Shop opening hours in Denmark at Christmas and New Year

Most shops in Denmark are closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day, and on New Year's Eve they close at 15:00 at the latest. Smaller grocery shops, bakeries and some other shops may still open. Below you will find the rules, a day-by-day overview and tips for Netto and Magasin.

In short: there is no single Christmas timetable for all Netto shops. Find the exact address in the chain's store finder and check the date you need. Buy the most important groceries before Christmas Eve. Magasin also has to be checked store by store, while Tivoli has its own calendar that does not follow shop opening hours.

Checked 12 November 2026. This guide does not list unconfirmed shop hours for December.

What do the Danish shop closing rules say about Christmas and New Year?

Under the Danish shop closing act (lukkeloven), shops may not sell to customers on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day, and they must close at 15:00 on New Year's Eve. The same rules apply on the other public holidays and on Constitution Day. On weekdays and ordinary Sundays, including the days between Christmas and New Year, shops set their own opening hours. Danish Business Authority guidance.

Who may open anyway?

Some shops are exempt from the closing days. Smaller grocery shops may open if their annual turnover is below the limit set each year by the Danish Business Authority (Erhvervsstyrelsen). Bakeries and DIY stores may open whatever their turnover. The same applies to many shops at airports, railway stations and bus stations that serve travellers. The closing act does not apply to pharmacies at all, so they set their own Christmas hours.

For a visitor, the practical task is to find a shop that actually announces it is open on the day. Being allowed to open is not the same as deciding to open. Do not plan restaurant visits and activities around an ordinary shop timetable either; each place has its own hours.

New rules from 1 January 2027

From 1 January 2027, shops in the town centre of towns with fewer than 16,850 inhabitants may open on the closing days. The Danish Business Authority publishes the list of towns every year. Shops in shopping centres with more than 15,000 m² of retail space are not covered. In larger cities such as Copenhagen, Aarhus and Odense the usual closing days still apply. The rule already applies on New Year's Day 2027, so in a smaller town some shops may be open that day.

What is open at Christmas and New Year?

The table shows the legal framework. Each shop decides whether and when it opens within it, so always check the shop itself. From 1 January 2027, shops in the town centre of smaller towns may also open on the closing days.

Netto Christmas Eve hours: start with the address

A search for “netto åbningstider jul” only gives a reliable answer when you know which shop you mean. Two Netto shops in the same town can have different hours. Netto's official store finder says exactly that opening hours vary, and it can show shops that are open on public holidays. Find your Netto.

Enter a postcode or town, choose the address and read the information for the specific day. A sign with ordinary weekday hours or an overview for the current week does not cover Christmas Eve. Look for a separate date or a notice about Christmas hours.

Save the address together with the time. A screenshot without the shop name can be hard to use when the family is in another part of town. If you plan in November, check again closer to your visit. Special hours may appear that are not yet shown in the normal weekly view.

Netto itself points to the store finder for information on opening hours and holiday opening. Netto's help on finding a shop. Use the shop's own page as your first stop rather than a search result with an old date.

A shopping plan for Christmas and New Year

The table is a planning aid, not a national list of opening hours. If a purchase is essential for your dinner, it is better to get it done early than to make the whole meal depend on one late opening time.

Reading a seasonal timetable correctly

Check the year first. A page with Christmas in its title may still show last year's hours. Then make sure the date and the shop match. Finally, check whether the time applies to the shop itself, a collection point or a department inside the building.

The words “open at Christmas” are not precise enough for a trip on 24 December. They can describe the whole season before Christmas. A department store can have long hours one weekend and be closed on another date. A web shop can take orders even when the physical shop is closed.

If the chain's calendar and a map show different hours, go back to the official store page. For an important collection, ask customer service to confirm the time. A phone number on a receipt may belong to a central service desk, so have the address and order number ready.

Leave some margin before closing time. You need time to find the item, queue and get through the checkout. A shop that closes at 14:00 is not a good target for arriving at 13:59. This matters most if you are looking for a particular ingredient or have children with you.

Magasin Christmas opening hours: choose the right store

Magasin publishes an official list of its stores and a page about delivery and Christmas opening hours. Choose the department store you plan to visit instead of applying a time from Copenhagen to Aarhus or Odense. Magasin stores.

If you are collecting an order, there are more questions than the opening time. Is the item ready? Which entrance or department should you use? How long will it be kept? Wait for the specific collection message before you plan your trip around a parcel.

