The month ahead
December 2026 in Macau, week by week.
Published 26 October 2026
December is Macau's busiest tidy month: the light festival opens, the marathon runs, the food festival takes its final bow, and then the city rolls into four public holidays and New Year's Eve. Here is the month in order, with dates checked against the official tourism calendar on 26 October 2026, plus the weather and the two weekends to book early.
Key facts
- The opening weekend
- Saturday 5 to Sunday 6 December: Light Up Macao opens, the 45th Macao International Marathon runs on the Sunday, and the Macau Food Festival closes the same day.
- Light Up Macao
- 5 December 2026 to 10 January 2027, on the MGTO calendar. The 2026 theme and zones have not been announced yet.
- Public holidays
- 8 December (Feast of the Immaculate Conception), 20 December (Macao SAR Establishment Day), 22 December (Winter Solstice) and 24 to 25 December (Christmas).
- Weather
- Cool and dry: long-run averages of about 20 to 21 degrees by day and about 14 degrees at night. Layers, plus a jacket after dark.
- Book early
- The opening weekend and New Year's Eve. Mid-month weekdays are the calm, cheaper slot.
5 to 6 December
The opening weekend does everything at once
Light Up Macao 2026 switches on across the city on Saturday 5 December and runs every evening to 10 January 2027. It is the city's free light art festival: installations and projection shows spread across several districts, made for an evening walk. The 2026 theme and district map have not been announced yet, so plan around the dates for now and use our Light Up Macao guide for the programme when it lands in late November.
The next morning, Sunday 6 December, the 45th Macao International Marathon starts from the Olympic Sports Centre Stadium in Taipa at 6am, with the mini marathon at 6:20am. The full and half marathon courses cross the Governador Nobre de Carvalho Bridge and Sai Van Bridge and pass A-Ma Temple, which makes the bridge approaches and the Sai Van lakefront the spectator spots. Expect road closures on the bridges that morning; our marathon guide has the quotas, fees and course detail.
Sunday 6 December is also the last day of the Macau Food Festival at Sai Van Lake Square, running 3pm to midnight on its final weekend schedule. Marathon in the morning, food festival for dinner, first full night of the lights after: the opening weekend is the whole month in miniature, and the hotels price it that way.
7 to 19 December
The calm middle, with a holiday in it
Once the marathon crowds go home, mid-December is the month at its easiest: the lights are up, the weather is at its driest, and weekday evenings at the installations are unhurried. Tuesday 8 December is a public holiday for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, so expect a local crowd out that evening and a busier than usual Tuesday.
This is also the practical window for the big paid sights without the peak crush. A clear December evening is the best seat in the house for House of Dancing Water followed by a walk through the lights, and our experiences worth paying for guide ranks the rest.
20 to 25 December
The holiday cluster
Four public holidays land in six days: Sunday 20 December (Macao SAR Establishment Day), Tuesday 22 December (Winter Solstice, a family dinner day across the city, so book restaurants ahead), and Thursday 24 and Friday 25 December for Christmas. Local families are out, restaurants run festive menus, and the Light Up installations do double duty as the Christmas lights.
Christmas Day itself is the low-key end of the festive season here: a holiday, families about, and none of the pressure of the 31st. Our Christmas and New Year guide covers the resort programmes as they are announced, usually in late November.
31 December
New Year's Eve: go, but plan the exit first
No resort has announced its 2026 New Year's Eve programme yet. Last year the countdown centred on the Parisian's Eiffel Tower on the Cotai Strip, with fireworks shortly after midnight, and the crowds afterwards overwhelmed Cotai transport, with long queues for buses, the light rail and taxis. Treat that as the planning brief for this year: pick a hotel on the side of the water you intend to sleep on, or arrange your ride before midnight, and do not count on hailing one at 12:30am. The detail, and the arrival numbers behind it, are in the Christmas and New Year guide.
Weather and packing
Cool, dry and made for walking
December is when Macau's humidity finally lets go. Long-run averages put daytime highs around 20 to 21 degrees and overnight lows around 14 degrees, with only a handful of rainy days in a typical month. Long trousers and a sweater cover most days; bring a proper jacket for the light festival walks, the bridge viewpoints and the 6am marathon start, when it feels colder than the numbers suggest. It is averages, not a forecast, so check the short-range forecast in the week before you travel.
Questions
Frequently asked
What is on in Macau in December 2026?
Three things anchor the month. Light Up Macao runs from 5 December 2026 to 10 January 2027, the 45th Macao International Marathon is on Sunday 6 December, and the Macau Food Festival ends on 6 December after opening on 20 November. After that the month settles into the Christmas holidays and New Year's Eve.
When is Light Up Macao 2026?
From Saturday 5 December 2026 to Sunday 10 January 2027, on the Macao Government Tourism Office calendar. The 2026 theme, zones and nightly programme have not been announced yet; they usually land in late November, and our dedicated Light Up Macao guide tracks them.
What are Macau's public holidays in December 2026?
Tuesday 8 December for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Sunday 20 December for Macao SAR Establishment Day, Tuesday 22 December for the Winter Solstice, and Thursday 24 and Friday 25 December for Christmas, per the MGTO calendar.
What is the weather like in Macau in December?
Cool and dry by Macau standards. Long-run averages put daytime highs around 20 to 21 degrees and overnight lows around 14 degrees, and December is one of the driest months of the year. Pack layers and a proper jacket for the evenings, especially for the waterfront and the marathon start.
Is the Macau Food Festival still on in December?
Yes, for its first six days. The 26th Macau Food Festival runs from 20 November to 6 December 2026 at Sai Van Lake Square, Monday to Thursday 4pm to 11pm and Friday to Sunday 3pm to midnight, with free entry. Sunday 6 December is both the festival's last day and marathon day.
Is December a good time to visit Macau?
It is one of the best months for walking the city: dry, cool and bright. The trade-off is crowds and prices around the opening weekend, the holiday cluster from 20 to 25 December, and New Year's Eve, when Cotai transport was overwhelmed after last year's fireworks. Mid-month weekdays are the calm slot.
Sources
Where this came from
Light Up Macao 2026 dates (5 December 2026 to 10 January 2027) and the December public holidays (8, 20, 22 and 24 to 25 December): Macao Government Tourism Office event calendar, checked 26 October 2026. Marathon date, 45th edition, start times and venue: Macao SAR Government Portal announcement of the 2026 Galaxy Entertainment Macao International Marathon, checked 26 October 2026, with quotas and course detail in our marathon guide. Food Festival dates and hours (20 November to 6 December, Sai Van Lake Square, weekday and weekend hours, free entry): verified for our food festival guide on 20 September 2026. December temperature averages: China Highlights and China Discovery climate summaries for Macau, checked 26 October 2026; they are long-run averages, not a forecast. New Year's Eve crowd and transport account: our Christmas and New Year guide, sourced there. Programmes for Light Up Macao and New Year's Eve are announced in late November; the official listing for your date governs.
Month by month, see the events hub and the November guide. For tickets and hotel deals, see macaudeals.com.