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LIVE HOLIDAY LIGHTS · ORDERED BY WHERE IT IS DARK NOW

Christmas & Holiday Lights Live Cams

Holiday lights only show after dark, and it is dark somewhere at every hour. These are the live cameras on Port of Cams that are worth opening in December, from Santa Claus Village on the Arctic Circle to the rink at Bryant Park and a Bavarian-styled town in the Cascades, put in order by where night has already fallen. Each one says what is actually in the frame, and the dates below say when the big displays switch on.

Most holiday displays go up in late November. The big switch-ons in 2026 are Leavenworth on 26 November, Jackson’s Town Square on the 27th, the Rockefeller Center tree on 2 December and Honolulu City Lights on 5 December.

Cameras, frames and dates checked by hand on 22 October 2026. Streams re-checked when this page was rebuilt, 27 October 2026, 19:08 UTC: 11 of 12 live.

Santa Claus Village — Arctic Circle Live Cam, latest still
FEATURED

Santa Claus Village, Rovaniemi

When the page loads, the player picks a camera where it is already dark and starts it muted.

Right now at each camera

Cameras where it is dark come first, then dusk and dawn, then daylight. Cameras our health checker reports offline drop to the bottom.

  1. 1 Santa Claus Village, Rovaniemi Holiday display in view GMT+2 Any time it is dark in Lapland, which by December is most of the day: the sun only just clears the horizon there at the solstice.
  2. 2 Bryant Park Winter Village, New York Holiday display in view EST December evenings, New York time; the rink is open until midnight from 19 November to 3 January.
  3. 3 Leavenworth, Washington: Front Street Holiday display in view PST After dusk Pacific time: the town says its lights are on 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day of the season.
  4. 4 Jackson Town Square, Wyoming Holiday display in view MST Snowy evenings, Mountain time: the arches glow from dusk.
  5. 5 Times Square, New York City lights EST Any evening, New York time; New Year’s Eve above all.
  6. 6 Levi ski village, Finnish Lapland Snow and polar night GMT+2 Afternoons and evenings, Finnish time. In the polar night, any time of day.
  7. 7 Niagara Falls, Ontario Holiday display in view EST From 4:30 p.m. Eastern time in November and December, when the illumination starts.
  8. 8 Prague: the Vltava and Charles Bridge City lights GMT+1 From late afternoon, Central European time: the sun sets at about 4 p.m. in mid-December.
  9. 9 Venice: the Grand Canal City lights GMT+1 Early evening, Central European time.
  10. 10 Dublin: Temple Bar City lights GMT Evenings, Irish time (the same as London).
  11. 11 New Orleans: Bourbon Street City lights CST Late evening, Central time, when the street is busiest.
  12. 12 Waikiki: Lewers Street City lights Not live at last checkHST After about 6 p.m. Hawaii time: in December the sun sets there at about 5:50 p.m., later by the clock than anywhere else on this page.

The cameras, and what is in each frame

Three kinds: cameras with a holiday display in view, snowy Lapland scenes in the polar night, and city cameras whose everyday lights look their best on a December evening. Only the first kind promises decorations.

Holiday display in view

Santa Claus Village, Rovaniemi

On the Arctic Circle, Rovaniemi, Finnish Lapland

Live videoCity of Rovaniemi

The city’s own camera looks straight down the painted Arctic Circle line, between rows of lit Christmas trees and the log buildings of Santa Claus Village, with a tall thermometer post on the left of the frame.

What to look for: The trees and rooflines were already lit when we checked on 22 October. The village is open all year and its operator says Santa is there every day; the camera shows the square outside, so expect visitors and lights rather than Santa himself.

When: Any time it is dark in Lapland, which by December is most of the day: the sun only just clears the horizon there at the solstice.

On 15 December the sun sets at 1:25 p.m. and it is dark by 3:13 p.m., local time.

Bryant Park Winter Village, New York

Bryant Park, 42nd Street, Midtown Manhattan

Live videoBryant Park

The park’s own camera looks across the Bank of America Winter Village from above: the ice rink, the rows of glass-roofed holiday shop kiosks and Midtown’s office towers behind.

