Four public holidays fall between Christmas Day 2026 and 2 January 2027, and on three of them Sugar Mas carnival fills the streets of Basseterre while cruise ships keep calling.
Few businesses post holiday hours. Call first.
What the Law Closes
Christmas Day is a common law holiday under the Public Holidays Act, like Sundays and Good Friday. Boxing Day and New Year’s Day are on the Act’s list of public holidays, and the government lists 2 January as one too. Banks and shops close on all four.
There are exceptions. A pharmacy may open when a prescription can’t wait. Fuel stations may open too, and food and drink can be sold anywhere until 9am.
We’re open 7am to 6pm on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
Pick up your car at Port Zante or RLB Airport from US$65 a day.
Christmas Day, Friday 25 December 2026
Sugar Mas takes Christmas Day off.
Five cruise ships are still listed on Port Zante’s schedule: three at the Port Zante piers in Basseterre, one at anchor and one at Carambola on South Friars Bay.
Delta’s fuel station on Camps Main Road in Basseterre lists itself as open 24 hours but says nothing about holidays. Fill up on Christmas Eve.
No pharmacy has published holiday hours. Call around first.
Palms Court Gardens, a short walk west of the cruise port, is the only restaurant we found that says it opens on holidays: 9am to 5pm daily from November to April. Anywhere else, phone ahead.
Brimstone Hill Fortress says on its website that it opens daily, 9:30am to 5:30pm. In 2013 the same website said it opened every day except Christmas Day and Good Friday, and visitor guides updated as recently as August 2026 still list a Christmas Day closure. Call 869-465-2609 before you drive up.
Caribelle Batik at Romney Manor opens weekdays from 9am to 3pm but has posted nothing about Christmas. Its number is 869-465-6253.
Boxing Day and J’ouvert, Saturday 26 December 2026
Boxing Day stays put this year. The Act moves it only when Christmas falls on a weekend.
It’s also J’ouvert. In 2025 the street party started at 5am from Newtown Bay Road and from Cayon Street in Greenlands, then ran until midday. In 2023, Bay Road closed from the Pelican Mall to College Street Ghaut, and normal traffic was expected back by noon.
Five cruise ships are listed too.
Caribelle Batik opens on Saturdays from November to April, but its website gives two different closing times, 1pm and 3pm, and says nothing about Boxing Day.
New Year’s Eve, Thursday 31 December 2026
It isn’t a public holiday. SKELEC, the electricity company, still closed its offices at half day in 2024, and we found no New Year’s Eve hours from any bank or supermarket.
Three cruise ships are listed, all at Port Zante, and the schedule has one of them leaving at 10pm.
Ticketed Sugar Mas fetes run that night. Our Sugar Mas guide lists them. If you’re drinking, take a taxi.
New Year’s Day and the Grand Parade, Friday 1 January 2027
New Year’s Day is Grand Parade day. Banks and shops close again, and so does Palms Court Gardens, which lists 1 January 2027 as a closed day.
On 1 January 2026 the parade ran 11am to 8pm through downtown Basseterre, and in 2024 taxis and tour buses had to use Port Zante’s western entrance, at the roundabout opposite Ram’s, from 1pm to 5pm.
Five cruise ships are listed, four at Port Zante and one at anchor. Returning a car to the port that afternoon? Leave extra time.
Last Lap, Saturday 2 January 2027
Another public holiday. It’s Last Lap, the final day of Sugar Mas, and on 2 January 2026 it ran 3pm to 10pm downtown.
Four cruise ships are listed, all at Port Zante. Our Sugar Mas guide has the carnival details.
What’s Open at a Glance
| Place or service | Fri 25 Dec | Sat 26 Dec | Thu 31 Dec | Fri 1 Jan | Sat 2 Jan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banks | Closed | Closed | Not a holiday. Hours not confirmed. | Closed | Closed |
| Supermarkets | Closed by law. No holiday hours published. | Closed by law. No holiday hours published. | Not a holiday. Hours not confirmed. | Closed by law. No holiday hours published. | Closed by law. No holiday hours published. |
| Fuel stations | Allowed to open | Allowed to open | Not confirmed | Allowed to open | Allowed to open |
| Pharmacies | Urgent prescriptions only, by law | Urgent prescriptions only, by law | Not confirmed | Urgent prescriptions only, by law | Urgent prescriptions only, by law |
| Palms Court Gardens | 9am to 5pm | 9am to 5pm | 9am to 5pm | Closed | 9am to 5pm |
| Brimstone Hill Fortress | Sources disagree. Call first. | Open, per its website | Open, per its website | Open, per its website | Open, per its website |
| Caribelle Batik | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | 9am to 3pm | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Cruise ships listed | 5 (3 at Port Zante) | 5 (4 at Port Zante) | 3 (all at Port Zante) | 5 (4 at Port Zante) | 4 (all at Port Zante) |
| Nevis ferries | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Our car rental | 7am to 6pm | 7am to 6pm | 7am to 6pm | 7am to 6pm | 7am to 6pm |
Checked 16 September 2026. Hours change. Call ahead for anything not confirmed.
Renting a Car Over the Holidays
We open 7am to 6pm every day, holidays included, and pickup or return outside those hours costs US$25 extra.
Collect and return your car at Port Zante, RLB International Airport or our Basseterre office in Greenlands. On 26 December and 1 January the Greenlands office opens as normal, but because of J’ouvert and the Grand Parade we suggest Port Zante or the airport instead.
Delivery within about 16km is free and runs through the holidays, except into downtown Basseterre while a carnival parade is on.
Breakdown? Call 869-763-4441 between 7am and 6pm. After an accident, call the police on 911.
Getting to Nevis
No ferry operator has published a holiday timetable. SKN Transit says holiday service can differ from the weekly timetable and adds holiday times to its ferry page once operators publish them, so check that page or the SKN Transit app on the morning you travel.
Our Nevis ferry guide covers a normal week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is anything open in St Kitts on Christmas Day?
A little. Fuel stations can open and Palms Court Gardens keeps its 9am to 5pm hours, but banks and shops close.
Can I rent a car on Christmas Day or New Year’s Day?
Yes. We open 7am to 6pm.
Is 2 January a public holiday in St Kitts?
Yes. It’s Last Lap, the final day of Sugar Mas.
Do cruise ships stop in St Kitts on Christmas Day?
Yes. Five are listed for 25 December 2026.
Is Brimstone Hill Fortress open on Christmas Day?
Sources disagree. Its website says daily, but its 2013 website and recent visitor guides say it closes on Christmas Day. Call 869-465-2609.
Do the Nevis ferries run on public holidays?
No holiday timetable has been published. Check SKN Transit on the morning you travel.
Book Your Car
Our automatic cars rent from US$65 a day, and the US$24 (EC$62.50) temporary driving permit, valid on St Kitts and Nevis, is added when you book.
We take a US$200 deposit by cash, card or PayPal. Need more than one car? Message us on WhatsApp.
Book online at least two hours ahead.
Related Guides
- Sugar Mas 2026 to 2027 Guide
- St Kitts Cruise Season 2026 to 2027
- Car Rental from the Cruise Port
- Airport Car Rental Guide
- Basseterre on Foot and by Car
- Brimstone Hill Fortress Driving Guide
- Where to Eat in St Kitts by Car
- Nevis Ferry Guide
- Driving in St Kitts: Rules and Safety
Photo: Berkeley Memorial, Basseterre, St Kitts by David Jones, CC BY 2.0.
