Bergdorf Goodman Holiday Windows 2026: Dates & What to Expect

Ask New Yorkers which holiday windows are the best in the city, and many will name Bergdorf Goodman without hesitating. Where other stores lean on animated toys and light shows, Bergdorf’s windows are closer to art installations: elaborate, hand-built worlds of glitter, paper, mosaic and sculpture, each one dressed with couture fashion. People line up along Fifth Avenue to study them inch by inch, and every year they’re among the most photographed sights of the New York holiday season.

This guide covers everything you need to know about the Bergdorf Goodman holiday windows in 2026: when they’re unveiled, what to expect, how they’re made, the best times to visit, and what to see nearby. For more displays across the city, see our guide to NYC holiday window displays.

Quick answer: Bergdorf Goodman’s holiday windows are usually unveiled around November 20 and stay up until early January. They’re free to see on Fifth Avenue at 58th Street, across both the women’s store (754 Fifth Avenue) and the men’s store (745 Fifth Avenue). The 2026 theme and unveiling date haven’t been announced yet. Weekday mornings are the best time to see the details without crowds.

Bergdorf Goodman Windows: Quick Facts

In This Guide

• Why Bergdorf’s Windows Are So Special
• The 2026 Holiday Windows
• Last Season: The Bergdorf Soirée
• How the Windows Are Made
• The Unveiling Night
• Best Times to Visit
• Getting There
• What to See Nearby
• Practical Tips
• Frequently Asked Questions

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Why Bergdorf’s Windows Are So Special

Bergdorf Goodman has stood at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 58th Street since 1928, on the site of the former Cornelius Vanderbilt II mansion, looking out over Grand Army Plaza and the Plaza Hotel. It’s one of New York’s most famous luxury stores, and its holiday windows have become a cultural event in their own right.

• They’re handmade. Almost everything in the windows is built by hand, from paper sculptures to glittering animals to intricate mosaics.
• They tell a story. Each year has a theme, and every window is a different scene within it.
• They’re full of detail. The closer you look, the more you find, from tiny objects hidden in the backgrounds to surfaces covered in glass glitter and crystals.
• They pair art with fashion. Each scene features clothing from top designers, often including runway pieces and custom designs.

The windows are led by Bergdorf’s visual presentation team, headed for decades by window designer David Hoey, who has created the store’s displays since 1996.

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The 2026 Holiday Windows

Bergdorf Goodman keeps its theme a closely guarded secret until the unveiling, so the 2026 windows haven’t been revealed yet. Based on past years, expect:

• Unveiling: Around November 20, usually with an evening celebration on Fifth Avenue
• Windows: Roughly eight to nine themed windows across the women’s and men’s stores
• On view: Through the first week of January

We’ll update this page with the 2026 theme, unveiling date and a description of each window as soon as they’re revealed.

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Last Season: The Bergdorf Soirée

To give you a sense of what to expect, last season’s windows, The Bergdorf Soirée, were unveiled on November 20, 2025, and stayed up until January 5, 2026. The theme imagined a different holiday party in each of nine windows, five at the women’s store and four at the men’s store.

Women’s store windows

• After Hours at Bergdorf’s: A Mad Hatters’ Bash: A late-night party filled with sculptural hats
• Masquerade Gala: Paper sculptures celebrating creative professions
• Game Night: A surreal scene of animals and games
• Holiday Glow Up: A neon and LED block party
• New Year’s Eve Countdown: A mosaic of clocks and crystals

Men’s store windows

• A Frozen Fête: A winter banquet made of soft sculpture
• Surprise Party: A split scene revealing a party in progress
• Game Night: A sports-themed celebration
• House Party: A detailed, handcrafted scene

The windows featured fashion from designers including Tom Ford, Valentino, Givenchy and Marni, and took a team of about 100 artisans around nine months to create.

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How the Windows Are Made

Bergdorf’s holiday windows take most of a year to produce:

• Planning starts early. Work on the next year’s windows begins right after the current season ends, and design and production take around nine to ten months.
• About 100 people are involved, including the store’s small in-house window team plus freelance artists, fabricators, art handlers and fashion staff.
• Sets come first, fashion second. The scenes are designed before the season’s clothing is chosen. Later, the team selects designer pieces, borrows runway looks, or commissions custom couture to complete each window.
• Not everything is what it seems. Candy in the windows is usually fake, made from plaster and resin so it survives the hot lights. The sparkle often comes from German glass glitter, which is made from crushed glass.
• Props get a second life. Past displays are stored, repainted and reused, so sharp-eyed regulars sometimes spot familiar pieces in new forms.

