Shops in central Leipzig will be allowed to open on two Sundays during Advent this year, tied to the Leipziger Weihnachtsmarkt (Leipzig Christmas Market). According to a notice published by the Leipziger Internet Zeitung, the shopping Sundays fall on 29 November and 13 December.
What happened
Germany normally keeps shops closed on Sundays. Exceptions are called verkaufsoffene Sonntage (shopping Sundays), and a town must have a recognised special reason to allow one. The Leipziger Internet Zeitung (L-IZ) reports that the Stadtrat (Leipzig City Council) has passed a Rechtsverordnung (a local legal ordinance) allowing shops in the city centre to open on two Sundays in the 2026 Advent season.
Under the ordinance, shops in the centre may open from 12 to 18 Uhr on 29 November and on 13 December. Germany uses the 24-hour clock, and “Uhr” means “o’clock”. This is the outer limit only. Each shop decides for itself how much of that window to use, and the notice says that in Leipzig, shops usually open from 13 to 18 Uhr on shopping Sundays.
The Christmas market provides the legal reason. The notice describes the Leipziger Weihnachtsmarkt as the traditional market event in the Innenstadt (city centre), drawing more than two million visitors a year and attracting people from beyond Saxony and Germany. It calls the market one of the events that most shapes the city’s image, and says this meets the requirement of a special occasion that shopping Sundays need. This year the market opens on 24 November.
The legal basis is Section 8, paragraph 1 of the Sächsisches Ladenöffnungsgesetz (the Saxon Shop Opening Act), the state law that sets shop hours in Saxony. The L-IZ notes that the city has issued similar ordinances for shopping Sundays in previous years.
Readers should know where this notice appeared. It was published in the L-IZ’s “Melder” section, which carries third-party announcements. The newspaper states that these are not edited or fact-checked by its editorial team and that the senders alone are responsible for the content.
What it means for you
The arrangement only applies to Leipzig-Zentrum, the city centre. The notice states clearly that the shopping Sundays are limited to this area. If you live in another district, your local supermarket or high street shops should not be expected to open on these days.
If you plan to shop in the centre on one of the two Sundays, keep these points in mind:
- Dates: Sunday 29 November and Sunday 13 December.
- Permitted window: 12 to 18 Uhr, but each shop chooses its own hours within that range.
- Typical hours: according to the notice, shops in Leipzig usually open from 13 to 18 Uhr on shopping Sundays, so arriving at 12 Uhr does not guarantee that a particular shop will be open.
- Area: the city centre only.
Before you go, check the opening hours of the specific shop or shopping centre you want to visit, either on its website or at the door. Because the Christmas market will be running on both Sundays, expect a busy city centre.
The notice does not mention public transport changes, parking or any other services for these days. It also does not say whether shops outside the centre can apply for exceptions.
What to watch next
The Leipziger Weihnachtsmarkt opens on 24 November, so the first shopping Sunday falls in its first week. Individual shops and shopping centres in the centre are likely to announce their own Sunday hours closer to the dates. Since the ordinance sets only the outer limits, those announcements are the most reliable guide to when a given shop will actually open.
Source: Leipziger Internet Zeitung
Sources
- Leipziger Internet Zeitung: Verkaufsoffene Sonntage in der Adventszeit, accessed 30 October 2026
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