative could bring a little pre-Christmas mood to the streets of the old town, said Köhler.
- 5.11.2020: Hannover – The magic of the booth, the smell of mulled wine and sparkling lights – there will be no Christmas market in the traditional sense in Hanover this year. The city has put its plans on hold as reported by the “Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung” (HAZ). “Currently, due to the state’s current Corona ordinance, which expressly forbids Christmas markets, we have to stop preparing for a Christmas market in Hanover,” said Sabine Tegtmeyer-Dette (Greens), head of the Department of Economics and Environment.
- 3.11.2020: Stralsund – The city of Stralsund has canceled its Christmas market. Due to the current state ordinance to contain the corona virus, this year’s Christmas market is not possible, the city administration announced on Tuesday. “Our city without a Christmas market, that’s really bitter,” said Mayor Alexander Badrow (CDU). “But the legal situation is clear, and there are reasons for it.” However, festive lighting in the city center and a large Christmas tree on the old market are planned.
- 3.11.2020: Leipzig – The city of Leipzig is loud “Leipziger Volkszeitung” (LVZ) decided that there will be no Christmas market in the trade fair city this year. The Saxon Corona Protection Ordinance does not allow this. “Until the end we hoped to have at least one small Christmas market in the city center,” says Mayor Burkhard Jung. The city center should still be decorated for Christmas.
- October 31, 2020: Munich – The Munich Christkindlmarkt will not take place this year. “Contact restrictions must now have top priority,” said Munich’s Mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD).
- 30.10.2020: Dortmund – The Dortmund Christmas market will not take place this year either. There is according to the city, no alternative. Although a hygiene concept and an app for the allocation of space at mulled wine stands have already been developed, the city and showmen have now decided against the event due to the rapidly increasing number of infections.
- 30.10.2020: Mainz – After a number of other cities in Rhineland-Palatinate, Mainz has now canceled its Christmas market due to the corona pandemic. “In view of the high incidence in the state capital, we cannot justify the opening of the Christmas market with a clear conscience,” said Mayor Michael Ebling (SPD) in Mainz on Friday.
- 30.10.2020: Berlin – The light spectacle “Christmas Garden” in the Botanical Garden in Berlin-Lichterfelde is canceled this year. The sister event “Christmas in the zoo” will not take place this year, as it was called in a message from Deutsche Entertainment AG on Thursday.
- 29.10.2020: Stuttgart – The Christmas market is also canceled in Stuttgart. “The decision was not an easy one for us, but the current infection situation does not allow us to be together in a confined space,” said Stuttgart’s Mayor Fritz Kuhn (Greens) on Thursday. Alternatively, individual sales booths are to be distributed “in limited numbers” in downtown Stuttgart, as a city spokesman announced. Snack and beverage stands are not allowed, only stalls with Christmas offers or confectionary dealers who offer take-away goods.
- 29.10.2020: Koblenz – The usual booth magic in Koblenz is canceled this year. The mayor of Koblenz, David Langner (SPD), commented on the cancellation of the Christmas market in his city: “The protection and safety of the citizens are now top priority. The dynamic infection process of the last few days leaves no doubt about the decision and the requirements of the federal and state governments. “
- 28.10.2020: Bremen – Mayor Andreas Bovenschulte (SPD) has announced the end of the traditional Bremen Christmas market.
- October 28, 2020: Giessen – For a long time it was hoped that it would still be possible under certain conditions. But now the city of Giessen has also canceled its Christmas market. In all considerations, health protection comes first, said the mayor.
- 27.10.2020: Osnabrück – The “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung” reports that there is no Christmas market in Osnabrück either.
- 26.10.2020: Nürnberg – The world-famous Christmas market in Nuremberg is also canceled due to Corona. The city of Nuremberg announced this on Monday because of the increasing number of corona cases. Augsburg has also canceled the Christmas markets.
