Hallmark’s 2026 Countdown to Christmas Lineup Features 34 New Movies

Cancel your quiet autumn weekends: Hallmark has unveiled its biggest Countdown to Christmas lineup yet. Starting Friday, October 16, the network will premiere 34 original holiday movies over 10 weeks, with new releases arriving on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. That’s 10 more movies than last year. The schedule includes a football romance, a trip to Walt Disney World, a return to the Biltmore Estate, and a third season of Mistletoe Murders. Here’s what deserves a spot on your holiday watchlist.

Hallmark Is Starting Christmas Earlier and Going Bigger

Countdown to Christmas began with just four original movies. This year, its 34 premieres make it the event’s largest movie lineup yet. Holiday programming will run around the clock through the season and beyond Christmas.

The first premiere arrives October 16, leaving less than a month between the lineup announcement and the opening credits. Three films are getting particular attention as the season’s tentpole releases.

Football, Disney, and a Biltmore Return Lead the Lineup

Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story premieres Saturday, October 17. The Christmas-set football romance is Hallmark’s third movie made in partnership with the NFL and Skydance Sports, following the Chiefs-themed film in 2024 and the Bills-themed film in 2025. If your household is split between holiday-movie devotees and football fans, opening weekend may finally offer a compromise.

On Saturday, November 28, Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True brings another big name into the festivities. The film was shot on location at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. The collaboration also has a historical connection: Hallmark was among the first companies licensed to use Mickey Mouse back in 1931.

Then, on Saturday, December 5, A Grand Biltmore Christmas returns viewers to Asheville’s Biltmore Estate, following the 2023 time-travel movie A Biltmore Christmas. Like its predecessor, the new film is set partly in the Gilded Age. Viewers looking for a souvenir can find a matching collection at the Biltmore Estate Shops and Biltmoreshop.com.

The October Premieres Get the Party Started

Hallmark wastes no time getting into its three-nights-a-week rhythm. The first weekend pairs the Bears movie with two other premieres. The following weekends keep the new titles coming.

Here’s the October schedule, including the November 1 movie that closes out the month’s final weekend.

Opening Weekend Through Halloween

• Friday, October 16: ’Tis the Season for Setups
• Saturday, October 17: Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story
• Sunday, October 18: Mr. & Mrs. Christmas
• Friday, October 23: Winter Wonderlanes
• Saturday, October 24: Forgotten Holiday
• Sunday, October 25: What If Christmas
• Friday, October 30: Who’s Coming for Christmas?
• Saturday, October 31: Adopting St. Nick
• Sunday, November 1: A Danish Christmas

That’s nine premieres before the first full week of November. Whether you watch each one live or save them for a weekend marathon, the schedule makes it easy to start a new Friday-to-Sunday holiday ritual.

November Brings More Movies and a Cozy Mystery

November is especially crowded, with the usual weekend premieres plus extra releases around Thanksgiving. It also brings back a series for viewers who like a little crime-solving alongside their Christmas decorations.

Mistletoe Murders begins its third season on Thursday, November 5. Sarah Drew plays Emily Lane, the owner of a year-round Christmas shop in a small town. Her mysterious past and knack for solving crimes keep things interesting.

Every November Movie Premiere

• Friday, November 6: Merry Memories
• Saturday, November 7: Holiday Unplugged
• Sunday, November 8: A Season of Promises
• Friday, November 13: My Christmas Cowboy
• Saturday, November 14: The Nights Before Christmas
• Sunday, November 15: Mistletoe and Mimosas
• Friday, November 20: Our Holiday Playbook
• Saturday, November 21: Christmas in Blue Dog Valley
• Sunday, November 22: Double Booked for the Holidays
• Thursday, November 26: Christmas Delivered
• Friday, November 27: The Christmas Eve Feast and Return to Santa
• Saturday, November 28: The Most Wonderful Secret and Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True
• Sunday, November 29: Eight Nights for Love and Miles to Christmas

Thanksgiving week is the stretch to circle: a Thursday movie, followed by two premieres each night from Friday through Sunday. If you’re planning to turn the long weekend into a holiday viewing marathon, Hallmark has supplied the itinerary.

The Thursday Mistletoe Murders Dates

Emily Lane returns on November 5, with new episodes scheduled for November 12, November 19, November 26, and December 3. The season finale airs Thursday, December 10. Mystery fans can look forward to a weekly appointment alongside the bigger movie schedule.

December Keeps the Premieres Coming

The calendar doesn’t slow down when December arrives. The Biltmore movie headlines the first weekend, followed by Friday, Saturday, and Sunday releases through December 20.

There’s also a second Hallmark Christmas Experience title on December 5, making that Saturday especially busy for holiday viewing.

The December Movie Schedule

• Friday, December 4: The Snowflake Effect
• Saturday, December 5: A Grand Biltmore Christmas and The Hallmark Christmas Experience: A Hometown Holiday
• Sunday, December 6: An Angel in My Stocking
• Friday, December 11: Christmas in Canterbury
• Saturday, December 12: Snow Globe Town
• Sunday, December 13: Noelle Nomads
• Friday, December 18: Hearts All Aglow
• Saturday, December 19: Barking All the Way
• Sunday, December 20: Save the Date for Christmas

How to Watch Without Missing a Premiere

Every new Countdown to Christmas movie and Mistletoe Murders episode will air on Hallmark. They’ll be available to stream the next day on Hallmark+. If October 16 still feels too far away, Hallmark+ already has more than 450 original holiday movies ready to watch.

The biggest challenge this season may not be finding something festive. With 34 new films, a returning mystery series, and several double-premiere nights, deciding what to watch first may be the tricky part.