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Vilnius Christmas tree 2026: lighting on 28 November, and what follows
The Vilnius Christmas tree is lit on 28 November. What it looks like, the Stebuklas tile, and every date of the Christmas season.
The Vilnius Christmas tree 2026 will be lit on Saturday 28 November in Cathedral Square (Katedros aikštė). The same day, the Christmas town with its market stalls opens next to it, along with a carousel and a little Christmas train. The skating rink in Town Hall Square opens the next day, 29 November.
This year the city has built the whole season around one small thing in the pavement: the "Stebuklas" (Miracle) tile next to the Cathedral bell tower.
The Vilnius Christmas tree 2026: what it looks like
For the fourth year in a row, Vilnius is using a real tree rather than a frame of lights. Together with the structure around it, it will be 22 metres tall. The design takes its idea from the Stebuklas tile: eight rays spread out from the tree. They form four platforms and four ramps, so people can walk up close, prams and wheelchairs included.
The tile is worth seeing on its own. It is a red and grey granite slab with a bronze star in the middle, set into the square by the artist Gitenis Umbrasas in 1994. The custom is to stand on it, make a wish and turn around once. Expect a queue on lighting night.
Decorating the tree costs 119,000 euros, according to TV3. The whole city gets the same theme: about 10.5 km of garlands, 55 large free-standing decorations and 650 more on lamp posts, with five bridges and viaducts lit up.
Dates for the Christmas season in Vilnius
- 28 November: the tree is lit in Cathedral Square, and the Christmas town opens with almost 50 stalls. The International Christmas Charity Fair takes place in the Town Hall the same day.
- 28 November to 27 December: the Christmas town stays open. The carousel turns until 6 January, and the train runs through the Old Town until 3 January.
- 29 November to 25 January: the "Vilniaus ledas" rink in Town Hall Square, over 900 m². Tickets cost the same as last year: 8 and 6 euros.
- 5 December: the Christmas run in Vincas Kudirka Square.
- 12–13 December: the "Slowest Christmas Marathon" in Cathedral Square. Last year's single most Christmassy day has grown into a whole weekend about walking slowly and noticing things.
- Mid-December: the Christmas design square in Vincas Kudirka Square, with handmade gifts.
- 17 December: the Maltese Soup charity day in Cathedral Square.
- 31 December: New Year's Eve at the Cathedral bell tower.
- 6 January: the Three Kings procession from the Gate of Dawn to Cathedral Square closes the season.
The city hasn't announced the exact time of the lighting in the reports we read. As usual, it happens after dark with a concert, and the hour will be in the city's "Kalėdos sostinėje" programme. Check it before you go.
Practical notes for lighting night
The reusable cup deposit is back in the Christmas town. This year there are four return machines that refund your deposit electronically, so keep the cup and return it rather than binning it.
Cathedral Square gets very full on the opening evening. Come early if you want to stand near the tree, or come on a weekday in December if you'd rather see it without the crowd. Kaunas lights its trees a day earlier, on 27 November, if you want to compare.
Late November is also when company Christmas parties start filling the calendar. If you're still planning one, our guide to planning a company Christmas party in Vilnius covers the timing. For the rest of the cold months, there's Vilnius in winter: what it's really like.
Want somewhere warm to go after the lighting, with your own music and your own people? ZOLAK is an event space at Vytenio g. 50D in Vilnius for up to 60 guests. It has a sound system, lights, a kitchen and a sauna. You can book ZOLAK for an after-party.