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The Unveiling Night

Bergdorf’s windows are revealed at an evening celebration on Fifth Avenue. Last season’s unveiling included a live brass band, a visit from Santa, and a countdown to the reveal led by Linda Fargo, the store’s fashion and store presentation director.

The unveiling is a fun way to start the season, but it’s crowded. If you’d rather study the windows up close, visit a few days later on a weekday.

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Best Times to Visit

• Weekday mornings: The quietest time, when you can stand at the glass and take in the details.
• After dark: The windows glow against the night, and they’re especially striking for photos. Sunset in December is around 4:30 p.m.
• Late evening: Fifth Avenue crowds thin after 9 p.m., and the windows stay lit.
• Late November and early January: Less crowded than mid-December.
• Times to avoid: Weekend afternoons in December, when the sidewalk in front of the store can be packed.

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Getting There

• Address: Women’s store at 754 Fifth Avenue at 58th Street; men’s store directly across Fifth Avenue at 745 Fifth Avenue
• Subway: 5 Av/59 St (N, R, W) is a two-minute walk. 57 St (F) and 5 Av/53 St (E, M) are also nearby.
• From Rockefeller Center: Walk about eight blocks north on Fifth Avenue, past St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Cartier and Tiffany & Co.

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What to See Nearby

Bergdorf Goodman sits at the top of Fifth Avenue’s holiday stretch, just steps from Central Park.

• Tiffany & Co.: One block south, at 727 Fifth Avenue, with its own festive windows.
• The Plaza Hotel: Across Grand Army Plaza, with a grand lobby dressed for the holidays.
• Grand Army Plaza menorah: During Hanukkah (December 4 to 12, 2026), the world’s largest menorah is lit nightly just outside the Plaza Hotel.
• Wollman Rink: A short walk into Central Park for skating with skyline views. See our Wollman Rink guide.
• Saks Fifth Avenue and the Rockefeller tree: Eight blocks south for the light show and the tree. See our Saks light show guide and Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree guide.
• Bloomingdale’s: About a 10-minute walk east, at Lexington Avenue and 59th Street, for another set of holiday windows.

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Practical Tips

• Look closely. The best details are small and often tucked into corners, so take your time with each window.
• See both stores. Don’t miss the men’s store windows across Fifth Avenue, which many visitors walk past.
• Avoid glare in photos. Hold your phone close to the glass and angle it slightly to cut reflections.
• Be considerate. Take your photos and step aside so others can get close, especially on busy evenings.
• Go inside. The store is decorated for the season, and it’s a good place to warm up.
• Combine it with a walk. Start at Rockefeller Center and walk north on Fifth Avenue to Bergdorf’s for the best stretch of holiday windows in the city.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When are the Bergdorf Goodman holiday windows unveiled in 2026?

The 2026 date hasn’t been announced yet. Bergdorf’s windows are usually unveiled around November 20; last season’s were revealed on November 20, 2025.

What is the theme of the 2026 Bergdorf Goodman windows?

Bergdorf Goodman keeps the theme secret until the unveiling. Last season’s theme was The Bergdorf Soirée, with a different holiday party in each of nine windows.

How long are the Bergdorf Goodman windows on display?

The windows usually stay up from their unveiling in late November until the first week of January. Last season’s windows were on view through January 5, 2026.

Where are the Bergdorf Goodman holiday windows?

The windows are on Fifth Avenue at 58th Street, at the women’s store (754 Fifth Avenue) and the men’s store across the street (745 Fifth Avenue).

Are the Bergdorf Goodman windows free to see?

Yes. The windows are free to view from the sidewalk on Fifth Avenue.

How long does it take to make the Bergdorf Goodman windows?

Each year’s windows take about nine to ten months to design and build, with a team of around 100 artists, fabricators and staff.

What is the best time to see the Bergdorf Goodman windows?

Weekday mornings are the least crowded, and evenings after dark are best for photos. Avoid December weekend afternoons if you dislike crowds.

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