Everwinter Dublin 2026: Dates, Tickets + What to Expect

Yes, there’s another new Christmas event coming to the RDS in 2026. But, before you roll your eyes, Everwinter looks like it has the potential to be considerably better than what came before it.

Last year’s Dublin Loves Christmas received its fair share of criticism and, in my opinion, felt more like a festive funfair with some Christmas market stalls tacked on.

Everwinter is a new event for 2026 and there are some promising signs. It’s from the team behind Taste of Dublin and the Dublin Castle Christmas Market, and Irish makers are set to be at the heart of the market.

Everwinter Dublin 2026

Everwinter is one of the most interesting new additions to the Dublin Christmas Markets line-up in recent years. Here’s the need-to-knows:

1. Dates and opening hours

The full Everwinter experience runs from November 25th to December 23rd, 2026. Opening hours are:

• Tuesday – Friday: 2pm – 9pm
• Saturday – Sunday: 12pm – 9pm
• Monday: Closed

2. Location

Everwinter takes place at the RDS Showgrounds on Merrion Road in Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. It’s around a 5-minute walk from both Lansdowne Road and Sandymount DART stations. There’ll be no event parking available, so public transport is going to be the easiest option for most.

3. I’m cautiously optimistic

Most of the new Christmas events that have popped up in Dublin in recent years have felt more like funfairs with a handful of festive stalls. And, with a circus, ice rink and vintage fairground, you could be forgiven for thinking Everwinter will be more of the same. However, there are some promising signs. Irish makers are being put at the heart of the Christmas market, while the wider event will have live music, festive food and drink alongside the bigger attractions. Hopefully they’ve got the balance right with this one, but only time will tell.

3. From the team behind Taste and the Dublin Castle Market

Everwinter is being produced by Equinox Events, the team behind Taste of Dublin and the Dublin Castle Christmas Market. The latter has been one of Dublin’s better festive markets in recent years, so it’ll be interesting to see what the same team can do with a much larger space at the RDS.

What you’ll find at Everwinter

There are five main attractions at Everwinter, with the Christmas market arguably the one I’ll be most interested to see when it opens.

1. The Christmas Market

The Everwinter Christmas Market will have Irish makers at its heart, with a curated selection of traders and the focus on finding locally made gifts. Hopefully this is where Everwinter will differentiate itself from some of the festive events that have occupied the RDS in recent years.

Dublin doesn’t need another funfair with a few chalets added in for good measure – it needs a standout Christmas market that we can look forward to each year.

2. The ice rink

There’ll be a 600m² real-ice rink at the RDS and, crucially given the Irish weather, it’ll be covered. Sessions last around 45 minutes and start every hour, with skate hire included in your ticket.

3. Robert Fossett’s Circus

Robert Fossett’s Circus will have a traditional Big Top at Everwinter with a specially created 40-minute Christmas show. The show is suitable for all ages and there are no animals involved – the focus is entirely on the performers.

4. The vintage fairground

There’ll also be a vintage fairground, complete with a Big Wheel and traditional rides. Combined with the ice rink and circus, this should give families plenty to do beyond wandering around the market itself.

5. Food and drink

Everwinter is promising plenty on the food front, with open-fire cooking, raclette, bratwurst, toasted favourites and seasonal treats. For drinks, expect everything from hot chocolate for the kids to mulled wine and bars for the grown-ups. There isn’t a covered food hall, but there will be a covered bar.

Will Everwinter be worth visiting?

It’s hard to know. I hope so, but we’ll have to wait until November 25th to answer that properly. On paper, though, Everwinter has potential.

The RDS has hosted several attempts at large Christmas events over the years and last year’s Dublin Loves Christmas didn’t exactly knock it out of the park.

This time around, the involvement of the people behind Taste of Dublin and the Dublin Castle Christmas Market, combined with the emphasis on Irish makers, gives me more reason to be optimistic.

If the market itself is given as much attention as the ice rink, circus and fairground, this could be the kind of substantial Christmas event Dublin has been crying out for.