So, What's The Plan?
Ice Skating Rinks | A Circus | Christmas Markets | Europes Biggest Gourmet Burger Event
What's On In Porto This December
Hear that? It’s Mariah Carey defrosting on the horizon, the rustle of wrapping paper, and the crackle of chestnuts roasting. ‘Tis the season, and Porto is getting all sorts of merry with the countdown officially on until Pai Natal comes to town.
Follow the lights and you’ll stumble across Christmas markets, cosy pop-ups, and all the little seasonal treats that make December in Porto feel… well, almost magical. To make sure you don’t miss out, I’ve rounded up all the best festive happenings.
P.S. As the holidays get closer, we’ll keep this list topped up with more Christmas events and festive things to do in Porto.
DECEMBER FREE EVENTS
Porto Christmas Markets
📍Porto & Surrounding Areas
📆 Mid-November to Late December
From handmade ornaments to those last-minute presents you swear you meant to buy earlier, Christmas markets will be popping up all across Porto with everything you need to make the season feel properly festive. As you work your way through your gift list, you can wander between stalls, grab something warm to sip, snack your way through local treats, and soak up all the lights and music along the way.
Keen to see what’s on where? Check out my Ultimate Porto Christmas Market Guide.
Chocolate Truffle Making Workshop
📍Jardim da Cordoaria
📆 December 6 | 11:00 – 13:00 | 15:00 – 18:00
Age group: 5+
Capacity: 10 people every 30 minutes
Roll up your sleeves and get ready to make chocolate truffles like a pro (or at least like someone who knows their way around a mixing bowl). You’ll get all the materials, make a mess, taste your creations, and take them home in a festive Rudolph the red nosed reindeer inspired bag. Perfect for popping on the table or giving as a Christmas gift, and yes, you can totally eat some along the way.
Christmas Circus
📍Jardim da Cordoaria
📆 December 19 | 16:00 and 18:00
Imagine a circus where Christmas isn’t just tinsel and chestnuts, but a full-on celebration of friendship, kindness and holiday magic. That’s what Malatitsch delivers with this show. Live acrobatics, music and theatrical moments wrapped in a festive vibe. It’s a family friendly dose of wonder that aims to stir feelings of generosity, connection and pure joy. Perfect for kids, nostalgic grown ups, or anyone who secretly still believes in a bit of Christmas magic.
📍Fino Golf Club | R. de Tomaz Ribeiro 237, 4450-297 Matosinhos
📆 December 5 | 19:00
Fino Golf Club is turning two, and they’re marking the occasion the only way they know how: good music, good food, and plenty of swings. Expect free golf sessions for all levels, a DJ keeping the vibe lively, and tasty pop-ups to keep you fuelled between putts.
Porto Ice Skating Rinks
📍Porto Surrounding Areas
📆 Mid November to late December
Porto’s ice rinks are back, and they’re bringing all the winter vibes you didn’t know you needed. Glide across the ice for free at Maia, or try the rinks in Gaia and Valongo. Whether you’re bringing the kids, dragging a date along, or just fancy feeling like a kid again, it’s the perfect way to embrace the festive season.
📍Foz do Douro & Matosinhos
📆 December 6 | 10:00
If you’ve been meaning to do something good for the planet (and stretch your legs while you’re at it), the Porto Beach Clean Up crew is back at it on Saturday, 6 December. These clean ups happen every three weeks between Matosinhos and Foz, with the exact beach announced the week before, usually whatever beach needs the most help. All the details are shared on their page, so keep an eye out if you want to join a genuinely feel good morning by the sea.
📍Parque da Cidade
🗓 November 27 to December 21
🎟️ FREE ENTRANCE
Get ready, burger fans! Porto is hosting the largest gourmet burger championship in Europe. This travelling event brings together the best national and international burger restaurants in one place, letting you sample a variety of inventive creations. Wander through a lively atmosphere, try as many burgers as you dare, and cast your vote for the Best Burger in Europe. With over 4 million visitors this year alone, it’s quickly become one of Europe’s must visit gastronomic experiences.
In Case You Missed It:
All aboard the Vouguinha! The Vouga Historical Train is back for a twinkling Christmas journey from Aveiro to Macinhata do Vouga and Águeda, where holiday lights, the world’s biggest (and smallest) Santas, and the Umbrella Sky await.
