Hallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026: Full 34-Movie Schedule

Hallmark Channel is going bigger than ever for its 2026 Countdown to Christmas event, unveiling a sprawling 34-movie lineup that begins October 16 and stretches through December 20. The network’s 17th annual holiday programming celebration will also feature the return of Mistletoe Murders, a special tied to the Hallmark Christmas Experience, an upcoming Christmas Cruise, and a brand-new Jingle Stop Tour inspired by three of the season’s most anticipated movies.

With beloved Hallmark regulars, Disney magic, football fandom, grand historic settings, and plenty of romantic snow-covered towns, this may be the channel’s most ambitious holiday season yet.

Hallmark Is Celebrating Its 25th Anniversary With Its Biggest Christmas Lineup

Countdown to Christmas has grown from a modest collection of holiday movie marathons into a full-scale seasonal institution. Hallmark is marking its 25th anniversary by adding even more festive programming, including 34 original movies, which is 10 more than the previous year.

The event officially kicks off on Friday, October 16, with new premieres generally airing Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The movies will stream the following day on Hallmark+, giving viewers plenty of chances to keep up with hometown reunions, mistaken identities, magical Christmas wishes, family traditions, and swoon-worthy seasonal romances.

The Countdown Begins Before Halloween

Hallmark isn’t waiting for Thanksgiving to unleash the tinsel. The first three movies arrive in mid-October, led by Tis the Season for Setups, starring Amanda Schull, Victor Webster, and Barbara Niven.

It’s followed by the football-themed collaboration Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story, featuring Lyndsy Fonseca, Robert Buckley, Marsha Mason, Barbara Alyn Woods, and Khary Payton. The opening weekend continues with Mr. & Mrs. Christmas, reuniting fan favorites Brendan Penny and Pascale Hutton.

That early launch makes one thing clear: Hallmark is ready to give viewers more than two full months of holiday comfort viewing.

The Full 2026 Hallmark Countdown to Christmas Movie Schedule

The network has assembled a deep bench of returning stars, including Lacey Chabert, Tyler Hynes, Luke Macfarlane, Andrew Walker, Tamera Mowry-Housley, Kristoffer Polaha, Rachel Boston, Wes Brown, Jonathan Bennett, and more. Several weekends will feature back-to-back premieres, especially over Thanksgiving weekend.

Here is the full Countdown to Christmas schedule currently announced. Unless otherwise noted, premieres air at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Hallmark Channel.

October and Early November Premieres

• October 16: Tis the Season for Setups — Amanda Schull, Victor Webster, Barbara Niven
• October 17: Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story — Lyndsy Fonseca, Robert Buckley, Marsha Mason, Barbara Alyn Woods, Khary Payton
• October 18: Mr. & Mrs. Christmas — Brendan Penny, Pascale Hutton
• October 23: Winter Wonderlanes — Ashley Newbrough, Franco Lo Presti
• October 24: Forgotten Holiday — Janel Parrish, Daniel Lissing
• October 25: What If Christmas — Lori Loughlin, Tom Cavanagh
• October 30: Who’s Coming for Christmas? — Rhiannon Fish, Jake Foy, Mila Morgan
• October 31: Adopting St. Nick — Amy Groening, Michael Rady
• November 1: A Danish Christmas — Emilie Ullerup, Corey Sevier
• November 6: Merry Memories — Lindura, Brendan Morgan
• November 7: Holiday Unplugged — Nikki DeLoach, Juan Pablo Di Pace
• November 8: A Season of Promises — Brooke D’Orsay, Ali Liebert, James Denton

Alongside the movie premieres, Mistletoe Murders returns for its third season on November 5. The mystery series stars Sarah Drew, Peter Mooney, and Sierra Marilyn Riley, offering a welcome alternative for viewers who like their Christmas programming with a little more intrigue.

