Hallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026: 34 New Holiday Movies

Hallmark Channel is going bigger than ever for Countdown to Christmas in 2026, rolling out a towering 34 original holiday movies across 10 weeks, plus the return of Mistletoe Murders. The seasonal event begins Oct. 16, and the early lineup alone is packed with snow-covered resorts, second chances, football fandom, memory-loss romance, magical alternate lives and enough festive family drama to keep viewers booked through Christmas Day.

Hallmark Is Delivering Its Biggest Christmas Movie Season Yet

The 17th annual edition of Countdown to Christmas is set to be an especially ambitious one for Hallmark Channel. The network has expanded its holiday slate to 34 original movie premieres, airing around the clock with fresh films generally landing at 8 p.m. ET.

It is a major leap from the early days of the annual event, when holiday programming centered on reruns and just a handful of new original movies. This time around, Hallmark is leaning into everything audiences expect from the brand: big-city professionals returning home, family businesses in jeopardy, lovable children playing cupid, small towns in need of saving and romances that blossom under twinkling lights.

A Star-Studded Holiday Roster Is Ready to Take Over

The cast list reads like a Hallmark holiday dream team. Familiar favorites including Lori Loughlin, Lacey Chabert, Tamera Mowry-Housley, Rachael Leigh Cook, Janel Parrish, Tyler Hynes, Luke Macfarlane, Kristoffer Polaha, Nikki DeLoach, Amy Acker and Brendan Penny are among the performers joining the season.

The lineup also makes room for longtime television favorites and unexpected guest appearances. Richard Kind, Andie MacDowell, Jonathan Bennett, Ian Harding and Christy Carlson Romano are part of the larger event.

The Chicago Bears-themed Oct. 17 premiere includes appearances from current players, team figures and beloved franchise legends.

The First Weekend Starts With Romance, Snow and a Chicago Bears Surprise

Hallmark wastes no time bringing out the holiday spirit. The Oct. 16 kickoff centers on Lexi, a hyper-organized single mom and party planner who heads to a ski resort with her free-spirited mother and teenage daughter.

What begins as a seasonal work trip quickly turns complicated when she clashes with Ridge, the resort ski instructor. Of course, the two soon spot chemistry between Lexi’s mother and Ridge’s father.

Their plan to play matchmaker leads to festive outings, accidental foursomes and the type of romantic confusion that Hallmark audiences gladly unwrap every year.

Football Fans May Find a New Holiday Favorite on Oct. 17

The following night brings an especially distinctive premise: a Christmas romance rooted in Chicago Bears fandom. Lyndsy Fonseca stars as Avery, a freelance reporter returning to Chicago who winds up profiling a beloved Bears superfan preparing to attend her 500th game.

Robert Buckley plays Matt, the superfan’s firefighter grandson, who introduces Avery to game-day traditions and the communal joy of being part of Bears Nation. The movie includes cameos from Bears head coach Ben Johnson, quarterback Caleb Williams, tight end Cole Kmet, tight end Colston Loveland and notable alumni including Mike Singletary and Charles Peanut Tillman.

• Oct. 16: A ski-resort family matchmaking story starring Amanda Schull and Victor Webster
• Oct. 17: A Chicago Bears romance starring Lyndsy Fonseca and Robert Buckley
• Oct. 18: A Christmas-market revival led by Brendan Penny and Pascale Hutton

Lost Memories and Second Chances Drive the Late October Movies

By the time the final full week of October arrives, Hallmark has already moved into some of its most irresistible territory: exes, old hometowns and lives that need a major holiday reset. Ashley Newbrough headlines the Oct. 23 premiere as a globe-trotting restaurateur who returns home and learns her late grandfather’s bowling alley could be sold.

Her solution is to revive a youth bowling tournament, but it requires working with a local news reporter who also happens to be her high school boyfriend. Franco Lo Presti co-stars in what could be one of the season’s most nostalgic small-town reunions.

Janel Parrish Faces an Unforgettable Christmas Problem

The Oct. 24 film gives Janel Parrish one of the most emotionally juicy setups of the season. Her character Kathryn receives a surprise pre-Christmas proposal from Rob, played by Daniel Lissing, but panic sends her running before she can answer.

Then Rob suffers an accident and loses memories of the past year, including their relationship and his affection for Christmas. Kathryn must guide him through the milestones of their romance in hopes of helping him remember.

All the while, she fears that restoring his old life could mean losing the love she was too scared to accept.

Lori Loughlin follows on Oct. 25 in a magical alternate-reality story about a woman who gave up her fashion-design dreams to support her surgeon husband. A heart-shaped ornament sends her into a life where she became a famous designer, forcing her to consider whether professional success can replace connection, purpose and love.

November Brings Copenhagen, Christmas Companions and Mystery

The season keeps its momentum through the first week of November, offering stories that travel from a cozy Danish inn to a retirement community where an unofficial Santa figure helps residents and families rediscover their sense of belonging.

Emilie Ullerup stars in the Nov. 1 movie as Marie, a Chicago-based hotel technology executive who returns to Copenhagen for Christmas. When she mistakes a guest played by Corey Sevier for a travel writer, she races to create the perfect Danish holiday experience at her family inn.

A Case of Mistaken Identity Could Save a Family Inn

Marie has extra motivation to impress: her mother is considering selling the inn after the New Year. As Marie creates an elaborate itinerary and attempts to bring cozy Danish warmth to every detail, a mix-up involving the real journalist raises the stakes.

It is a classic Hallmark formula with a travel twist, combining family legacy, a possible business rescue and a romance that develops amid festive mishaps. For viewers craving a holiday escape without leaving the couch, Copenhagen may be the place to be.

On Oct. 31, Amy Groening and Michael Rady star in a story built around the Christmas Companions program at a new retirement community. A single mom and hardware-store owner finds herself helping finish a crucial community-room project.

Meanwhile, her daughter bonds with a warmhearted resident who bears a striking resemblance to Santa.

Mistletoe Murders Returns With More Holiday Mysteries

Hallmark is not relying only on romance in 2026. Season 3 of Mistletoe Murders premieres Nov. 5, with Sarah Drew returning as Emily Lane and Peter Mooney back as Detective Sam Wilner.

The new season sends Emily and Sam into three fresh Christmas mysteries while Emily’s past collides with her present. Catherine Bell and Holly Robinson Peete are set to appear as guest stars, giving the series an added dose of Hallmark star power.

The Holiday Slate Also Finds Heart in Family Stories

Several early November movies focus on the quieter, more emotional side of Christmas. Lindura stars in the Nov. 6 movie as a meticulous accountant who helps her young nephew create a holiday scrapbook for his deployed military mother.

Brendan Morgan plays a free-spirited substitute teacher whose creativity challenges her need for control.

Nikki DeLoach leads the Nov. 7 story as a widow and mother whose treasured family videos disappear during a server migration. With help from a former colleague, played by Juan Pablo Di Pace, she searches for the original tapes while her family tries a screen-free Christmas.

Meanwhile, Brooke D’Orsay and Ali Liebert play estranged sisters on Nov. 8 who reunite after a health scare involving their father, played by James Denton. Their mission is simple but heartfelt: help their widowed dad find love again before Christmas.

With 34 premieres on the way, Hallmark Channel is clearly making 2026 a season of comfort viewing on a blockbuster scale. Whether the must-watch is a time-loop romance starring Tyler Hynes, a celebrity comeback tale with Amy Acker and Luke Macfarlane, or a snowy family reunion, the holiday movie marathon is about to become a full-time event.