Is there a Christmas market in Piazza Maggiore?

Not on the square itself. Bologna Welcome’s 2026 list of Christmas markets has nothing on Piazza Maggiore, but two run within a few minutes of it. Under the Voltone del Podestà, the vaulted passage through Palazzo del Podestà on the square’s north side, an antiques fair runs from 12 to 24 December. The Christmas fair on Via Altabella, beside the Cathedral of San Pietro, runs from 20 November 2026 to 6 January 2027.

The one most people mean is the Antica Fiera di Santa Lucia, Bologna’s oldest Christmas fair, with roots in the late 16th century. It sets up under the long portico of Santa Maria dei Servi on Strada Maggiore, about 12 minutes’ walk east past the Due Torri (920 m). In 2026 it runs from 6 November to 27 December, roughly 9:00 to 20:00. Expect nativity figures, decorations, candles, torrone and other sweets.

Dates are announced each autumn and have moved before, so check the Bologna Welcome listing before you plan a trip around one.