Vintage carriages, festive treats, and postcard perfect holiday sights make this more than just a train ride, it’s a proper Christmas adventure.
🎟️ Tickets: ~€41 adults / €25 children (4–12)
Includes a guided museum visit, stop in Águeda, and a sweet treat.
DECEMBER PAID EVENTS
📍Yeatman | Rua do Choupelo, 4400-088 Vila Nova de Gaia
📆 December 6 – 7 | 15:00 – 19:00
💰From €90 Per Person | Get Your Tickets
The Yeatman’s Christmas Wine Experience is back for its 14th round, and yes, it’s still one of the most anticipated wine events of the year. Over two days you can taste your way through 200+ Portuguese wines, chat directly with winemakers, and pick up bottles to take home (or to “gift,” if you’re feeling generous).
Expect a Food Corner packed with snacks designed to pair perfectly with your tastings, plus a Christmas Bazaar full of surprisingly good gift ideas. Bonus: your ticket gets you perks over at WOW — discounted museum entries and 15% off at Golden Catch or Root & Vine, valid until 11 January 2026. Not a bad way to kick off December!
📍Vila Nova de Gaia | Exact Location Shared Upon Booking
📆 Every Saturday in December
💰€40 Per Person | Book Here
🎁 Vouchers available for gifting.
Give your Christmas dinner a handmade touch! In this hands on workshop, you’ll craft your own wooden cheese board from scratch. You’ll learn the tools, techniques, and finishing touches along the way. By the end, you’ll take home a beautiful, personalised board ready to serve all your festive favourites. Sessions run on Saturdays, last around four hours, and are limited to 2–3 participants for a cosy, creative experience.
📍SVET SPACE | Praça do Exército Libertador 6, 4250-205 Porto
📆 December 5 | 19:00–21:00
💰€30 | DM To Book Your Spot
Deck the halls with your own creations! In this hands on session, you’ll make unique Christmas ornaments from scratch. Perfect for your tree, as gifts, or just to have an excuse to get messy and crafty before the holidays. By the end, you’ll leave with a little bundle of personalised decorations and a big dose of Christmas cheer.
📍 MAR Shopping Matosinhos
📆 November 15 – January 4
💰 From €15 | Get Your Tickets
Dive into a sea of sparkle this Christmas with The Little Mermaid on Ice. A stunning holiday musical where ice, music, dance and magic meet under one roof. Featuring live music, theatrical flair and graceful ice‑skating, the show reimagines the classic tale with a splash of environmental conscience: it celebrates courage, dreams, and the protection of our oceans. With a cast led by well known national artists, it’s a festive treat for kids and grown ups alike. This is the North of Portugal’s only ice musical!
📍Cénica Porto Hotel | R. de Gonçalo Cristóvão 156, 4000-265 Porto
📆 November 12 | 12:30
💰€25 Per Person | Register Here
This Christmas, Cénica Porto Hotel invites you to step into the heart of traditional Minho holiday feasts. Inspired by Ramalho Ortigão’s chronicle “Um Natal Minhoto”, this workshop recreates the warm, aromatic, lively atmosphere of old family Christmas dinners.
Over two hours, you’ll explore emblematic seasonal recipes: codfish, stews (with Provençal brandade), spiced mulled wine, rabanadas, filhoses (Abbot’s ears), formigos (or mexidos), and the classic Christmas log (Bûche de Noël).
A perfect way to warm the soul (and the kitchen) while embracing authentic Minho Christmas traditions. All materials, ingredients, tastings, recipe cards, certificate, and a take-home sweets kit are included.
📍Barboleta | R. de D Manuel II 346, 4050-344 Porto
📆 December 5 | 19:00
💰Price upon booking | Book Your Spot
Bring a touch of Nordic magic to your December at Borboleta’s Scandinavian evening. In collaboration with ODE Wines, enjoy a menu of Scandinavian favourites — silky gravlax, Toast Skagen, slow-cooked venison, pan-seared salmon, and the classic mandeltårta for dessert — all perfectly paired with Winter ready wines. Cosy flavours, a warm atmosphere, and a chance to start the festive season in style. Seats are limited, so book ahead.
