In December, Cluj becomes one of the most magical cities in Romania, transforming into a true land of holidays, where lights, traditions, and the festive atmosphere harmoniously intertwine. In 2025, the spirit of Christmas comes to life more intensely than ever, with the city hosting no fewer than four markets and themed events dedicated to the winter season, each with its own specific features, charm, and unique experiences. From the beloved Christmas Market in Union Square, the festive heart of the city, to the family-friendly and lively Winter Market at the Sports Hall, Cluj offers countless reasons for joy, socializing, and discovery.

The magic continues with the spectacular edition of the Lights On Romania festival, an event that transforms the city's spaces into luminous art galleries, where immersive installations create impressive visual stories. And for lovers of culture and elegance, the Christmas Opera Fair brings a refined selection of artisan products, concerts, and artistic moments held in a truly charming setting. Together, these four markets shape a vibrant, diverse, and energetic Cluj, a city that knows how to celebrate winter and offers visitors a complete, unforgettable experience.

In 2025, Cluj is not just a city of holidays; it is the perfect destination for those who want to experience the magic of Christmas in its most varied and luminous forms.

The Christmas Market in Union Square – The magical heart of the holidays in Cluj

The Christmas Market in Union Square is not just an event, but a true winter experience that transforms the city centre into an enchanting universe. The moment you enter the square, you feel the atmosphere change: the scent of mulled wine with cinnamon floats in the air, the sound of Christmas carols intertwines with the cheerful bustle of visitors, and the lights adorning every corner of the square create a fairytale picture.

(Source: Cluj)

The decoration is impressive every year, and 2025 is no exception. St. Michael's Church, one of the city's symbols, rises imposingly in the background, providing a spectacular setting for the entire scenography. The Christmas tree becomes the symbolic centre of the square, tall, elegant, and adorned with hundreds of sparkling ornaments. Around it, the wooden stalls, neatly lined up, form a small winter village, each one hiding small treasures: hand-painted baubles, traditional ceramics, artisanal jewellery, lavender products, or wooden decorations, all crafted with passion by local artisans.

The gastronomic area is an attraction in itself. Here you can find delicacies that bring warmth even on the coldest days: fresh chimney cake, hot fried flatbread, rich hot chocolate, aromatic gingerbread, and, of course, the indispensable mulled wine. The spices, the warm steam, and the joy of the people create an atmosphere that encourages you to stay longer, savoring every moment in peace.

For children, the market in Union Square is a little paradise. The illuminated carousel, creative workshops, and meetings with Santa Claus transform the holidays into a magical adventure. Evening after evening, the stage dedicated to performances comes alive with live programmes: carolers, choirs, local artists, shows for the little ones, and musical moments that warm everyone's hearts.

What makes this market truly special is the way it manages to bring people together. Locals and tourists, families and groups of friends, children and grandparents, all gather in Union Square to celebrate the beauty of the holidays together. Here, the spirit of Christmas is not just decorative, but deeply felt.

Every evening, the square becomes a small city of joy. Smiles, lights, music, tradition, and emotion all intertwine to create one of the most beautiful winter experiences in Romania. If there is one place in Cluj where the magic of the holidays is truly felt, it is undoubtedly the Christmas Market in Union Square.

The Winter Market at the Sports Hall – Joy for the whole family in a modern holiday setting

The Winter Market at the Sports Hall brings a completely different atmosphere each year compared to the city centre, yet it is just as magical. Here, the spirit of the holidays takes on a fresh, modern, vibrant energy, perfect for families with children, young people looking for fun, and visitors who want to enjoy a lighter, yet equally festive, winter atmosphere.

As soon as you arrive in the Sports Hall area, you are greeted by bright decorations, colourful installations, and neatly arranged stands, giving the place the feel of a modern and welcoming urban market. The wooden stalls are full of all kinds of treats, as well as handmade products, themed gifts, accessories, souvenirs, and small seasonal surprises. Everything is lively, cheerful, and designed so that every visitor finds something to their taste.

(Source: Via Cluj TV)

The atmosphere is very friendly and relaxed, with plenty of space for strolling, taking photos, and quietly enjoying everything the market offers. For families with children, this is one of the most suitable places in Cluj during the holidays: interactive games, fairytale characters, themed activities, and specially arranged areas where little ones can run, play, or participate in creative workshops.

The gastronomic area is not to be overlooked. Here you can find everything you could wish for on a cold winter afternoon: creamy hot chocolate, generous portions of street food, reinterpreted traditional Romanian dishes, fluffy doughnuts, seasonal sweets, mulled wine, and aromatic teas. Each stall comes with a unique offer, and the diversity makes walking through the stands a culinary adventure in itself.