- 26.10.2020: Münster – After months of debates about hygiene concepts, the city of Münster is now canceling all Christmas markets. The city administration decided on Monday in a joint meeting with the organizers.
- 26.10.2020: Lübeck – Due to increasing corona numbers, the Hanseatic city of Lübeck has canceled the entire Christmas market, as the city announced on Monday.
- 25.10.2020: Erfurt – Due to the critical Corona situation, the city of Erfurt canceled this year’s Christmas market. The decision was made on Sunday after a crisis meeting, as the city announced.
- 25.10.2020: Frankfurt am Main – In a special meeting of the administrative staff on Saturday (October 24th) it was decided to finally cancel the Christmas market in Frankfurt am Main.
- 22.10.2020: Berlin – The Christmas market on the Gendarmenmarkt has been canceled. The reasons for this are health and economic risks in view of the increasing number of new infections. Last year around 900,000 people visited the traditional Christmas market on Berlin’s Gendarmenmarkt.
- October 21, 2020: Munich – The Munich Christkindlmarkt takes place with reservations. A mask is required at the stands, alcohol may only be consumed after prior registration.
- September 1, 2020: Cologne – Cologne was one of the first cities to completely cancel the Christmas market at Cologne Cathedral. With around five million visitors, the market on Roncalliplatz is a crowd puller, according to the organizers.
Canceled Christmas markets 2020: an overview of major German cities
In the following large cities (at least 100,000 inhabitants), Christmas markets in the respective inner cities have been officially canceled due to the corona pandemic. In some cities, stalls and Christmas market stalls should be allowed selectively, here it is still being checked whether markets can take place decentrally and under special protective measures. According to the current state of planning, there should be a mini Christmas market in Halle (Saale) without serving alcohol. Something similar is planned in Würzburg and other cities. The city of Magdeburg wants to replace the traditional Christmas market in the city center with an alternative offer.
(Last updated November 18th.)
- Aachen
- Augsburg
- Bergisch Gladbach
- Berlin
- Bielefeld
- Bochum
- Bonn
- Bottrop
- Braunschweig (so far no definite rejection)
- Bremen
- Bremerhaven
- Chemnitz
- Cottbus
- Darmstadt
- Dortmund
- Dresden (so far no definite rejection)
- Duisburg
- Düsseldorf
- Erfurt
- Erlangen (so far no definite rejection)
- Food (canceled until the end of November)
- Freiburg in Breisgau
- Fürth
- Flensburg
- Gelsenkirchen
- to water
- Göttingen
- Gutersloh
- Hagen
- Halle (Saale) (so far no definite rejection)
- Hamburg (so far no definite rejection)
- Hamm
- Hannover
- Heidelberg
- Heilbronn
- Hildesheim
- Herne
- Ingolstadt (so far no definitive rejection)
- Jena
- Kaiserslautern
- Karlsruhe
- Kassel
- Kiel
- Koblenz
- Krefeld
- Leipzig
- Leverkusen
- Lübeck
- Ludwigshafen am Rhein
- Magdeburg (so far no definite rejection)
- Mainz
- Mannheim (so far no definite rejection)
- Moers
- Mönchengladbach (so far no definite rejection)
- Mülheim an der Ruhr
- Munich
- Münster
- Neuss
- Nürnberg
- Oberhausen (so far no definitive rejection)
- Offenbach am Main
- Oldenburg
- Osnabrück
- Paderborn
- Pforzheim
- Potsdam
- Recklinghausen
- Regensburg (so far no definite rejection)
- Remscheid
- Reutlingen
- Rostock
- Saarbrücken
- Salzgitter (so far no definite rejection)
- Schwerin (so far no definitive rejection)
- Wins
- Solingen (so far no definite rejection)
- Stralsund
- Stuttgart
- Trier
- Ulm
- Weimar (so far no definite rejection)
- Wiesbaden
- Wolfsburg
- Wuppertal
- Würzburg (so far no definite rejection)
- Zwickau
–
