Hallmark Countdown to Christmas 2026 Unwraps Record 34 New Movies
Hallmark is putting a lot more under the tree this year. Its 17th annual Countdown to Christmas begins October 16, 2026, with 34 original movie premieres spread across 10 weeks, plus a new season of Mistletoe Murders. That’s 10 more movies than last year and Hallmark Channel’s biggest holiday premiere slate yet.
Three especially splashy productions bring the NFL, Walt Disney World Resort and Biltmore into the festivities. A cruise, a touring fan event and a Kansas City celebration will take the Christmas cheer off-screen, too.
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Hallmark’s Biggest Christmas Lineup Has a Few Surprises
The holiday programming starts Friday, October 16, then continues around the clock through Christmas and beyond. New original movies are set to premiere on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, giving viewers three chances each week to find their next seasonal favorite.
Hallmark says this year’s stories will lean into romance, family, community, adventure and whimsy. Familiar network faces will share the lineup with performers who are new to Hallmark, but the three major movie events offer the clearest glimpse of how big the channel is thinking in 2026.
First Up: Christmas Meets the NFL
Opening weekend brings Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story, the third movie in Hallmark Channel’s partnership with the NFL and Skydance Sports. If the first weekend sets the tone for the season, Hallmark is kicking things off with football, romance and a Christmas story for fans of both.
The network hasn’t positioned the movie as a one-off experiment. As the partnership’s third installment, it arrives with an established holiday-football connection behind it. This time, that connection helps launch Hallmark’s largest-ever Christmas movie schedule.
Disney World and Biltmore Are Getting the Hallmark Treatment
Two other tentpole movies take viewers to locations with plenty of built-in magic. One was filmed at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, while the other returns to the grounds of Biltmore House for a new romance with a Gilded Age element.
Neither location is just a familiar backdrop. Hallmark is extending both films into holiday product collections, so fans can bring a piece of the on-screen atmosphere home.
A Disney Wish, With a Real-World Pop-Up
Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True grew out of a relationship between Hallmark and The Walt Disney Company that dates back to 1931. The companies trace that connection to the friendship between Hallmark founder J.C. Hall and Walt Disney, which helped make Hallmark one of Mickey Mouse’s earliest licensees.
The new movie was filmed at Walt Disney World Resort. Around its release, Hallmark plans a coordinated collection of greeting cards, ornaments, gift wrap, apparel, home goods and accessories featuring a custom holiday toile design.
A limited-time pop-up store at Disney Springs is also expected to open in early October. It’ll combine products with an in-person fan experience.
Biltmore Gets Another Christmas Romance
Viewers who loved the 2023 time-travel romance A Biltmore Christmas have a reason to revisit the estate. A Grand Biltmore Christmas was filmed at Biltmore House and on its grounds, with a new story set partly during the Gilded Age.
Hallmark is also planning a product collection inspired by the movie, available this holiday season through Biltmore Estate Shops and Biltmoreshop.com. The setting is familiar, but the romance is new, so fans shouldn’t expect a repeat of the earlier film’s plot.
Thursday Nights Belong to Mistletoe Murders
The movies are only part of the schedule. Season 3 of Mistletoe Murders begins Thursday, November 5, adding a weekly series to a lineup otherwise built around weekend premieres and all-day holiday viewing.
It’s a notable sign of how much Countdown to Christmas has grown. Hallmark Media’s head of programming, Michelle Vicary, recalled that the event began with daily Christmas movie marathons and four original films.
This year, it runs across 10 weeks with 34 movie premieres and an original series.
There Is a Next-Day Streaming Option
Viewers who miss a premiere can catch every 2026 Countdown to Christmas original movie and every Season 3 episode of Mistletoe Murders on Hallmark+ the next day. The service also offers more than 450 original holiday movies, amounting to nearly 700 hours, alongside its Non-Stop Christmas live channel.
For fans who start thinking about Christmas long before October, that library is available year-round. Hallmark says the streaming service is now in its third year and has seen double-digit year-over-year subscriber growth.
The Holiday Celebration Is Leaving the Screen
Hallmark is also taking its stars and seasonal programming to fans in person. Its third annual Jingle Stop Tour will visit Chicago, Orlando and Asheville, North Carolina, during the holiday event.
Stops are expected to include movie premieres, surprises and meet-and-greets with fan favorites at Gold Crown Stores. For viewers who’ve made these films an annual ritual, the tour offers a chance to celebrate with other fans.
A Sold-Out Cruise and a Kansas City Christmas
At sea, the 2026 Hallmark Christmas Cruise is already sold out. Its fourth consecutive sold-out sailing in three years runs October 23–27, traveling from Miami to Great Stirrup Cay aboard Norwegian Joy.
On land, the Hallmark Christmas Experience returns to Kansas City, Missouri, where Hallmark is headquartered. It’ll run every weekend from Thanksgiving to Christmas, with star and artist appearances, games, panels, creative workshops, movie screenings and photo opportunities.
The Kansas City celebration will make its way onto television, too. Jonathan Bennett and Melissa Peterman are returning as co-hosts of The Hallmark Christmas Experience: A Hometown Holiday Christmas Special, taking viewers behind the scenes for a second year.
Why Hallmark Is Going Bigger Than Ever
Hallmark has good reason to expand the event. According to Nielsen figures cited by the company, Hallmark Channel was the most-watched entertainment cable network in December 2025 and the fourth quarter among key demographics. The company also says the network has ranked No. 1 among women 18 and older in the fourth quarter for 12 straight years.
In 2026, that devoted audience will get more of almost everything: original movies, a returning mystery series, destination-set romances and more ways to join the celebration in person. The hardest part may be deciding whether to clear Friday, Saturday or Sunday night first.
Christmas Market Closures
Due to econonic conditions and tariffs, some Christmas Markets may cancel their events due to lack of vendors. If you are aware of a closed market,or find errors on a listing or an image, please reach out on our Contact Us page so that we may update this post.