What to look for: Skaters under lights, the shop kiosks lit up and the park’s Christmas tree. The village opens on 28 October 2026; the holiday shops close on 3 January 2027 and the rink stays until 28 February.

When: December evenings, New York time; the rink is open until midnight from 19 November to 3 January.

On 15 December the sun sets at 4:30 p.m. and it is dark by 5:01 p.m., local time.

Leavenworth, Washington: Front Street

Front Street Park, Leavenworth, in the Cascade foothills

Live videoVisit Leavenworth

Visit Leavenworth’s camera on the Kris Kringl shop looks over Front Street Park, its maypole and the Bavarian-styled shopfronts of a town that turns itself into its Village of Lights every winter.

What to look for: Over half a million lights, according to the town, switched on from Thanksgiving to the end of February. Christmastown festivities run 27 November to 24 December 2026.

When: After dusk Pacific time: the town says its lights are on 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day of the season.

On 15 December the sun sets at 4:12 p.m. and it is dark by 4:48 p.m., local time.

Jackson Town Square, Wyoming

Town Square, Jackson, Wyoming

Live videoSee Jackson Hole

A street-corner view of Jackson’s Town Square and one of its four elk antler arches, the town’s best-known landmark.

What to look for: The chamber of commerce says the antler arches are lit with thousands of lights for the season. The Town Square Lighting is traditionally held the day after Thanksgiving, which is 27 November in 2026, and local listings say the lights stay up through New Year.

When: Snowy evenings, Mountain time: the arches glow from dusk.

On 15 December the sun sets at 4:48 p.m. and it is dark by 5:21 p.m., local time.

Niagara Falls, Ontario

Horseshoe Falls, from the Canadian side

Live videoEarthCam

EarthCam’s camera faces Horseshoe Falls, the largest of the three falls, with the spray rising out of the gorge.

What to look for: The falls are lit in colour every night of the year from dusk, by banks of lights across the gorge. In winter the city’s Winter Festival of Lights runs too: 15 November 2025 to 4 January 2026 last season; the 2026 dates are published at wfol.com.

When: From 4:30 p.m. Eastern time in November and December, when the illumination starts.

On 15 December the sun sets at 4:43 p.m. and it is dark by 5:15 p.m., local time.

Snow and polar night

Levi ski village, Finnish Lapland

Zero Point, Levi, Kittilä, above the Arctic Circle

Live videoLevi Ski Resort

Levi Ski Resort’s camera at Zero Point looks up the Front Slopes from the lift station in the middle of the village, with the chairlift and gondola climbing into the dark.

What to look for: Floodlit runs, a lit lift station and grooming machines at work. At 67.8°N the sun does not rise at all from about 12 December to 1 January, so this is a Christmas scene lit entirely by the resort.

When: Afternoons and evenings, Finnish time. In the polar night, any time of day.

On 15 December the sun does not rise; twilight ends at 3:02 p.m., local time.

City lights

Times Square, New York

Times Square, Manhattan

Live videoEarthCam

A wide view of Times Square’s billboards and the crowds below them, bright at any hour and the place New York counts down to midnight on New Year’s Eve.

What to look for: The billboards rather than Christmas decorations: the square is lit all year.

When: Any evening, New York time; New Year’s Eve above all.

On 15 December the sun sets at 4:30 p.m. and it is dark by 5:01 p.m., local time.

Prague: the Vltava and Charles Bridge

From Hotel Mozart Prague, by the Smetana Museum

Live videoCamStreamer

This camera looks across the Vltava to the lit arches of Charles Bridge, with the Smetana Museum’s Renaissance-style facade beside it; an overlay names what is in view.

What to look for: The bridge and the riverfront lit on a long December night. Prague’s Christmas markets, on Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square, are not in this view.

When: From late afternoon, Central European time: the sun sets at about 4 p.m. in mid-December.

On 15 December the sun sets at 4:01 p.m. and it is dark by 4:40 p.m., local time.

Venice: the Grand Canal

The Grand Canal, from a restaurant on the water

Live videoI Love You Venice

A low view across the Grand Canal at water level, with vaporetti and gondolas passing the palazzi opposite.

What to look for: Lit windows and their reflections on the water; Venice in December is often misty, which softens every light. No holiday display is promised in frame.