📍MXM Art Center | Rua do Ouro 264, Porto
📆 December 19 | 20:30
💰 From €25 | Get Your Ticket
Fancy something a bit off-beat this December? At MXM Art Center you can ditch the usual festive clichés for a cabaret-style dinner show where lights, music, and theatrical flair meet holiday vibes. It’s not your granny’s Christmas concert — expect a bold blend of glamour, good food, cocktails (or a drink of your choice), and performances that might leave you raising an eyebrow (or a glass). If you’re looking for a night out that’s equal parts cheeky and tylish this might just be it.
📍Sneferu | R. de Ferreira Cardoso 49, 4300-096 Porto
📆 Every Saturday
💰 €45 Per Person | Private Events from €50 (min 6 people)
This immersive workshop is a little bit art, a little bit alchemy, and a whole lot of feel-good. You’ll start by choosing a porcelain vessel glazed by previous guests, then blend your own bespoke fragrance and use it to craft a candle that’s entirely yours. Before you go, you’ll glaze a fresh vessel to leave behind as a small creative “gift” for the next person in the chain.
You walk out with a beautifully fired porcelain candle, a high-end scent you designed, and the satisfying sense that you’ve continued a quiet tradition of passing something on. Snacks, drinks and wine are all included ( because creativity is always better with a little indulgence 😉)
📍Vila Nova de Gaia | Exact Location Shared Upon Booking
📆 Every Saturday
💰 From €50 | Book Your Spot
If you’re in the mood for a bit of festive crafting, this resin art workshop in Gaia is a great pick. Over the course of a relaxed Saturday morning you’ll learn how to turn a simple wooden board into a marbled or ocean-swirl masterpiece, with proper techniques, tools, and plenty of practical tips. And because resin needs time to cure, your finished board will be delivered straight to your door after the workshop!
Sessions run for around three hours, with three kit options from beginner to full-on resin devotee. Limited Saturday spots available until 27 December.
📍Francisco de Assis Auditorium | Rua do Amial 478, 4200-055 Porto
📆 December 4 | 19:30 and 21:30
💰 From €26 | Get Your Tickets
Sleeping Beauty is getting a serious glow up in this “Ballet of Lights” performance, where six brilliant dancers float across the stage in costumes that literally light up the room. It’s classical ballet meets modern tech, turning every spin and leap into a luminous little spectacle. If you’re after something magical without venturing into full fairytale cheese, this one’s a solid December pick.
🍴This Month's Foodie Must Try:
Out To Lunch Kitchen
📍Rua da Restauração 313, 4050-506 Porto
🍽️ Authentic Japanese food in the heart of Porto prepared by Japanese chefs.
Curioso Cocktail Bar
📍R. de Ferreira Borges 60, 4050-252 Porto
🍽️ Art‑attuned cocktail bar that serves creative drinks and snacks in an intimate setting.
Luˈkaɫ
📍Rua da Torrinha 178, 4050-609 Porto
🍽️ Sandwich restaurant specialising in freshly baked, creative focaccias.
🍴This Month's Foodie Must Try:
Out To Lunch Kitchen
📍Rua da Restauração 313, 4050-506 Porto
🍽️ Authentic Japanese food in the heart of Porto prepared by Japanese chefs.
Curioso Cocktail Bar
📍R. de Ferreira Borges 60, 4050-252 Porto
🍽️ Art‑attuned cocktail bar that serves creative drinks and snacks in an intimate setting.
Luˈkaɫ
📍Rua da Torrinha 178, 4050-609 Porto
🍽️ Sandwich restaurant specialising in freshly baked, creative focaccias.
Written By
Ysabelle is the voice behind Oh My Porto, a blog that peels back the glossy pages of travel brochures to reveal the heartbeat of the city. Through Oh My Porto, Ysabelle shares everything you need to make your time in Portugal unforgettable, from cultural deep dives to travel tips you won’t get anywhere else.
Oh, My Porto is a Porto & North Portugal-focused travel, food & lifestyle blog by writer Ysabelle Alesna.
Ysabelle shares her guides and recommendations to help travellers discover the heart of Porto and fall in love with the city just as she has.