A deadline for ordering a gift with delivery is not the same as the shop's last opening day. It can also depend on the delivery method. Read the terms of your actual order, and do not treat a general text about Christmas delivery as a guarantee for every item. Magasin Christmas delivery.

When buying gifts, it helps to group several errands in the same area. Use the Copenhagen directory to find your way around places in the city. Allow time for transport, the cloakroom and any gift wrapping, so the last shop does not become a race.

Tivoli Christmas hours use a separate calendar

Christmas in Tivoli is announced for 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. The start and end dates of the season are not a daily opening time. Find the exact date in Tivoli's calendar, and check the time of a show or a restaurant booking separately. Christmas in Tivoli.

It is tempting to combine a big shopping trip with Tivoli on the same evening. Do the shopping first if it is essential, and avoid carrying heavy bags through the whole visit. If you are staying at a hotel, a short stop to drop off your shopping can make the evening easier.

A ticket for one particular experience does not necessarily tell you everything about entry to the gardens or other activities. Read the ticket details before you buy. Also check whether your most important event needs a separate booking.

What should you buy before Christmas Eve?

Write the list around the meals you will actually eat at home. Breakfast, a simple lunch and drinks are easily forgotten when all the attention goes to Christmas dinner. Add the things that are hard to replace, such as a special allergy-friendly product.

At a hotel, a big shopping trip can be impractical. Find out whether the room has a fridge and what you may store or prepare. A kettle is not a kitchen. Choose amounts and products that suit the storage you actually have.

In a holiday rental, see what is already there before you stock up. A chopping board, a pot or enough plates may be missing even when the listing mentions a kitchen. One simple meal that you can make with the equipment you have is more useful than an ambitious menu.

Do not buy extra perishable food just because you fear the shops will be closed. Plan portions and leftovers you will use. If you travel on shortly after Christmas, it is especially worth avoiding large packs that can neither be eaten nor taken along.

Arriving on 24, 25 or 26 December

Do not make the first evening depend on an unplanned supermarket trip. Arrange a meal in advance, or bring something that suits the journey and the storage where you stay. A restaurant booking should be confirmed for the exact date and the right number of people.

Ask the hotel directly about breakfast and dinner on your arrival day. A hotel that welcomes guests over Christmas does not necessarily run all its restaurant services as normal. If you arrive late, the kitchen's last order time matters more than the reception's opening hours.

Compare options in the Copenhagen restaurant directory. Use the addresses to make a short list, then ask each restaurant to confirm its Christmas service. An ordinary weekday timetable cannot replace a Christmas booking.

If you are travelling to Funen, the Odense directory is a good local starting point. Keep your shopping plan close to where you are actually staying. A shop on the other side of town is not necessarily a good back-up, even if it is open.

If you need something at the last minute

First decide whether the item is essential or whether the meal can be adjusted. A missing decoration rarely justifies a long trip. For an important food item, a simple substitute can be better than hunting for exactly the brand you usually buy.

Then find a shop that is confirmed open and check the transport. Smaller grocery shops, bakeries and station shops are the most likely places to try on the closing days. A shop that is close in kilometres may still be out of reach if the bus is not running at that time. If you drive, allow time for parking and walking in.

If you would rather eat out, the restaurant selection for a first visit to Copenhagen can help you choose a direction. The selection is for inspiration; Christmas opening and free tables must be confirmed separately.

Avoid sending several people to different shops without a shared list. Agree who buys what and which alternatives are acceptable. It saves both double purchases and messages from different queues.

Four different times that are often confused

Put the relevant times in the same plan as trains, hotel and restaurant. If the whole family uses the same message with addresses and dates, there is less risk that someone acts on an old screenshot.

Two workable approaches to a Christmas stay

For a short hotel break, book the meal that matters most, sort out breakfast and buy a small selection of snacks on an ordinary opening day. Keep the rest of the time free for walks and activities. You waste less food and make fewer trips for things the room has no space for anyway.

For several days in a holiday rental, it makes more sense to shop for several meals. Start with a list of which days you will eat at home and how many people there are for each meal. Build a simple reserve into the plan in case an excursion takes longer than expected.

For both kinds of stay, shopping and activities should fit in without making the day too tight. An appointment on the other side of town should not come straight after an essential collection. The time you set aside for transport is also time to deal with queues, a wrong entrance or a late delivery.

Official sources

Netto: store finder and local hours

Netto: store-finder and holiday-opening help

Magasin: store directory

Magasin: Christmas delivery and opening information

Danish Business Authority: shop closing rules

Tivoli: Christmas season 2026/27