Galway's Christmas Market opens on Eyre Square this Friday, 6 November, and runs to 22 December, the first of the big Irish markets to open this year, according to Galway Tourism. It marks the start of a party season in which event catering is taxed at 9% for the first full Christmas since the rate came back, while Dublin city centre faces four days of road closures from 10 to 13 November.

Christmas markets: who opens when

Galway leads the way on 6 November with more than 50 wooden chalets, a 32-metre Big Wheel and a bier keller, with the wheel and amusements staying until 3 January 2027, per Galway Tourism. Winterval in Waterford runs every weekend from 13 November to 23 December, and Belfast's City Hall market runs 14 November to 22 December.

The Irish Road Trip's market guide, updated 28 October, lists Cork's Bishop Lucey Park market on selected dates from 20 November to 22 December, Dublin's TwinkleTown at Smithfield from 20 November, Everwinter at the RDS from 25 November and Sligo's market from 27 November to 23 December. Kilkenny's Yulefest market runs at weekends from 28 November. Dún Laoghaire's market had not confirmed a 2026 return at the time of that guide.

Event catering now at 9% VAT

Since 1 July 2026 restaurant and catering services, including food set up and served at a corporate function, are charged at the 9% VAT rate, and that rate runs to 31 December 2030, according to a briefing by accountancy firm Crowe Ireland. Hot takeaway food and tea and coffee are also at 9%.

Alcohol, soft drinks and bottled water stay at 23%, served or taken away. For a party package that bundles a meal with a drinks reception, the caterer must apportion the bill between the two rates, so a quote should show food and drink separately.

Dublin closures 10–13 November

Dublin city centre will see extensive road closures from 10 to 13 November for the European Political Community summit on Thursday 12 November, with around 50 heads of state expected, and an EU leaders' meeting on 13 November, The Journal reported on 4 November. Restrictions around the Convention Centre and Samuel Beckett Bridge apply each day, and Merrion Square and surrounding roads close on 12 November, with Pearse Street restrictions hitting the evening rush.

Access to homes and businesses near the venues stays open subject to security checks. Dublin City Council advises leaving extra time and using public transport, walking or cycling. The same Thursday, 12 November, is the date of a 24-hour public sector strike announced after pay talks stalled, RTÉ reported, with a demonstration in Dublin and rallies around the country.

Late nights still cost €205 a night

The Licensed Vintners Association's figures, reported by the Irish Examiner on 16 September, show late bars and nightclubs traded 30,651 extended nights in 2025, down 950 on 2024 and almost 23% below the 37,597 of 2018. Each Special Exemption Order costs €205 in court fees and excise, and the LVA says a venue opening late three nights a week pays about €32,000 a year plus legal costs.

The LVA's chief executive Donall O'Keeffe said late-night socialising "continues to plunge in Ireland". The Department of Justice told the Examiner in September that the timeframe for new licensing legislation "will be determined by the Government in due course", so the 1935 dance hall rules still apply this Christmas.

Weddings: December is proposal month

The most recent weddingsonline national survey, based on more than 641 couples and reported by the Galway Advertiser on 8 January 2026, put the average Irish wedding at €34,392 excluding the honeymoon, up 3.96%. The average guest list was 154, the average meal €93 a head, and hotels were the venue for 59% of couples.

The same survey found 23% of couples get engaged in December, far ahead of any other month, and 41% wait more than two years to marry. Weddingsonline's own write-up puts the average band at €2,673 and a DJ at €711, with 37% of weddings falling between July and September.

What it means for you

If you are organising a work or family party, book the venue and caterer now and ask for a quote that separates food (9% VAT) from drink (23%). Pick a date that avoids Dublin city centre on 10–13 November, and if the date is fixed, warn guests about the Merrion Square and Pearse Street closures on 12 November.

For a Christmas market day out, Galway is open from Friday and Waterford from 13 November; check grotto and bier-keller slots in advance because both are ticketed. Couples who expect a December proposal should know that the popular July–September Saturdays for 2027 and 2028 go first, so start venue enquiries in January. Local bands, DJs, caterers, photographers and venue decorators can be found on Locufy.

For providers: price Christmas packages with the two VAT rates shown on the invoice, put your Christmas and New Year availability on your listing now, and tell Dublin clients how the 10–13 November closures affect delivery and set-up times. Wedding bands and DJs should have 2027 and 2028 Saturday availability ready for the January enquiry rush.

Key dates

• 6 November: Galway Christmas Market opens on Eyre Square (to 22 December)
• 10–13 November: Dublin city centre road closures for EU summits
• 12 November: 24-hour public sector strike; Merrion Square closures
• 13 November: Winterval Waterford opens (weekends to 23 December)
• 14 November: Belfast Christmas Market opens (to 22 December)
• 20 November: Cork Bishop Lucey Park market and TwinkleTown Smithfield open
• 25 November: Everwinter at the RDS opens (to 23 December)
• 3 January 2027: Galway Big Wheel closes
• 31 December 2030: 9% VAT rate on catering due to end

Sources

• Galway Tourism — Galway Christmas Market
• The Irish Road Trip — Christmas markets in Ireland
• Travel Extra — Santa's grotto set to return to Waterford's Medieval Museum for Winterval
• Crowe Ireland — 1 July 2026 hospitality VAT reduction now in effect
• The Journal — Dublin road closures 10–13 November
• RTÉ — Pay talks continue as unions confirm 12 November strike
• Irish Examiner — Club and late bar scene shows continued decline, as sector feels costs pressure
• Irish Examiner — Ireland's nightlife is changing, but the laws governing it are stuck in the past
• Galway Advertiser — Weddings in Ireland see nearly 4 per cent rise in costs
• weddingsonline — Weddings cost 3.96% more this year, according to new Irish wedding survey

Signed-in Locufy customers and providers only. Comments close 30 days after publication. Report anything that names a person unfairly — we act on every report.

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