Besides food and fun, the Winter Market at the Sports Hall is known for its dynamic atmosphere. Usually, concerts, animations, artistic moments, and all sorts of events take place here, bringing people together. As night falls, everything becomes even more beautiful: the lights intensify, the music sounds clearer, and the whole area transforms into a small winter festival stage.

It is the ideal place for those who want to feel the magic of the holidays in a more modern and energetic form. Whether you come with family, friends, or just for a short walk, the Winter Market at the Sports Hall welcomes you with joy, colour, and a lot of cheer – exactly that urban December vibe that Cluj knows so well how to create.

Lights On Romania Festival

Lights On Romania returns to Cluj in 2025 with its 8th edition and transforms the area of Kogălniceanu Street into a true open-air museum of light. Between November 28th and December 7th, the artistic installations illuminate the winter evenings and create a spectacular visual experience that combines art, technology, and cultural messages in a unique way in Romania.

(Source: Cluj)

This year, two installations immediately capture the visitors' attention. The first is Pig Farm, a series of luminous piglets created in the Czech Republic, made from recycled water barrels, ingeniously transformed into friendly characters that swing on metal springs. They are cheerful, playful, and attract all eyes, both children and adults. The second is Forest Spirits, a delicate and poetic work created by Cluj architects Eszter Szoke and Katalin Tanczos, which brings a fragment of a magical forest to the city centre – luminous, floating silhouettes that seem to protect the street with a gentle and mysterious energy.

The absolute novelty of the edition, however, is the Light Bus, a bus entirely clad in light, which offers rides through the city after nightfall. It is an experience as surprising as it is memorable, a luminous journey through Cluj prepared for the holidays. Ticket prices are affordable: 60 lei for adults, 30 lei for youth and seniors, and children under 5 can enjoy the tour for free.

Under the umbrella of the festival, the Other Christmas Market also returns, a space dedicated to local producers, artisans, and the community. Here, visitors can discover a mini-nursery with potted fir trees, perfect for a sustainable Christmas, as well as two stalls offered free of charge to local NGOs, which can promote their causes and projects. The market also includes dance evenings, workshops for children, traditional product tastings, and many other activities for all ages.

Lights On also addresses impactful cultural themes, organizing a conference dedicated to the role of nightlife in urban development. Specialists in the field discuss how urban spaces can encourage creativity, socialization, and innovation, thus complementing the artistic dimension of the festival with an educational and community one.

Lights On Romania is not just a light festival, but a celebration of the city, the community, and modern art, an indispensable experience for anyone visiting Cluj during the holidays.

First Edition of the Christmas Opera Fair

This year, Cluj adds an absolutely charming novelty to its map of winter events: the first edition of the Christmas Opera Fair. Held between November 28th and December 7th, 2025 in the Opera Park, in the Ștefan cel Mare area, this market brings with it a concept different from the others: a return to tradition, to the atmosphere of the Romanian village of yesteryear, reinterpreted with elegance and attention to detail.

(Source: Opera Cluj)

The Opera Park will be completely transformed into a "winter village," where over 15 wooden stalls will offer artisanal products, warm treats, handmade decorations, and gifts inspired by Romanian folklore. The themed decoration includes a festive stage, warmly and invitingly lit, as well as a symbolic manger that reminds us of the essence of the holidays: simplicity, family, faith and community.

Every day, visitors will be able to attend artistic moments, concerts, recitals, and interactive activities, many of them inspired by Romanian art and tradition. The cultural character of the Romanian National Opera of Cluj will bring an added touch of refinement, with live performances, choral ensembles, carol groups, and instrumental moments that transform the atmosphere into a unique, fairytale setting.

The Christmas Opera Fair aims to be more than just a simple market; it is a place where tradition meets art, where the community gathers to celebrate the beauty of winter, and tourists can discover one of the most authentic faces of Cluj during the holiday season. A debut event, but one with the potential to become a beloved tradition that enriches and diversifies the city's magical Christmas scene.

Conclusion

Cluj succeeds, once again, in confirming its status as a vibrant, creative, and charming city during the holiday season. With four different Christmas markets, each with its own identity and atmosphere, the city offers a complex, varied, and accessible experience for everyone—families, young people, art enthusiasts, gourmands, or those looking for the perfect gift.

From the traditional magic of Union Square to the urban energy of the Winter Market at the Sports Hall, from the spectacular illuminated world of the Lights On festival to the authentic Romanian charm of the first Christmas Opera Fair edition, Cluj becomes a true mosaic of colours, traditions, and memorable experiences.

No matter what you are looking for, in Cluj you will find a corner of a fairytale, whether it is lights dancing on historical buildings, carols in a park transformed into a winter village, artistic installations that invite you to dream, or warm moments spent with loved ones over a cup of mulled wine.

In 2025, Cluj doesn't just celebrate Christmas; it lives it in multiple, creative, and vibrant forms. And you are invited into the midst of this festive world, where the magic is felt at every step and every market tells its own story.