When: Early evening, Central European time.

On 15 December the sun sets at 4:29 p.m. and it is dark by 5:03 p.m., local time.

Dublin: Temple Bar

Temple Bar, Dublin

Live videoEarthCam

EarthCam’s camera looks down a cobbled Temple Bar street at the red front of The Temple Bar pub and its neighbours, busy with visitors at most hours.

What to look for: Pub fronts lit after dark and the December crowds; in mid-December the sun sets in Dublin at about 4:10 p.m. No holiday display is promised in frame.

When: Evenings, Irish time (the same as London).

On 15 December the sun sets at 4:07 p.m. and it is dark by 4:50 p.m., local time.

New Orleans: Bourbon Street

Bourbon Street, French Quarter

Live videoEarthCam

A view down Bourbon Street’s neon signs and iron balconies in the French Quarter.

What to look for: Neon and balcony lights all year: a warm-weather alternative to snowy Christmas cams. No holiday display is promised in frame.

When: Late evening, Central time, when the street is busiest.

On 15 December the sun sets at 5:03 p.m. and it is dark by 5:30 p.m., local time.

Waikiki: Lewers Street

Lewers Street, Waikiki, Honolulu

Live videoPort of CamsNot live at last check

Our own camera, on a balcony above Lewers Street in Waikiki, looking down at palm trees, hotel towers and the street below.

What to look for: A warm December night in Waikiki. Honolulu’s own holiday lights display, Honolulu City Lights, is downtown at Honolulu Hale, not in this view; it opens on 5 December 2026.

When: After about 6 p.m. Hawaii time: in December the sun sets there at about 5:50 p.m., later by the clock than anywhere else on this page.

On 15 December the sun sets at 5:53 p.m. and it is dark by 6:17 p.m., local time.

Lighting dates for the 2026 season

Only dates the organisers publish, or the usual pattern where this year’s date is not out yet; each says which and links its source. Where a camera on this page shows the place, it is linked.

  • Bryant Park Winter Village opens

    New York · Published for 2026

    Opens Wednesday 28 October 2026 at noon. Holiday shops until 3 January 2027; the rink and the Lodge until 28 February 2027.

    Camera: Bryant Park Winter Village, New York · Source: bryantpark.org

  • Leavenworth Village of Lights

    Washington · Published for 2026

    Lights on 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily from Thanksgiving (26 November 2026) to the end of February. Christmastown festivities 27 November to 24 December 2026.

    Camera: Leavenworth, Washington: Front Street · Source: leavenworth.org

  • Jackson Town Square Lighting

    Wyoming · Usual pattern

    Traditionally the day after Thanksgiving, which is Friday 27 November in 2026; the antler arches stay lit through New Year. Confirm the time with the chamber of commerce.

    Camera: Jackson Town Square, Wyoming · Source: jacksonholechamber.com

  • Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting

    New York · Reported for 2026

    Traditionally the Wednesday after Thanksgiving. For 2026 that is Wednesday 2 December, the date reported in September; the tree arrives in early November. The ceremony is broadcast on NBC. We do not carry a camera of the tree.

    Source: rockefellercenter.com

  • Trafalgar Square Christmas tree

    London · Usual pattern

    A gift from Norway every year since 1947, in thanks for Britain’s support in the Second World War. It is lit in early December (on the first Thursday of the month in each recent year: 4 December in 2025) and stands until just before Twelfth Night. We do not carry a camera of it.

    Source: london.gov.uk

  • Honolulu City Lights opening night

    Hawaii · Published for 2026

    Saturday 5 December 2026: the ceremony starts at 5:30 p.m. and the lights go on at about 6 p.m. at Honolulu Hale. Displays run through December, lit about 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.

    Source: honolulucitylights.org

  • Niagara Falls illumination and Winter Festival of Lights

    Ontario · Season

    The falls are lit every night of the year; from 1 November to 31 December the lights come on at 4:30 p.m. The Winter Festival of Lights ran 15 November 2025 to 4 January 2026; check wfol.com for 2026.

    Camera: Niagara Falls, Ontario · Source: niagarafallsstatepark.com

  • Santa Claus Village

    Rovaniemi, Finland · Season

    Open all year; the operator says Santa Claus is there every day. December is the busiest month.