Mid-November Brings Hallmark Heavyweights

• November 13: My Christmas Cowboy — Amy Acker, Luke Macfarlane, Sara Canning
• November 14: The Nights Before Christmas — Tyler Hynes, Laci J Mailey
• November 15: Mistletoe and Mimosas — Tamera Mowry-Housley, Kristoffer Polaha, Jennifer Robertson
• November 20: Our Holiday Playbook — Taylor Cole, Charles Michael Davis
• November 21: Christmas in Blue Dog Valley — Erin Cahill, Andrew Walker
• November 22: Double Booked for the Holidays — Rachael Leigh Cook, Owain Yeoman, Stephen Hagan
• November 26: Christmas Delivered — Autumn Reeser, Wes Brown, Linda Darlow

Thanksgiving Weekend Is Packed With Major Premieres

Thanksgiving weekend will be one of the biggest stretches of the entire Countdown to Christmas event. Hallmark is programming two movie premieres on November 27, November 28, and November 29, giving fans six fresh films across three days.

It’s a smart move for the network, since families traditionally gather at home during the holiday weekend and look for easy, comforting entertainment between meals, shopping trips, football games, and decorating sessions.

The Disney World Movie Takes Center Stage

• November 27 at 6 p.m.: The Christmas Eve Feast — Daniella Monet, Kevin McGarry, executive produced by Giada De Laurentiis
• November 27 at 8 p.m.: Return to Santa — Paul Campbell, Rachel Boston
• November 28 at 6 p.m.: The Most Wonderful Secret — Tammin Sursok, Peter Porte
• November 28 at 8 p.m.: Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True — Lacey Chabert, Travis Van Winkle, Richard Kind, Christy Carlson Romano, Bryce Durfee, Asher Alexander, Taegen Burns
• November 29 at 6 p.m.: Eight Nights for Love — Hunter King, Dan Jeannotte
• November 29 at 8 p.m.: Miles to Christmas — Ashley Williams, Steve Lund, Alison Sweeney

Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True is positioned as one of the season’s biggest attractions. The movie brings Hallmark star Lacey Chabert to Walt Disney World for a holiday romance with Travis Van Winkle, while an impressive supporting cast adds even more nostalgic appeal.

Chabert will also narrate the EPCOT Candlelight Processional on December 22 and 23, making her one of Disney’s most visible holiday personalities this year.

December Brings Historic Romance, Snowy Escapes, and a Hallmark Holiday Special

The final stretch of the season doesn’t slow down. December delivers a mix of new romances, seasonal fantasy, canine chaos, and one especially intriguing movie set at the famed Biltmore Estate.

Hallmark will also air The Hallmark Christmas Experience: A Hometown Holiday on December 5 at 10 p.m. The special will be hosted by Jonathan Bennett and Melissa Peterman and spotlight the Hallmark Christmas Experience in Kansas City.

The Final December Countdown

• December 4: The Snowflake Effect — Heather Hemmens, Mark Ghanimé
• December 5: A Grand Biltmore Christmas — Holland Roden, Niall Matter, Andie MacDowell, James Trevena, Jonathan Frakes, Rachel Boston, Wes Brown
• December 6: An Angel in My Stocking — Fiona Gubelmann, Marco Grazzini, Nancy Robertson
• December 11: Christmas in Canterbury — Jessy Schram, Will Kemp
• December 12: Snow Globe Town — Kimberley Sustad, Scott Michael Foster
• December 13: Noelle Nomads — Benjamin Ayres, Torrey DeVitto
• December 18: Hearts All Aglow — Mishael Morgan, B.J. Britt, Holly Robinson Peete
• December 19: Barking All the Way — Ian Harding, Tori Anderson
• December 20: Save the Date for Christmas — Jonathan Bennett, Italia Ricci

The Jingle Stop Tour Could Make These Three Movies the Events of the Season

Hallmark is expanding beyond television with its new three-city Jingle Stop Tour, centered on Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story, Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True, and A Grand Biltmore Christmas. The tour will visit Chicago, Orlando, and Asheville, North Carolina, all directly connected to the locations behind those high-profile holiday films.

By spacing the movies roughly two weeks apart, Hallmark seems determined to give each major release its own spotlight. Rather than letting one heavily marketed project dominate the whole season, the network is creating separate appointment-viewing moments for football fans, Disney lovers, and viewers who want a grand, old-fashioned Christmas setting.

Between the Hallmark Christmas Cruise from October 23 through 27, the returning Hallmark Christmas Experience in Kansas City, and the new Jingle Stop Tour, Countdown to Christmas is no longer just a television event.

It is becoming a full holiday lifestyle experience, and 2026 looks poised to be Hallmark’s most crowded, cozy, and cheerfully over-the-top Christmas season yet.