Christmas markets in Finland 2026: dates, vendor applications and payments

Finland's biggest Christmas markets open at the end of November. Most of them closed vendor applications in the summer or in September, but a few events are still taking vendors. Here are the 2026 dates and where applications stand, plus how to run the till and take payments at a stall with a mobile POS on a phone or a card terminal.

Christmas markets 2026 at a glance

Where can you still apply?

Teurastamo's Christmas market runs in Helsinki on 19–20 December. All vendors are welcome to apply. Indoor spots cost €310–400 + VAT and outdoor spots €200–400 + VAT, depending on size.

Kuopio Christmas Market runs from 11 to 23 December. Applications are processed at regular intervals. Besides a cabin for the whole market, you can apply for a pop-up cabin for a shorter period, either 11–17 or 18–23 December.

In Porvoo you can apply until 1 November. The Christmas Path's wooden kiosks, about 2 × 2 metres, are sold by the week, and the market square's Christmas area has street-food spots from 4 to 22 December.

In central Helsinki the city leases Christmas seasonal sales spots, for example on Kolmensepänaukio and Keskuskatu. The season runs from the opening of the Aleksanterinkatu Christmas Street on 21 November 2026 to Epiphany, 6 January 2027. Applications for Kolmensepänaukio and Keskuskatu closed at the end of June, but spots that are left over can still be applied for by email at ulkotila@hel.fi. The rent is €50 a day per started 10 square metres + VAT.

Payments at Christmas markets

Not every market lets vendors bring their own till:

• At Tuomaan Markkinat the organiser supplies the till systems for every restaurant-courtyard vendor and takes an 18% commission on courtyard sales.
• At the Tampere Christmas Market cabins selling food eaten on site use a shared till system supplied by Solmio-kassa Oy. A 15% commission on gross sales is deducted straight from the till's settlements.
• At the Manta Christmas market restaurant operators are billed 15% of food and drink sales.

At other markets, and in ordinary sales cabins, vendors usually handle payments themselves. Read the terms for your cabin type before you buy equipment.

A till at a Christmas stall: phone or card terminal?

When you handle payments yourself, a stall needs no fixed till. Fiest runs on a phone and on a handheld card terminal, so the choice comes down to the queue, receipts and how many people sell.

A phone for a small stall

If you sell a handful of products, such as mulled wine, gingerbread and coffee, a phone is enough. Fiest runs the till on the phone, and the customer pays contactless straight to it with SumUp or Viva. More on tap to pay. You need no separate card terminal, and the customer gets the receipt by email or from a QR code.

A phone works hard all day at a stall, with the screen, mobile data and contactless payments in constant use. Keep a power bank under the counter.

A card terminal when the queue grows

When the queue builds in the evenings and at weekends, or customers ask for a paper receipt, choose a handheld card terminal. It has the Fiest till, a card reader, a receipt printer and its own 4G connection, so the order, the payment and the receipt all happen on one device. Pack more receipt rolls than you think you'll need.

A stall with two sellers can use both: one sells on the phone and the other on the card terminal. The products and prices are the same, and the day's sales come together in one report.

Connection, power and cold

1. Connection. None of the markets we checked says it provides Wi-Fi. The phone uses mobile data, and the card terminal has its own 4G connection. The Fiest till also works without internet and syncs sales when the connection comes back.
2. Power. A single cabin at Tuomaan Markkinat includes a 2,000-watt connection. At Manta, the cabin's 1,000-watt power reservation is meant for a heater, LED lights and the card terminal. Add up which devices run at the same time.
3. Cold. Cold drains batteries faster. Charge the phone and the card terminal fully every evening, and keep them warm when they're not in use.

The contactless limit without a PIN is €50 in Finland. Above it, the customer taps the card and enters the PIN.

Notifications before you sell

If you sell food, your stall usually has to be notified to food control. According to the Finnish Food Authority, a mobile food premises is registered with the home municipality's food control at least four weeks before starting. If you sell in another municipality, its food control must have the information at least four working days before you start selling there.

Serving alcohol needs a licence. Ask the organiser whether the market already has a licensed serving area you can join.

Checklist before your first market day

• Bring your products into the till from an existing menu. Fiest reads the menu with AI, and you check the products before saving.
• Give every seller their own PIN. Sellers switch the till to their own profile with it.
• Make a test payment at your own stall. It also shows whether mobile data works inside the cabin.
• Charge the devices fully and pack a charger and a power bank.
• If you use a card terminal, pack receipt rolls.
• Agree who checks the day's sales in the evening. The till's reports show sales by payment method.

How Fiest works at a Christmas market

Fiest is the same till on a phone, a card terminal and a tablet. You can start with one phone and add a card terminal alongside it when the queue grows. The till also works without internet, and sales sync when the connection comes back.

The price is €49 a month per location, VAT excluded. The first €10,000 of till and online sales each month is commission-free, and 0.39% applies to sales above that. Card payment processing is billed separately by your payment provider. See more about our mobile POS and pricing.

Next year's Christmas markets

The biggest markets open applications in the spring. Tuomaan Markkinat opened applications on 20 April 2026, and applications for sales cabins closed at the end of May. If you want to take part in 2027, follow the organisers' pages from March and April.

Read next

• Mobile POS for terraces, kiosks and Christmas markets
• POS for pop-ups and food trucks
• Tap to pay on your phone
• Card terminals and POS hardware

Sources

Checked on 4 October 2026:

• Tuomaan Markkinat: application instructions
• City of Helsinki: temporary and seasonal sales spots
• Helsingin Kaupunkitilat: apply as a Christmas market vendor
• Teurastamo Christmas market: vendor application
• Event Company: Tampere Christmas Market participation terms
• Vanhan Suurtorin joulu: vendors
• Kuopio Christmas Market 2026: participation terms
• City of Porvoo: vendor applications for the Christmas Path and market square
• Finance Finland: the €50 contactless limit
• Finnish Food Authority: guidance for mobile food premises