    Camera: Santa Claus Village, Rovaniemi · Source: the City of Rovaniemi’s stream description

Christmas markets season

The Christmas markets of Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic usually open around the first Sunday of Advent, which falls on 29 November 2026, and most close on or just before Christmas Eve; a few run on into early January. Each market sets its own dates, so check the town’s own site before you plan around one.

None of the markets are in frame on the cameras here. The closest thing on this page is Bryant Park’s Winter Village in New York, with its rows of holiday shop kiosks around the rink, and Leavenworth’s Front Street, a whole town styled on a Bavarian village. The Prague camera looks at Charles Bridge and the river, not the market squares.

Tips for watching

  • Go by their clock, not yours. Each camera’s local time is in the list above. From North America, open the Lapland and European cameras in your morning and the American ones in your evening.
  • Lapland is the exception. Rovaniemi gets about two and a half hours of sun in mid-December and Levi none at all, so their lights are on through most of the day.
  • Before late November, expect everyday lights. Most towns decorate in Thanksgiving week. Santa Claus Village was already lit when we checked in October, and Bryant Park’s Winter Village opens on 28 October.
  • Watch the switch-on. Jackson’s camera faces one of the antler arches that are lit at the Town Square Lighting, the day after Thanksgiving; leave it open at dusk, Mountain time.
  • Snow changes everything. A fresh fall turns the Jackson and Leavenworth frames white and doubles every light; check the local weather before you settle in.

Questions

When is the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lit in 2026?

The lighting is traditionally on the Wednesday after Thanksgiving, which in 2026 is Wednesday 2 December, the date reported in September. The ceremony is broadcast on NBC, and Rockefeller Center publishes the time and the tree’s viewing hours on its own site. Port of Cams does not carry a camera of the tree; the nearest live camera here is Bryant Park’s Winter Village, a few blocks south.

Where can I watch Santa Claus live?

The City of Rovaniemi streams Santa Claus Village, on the Arctic Circle in Finnish Lapland, around the clock. Its description says Santa is at the village every day of the year. The camera shows the square outside his office, with the Arctic Circle line and lit trees, so you will see the village and its visitors rather than a meeting with Santa.

What time are the Christmas lights on?

From dusk until late evening, local time at each camera. The list at the top of this page is ordered by where it is dark right now. Some hours are published: Leavenworth’s lights are on 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily in the season, Niagara Falls is lit from 4:30 p.m. in November and December, and Honolulu City Lights is lit about 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.

When do Christmas lights and markets start in 2026?

Most of the big switch-ons fall in Thanksgiving week and the first days of December: Leavenworth from Thanksgiving (26 November), Jackson’s Town Square the day after, the Rockefeller Center tree on 2 December and Honolulu City Lights on 5 December. Christmas markets in Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic usually open around the first Sunday of Advent, which is 29 November in 2026.

Why can’t I see any Christmas lights on the camera?

Either it is daytime there, or it is before the season. Check the local time shown for each camera: the lights show from dusk. Before late November most towns have not decorated yet, and some cameras on this page show a city’s everyday lights rather than a holiday display. Each camera card says which.

What is the best time to watch from the United States?

For Lapland and the European cams, your morning. Finland is seven hours ahead of New York in December and Central Europe six, so 5 p.m. in Rovaniemi is 10 a.m. Eastern. The American cameras are best in your own evening; Waikiki is two hours behind the West Coast and five behind New York in December.

Are these real live streams?

Yes. Each is the operator’s own live stream, embedded from YouTube, except Lewers Street in Waikiki, which is a camera Port of Cams runs itself. We checked every stream by hand on 22 October 2026, and the page re-checks them each time it is rebuilt; a camera that is not live drops down the list or off the page.

Camera feeds belong to their operators (the City of Rovaniemi, Bryant Park, Visit Leavenworth, See Jackson Hole, Levi Ski Resort, EarthCam, CamStreamer and I Love You Venice), named on each camera page; Lewers Street is ours. Dates are from the sources linked beside each one. Local times, sunsets and darkness are computed in your browser from each camera’s coordinates; nothing is sent anywhere.

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