Manchester Christmas Markets 2026: dates, sites and tips

• 📷 Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net). · CC BY-SA 4.0
  

  📷 Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net). · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 📷 David Dixon · CC BY-SA 2.0

  Christmas market · Manchester

  Manchester Christmas Markets

  🎉 With friends✨ Date night

  What's there

  • ★Markets spread across the city centre
  • ★Albert Square, Exchange Square, Piccadilly Gardens, Cathedral Gardens
  • ★Ferris wheel at Albert Square
  • ★Huge choice of food and drink

  What visitors sayGoogle 4.0 ★ · 2,694 reviews

  You need a whole day to see all the sites, and most enjoy the food and the maker stalls — but almost everyone mentions how expensive it is and how crowded the enclosed squares get. Several found weekday afternoons or early Saturday much more pleasant; parking in the centre is a pain.

  One of the UK's biggest and still a great day out — come by train, start early and go from square to square.

  2026

  6 Nov – 22 Dec 2026

  Cost

  Free entry; food and drink are pricey.

  Getting there and parking

  • Train to Manchester Piccadilly or Victoria and walk; Metrolink to St Peter's Square for Albert Square.

  Worth knowing

  • Opening hours 2026 (Albert Square): 6 Nov – 23 Dec 10am–9pm; 24 Dec 10am–5pm; 25 Dec closed; 26 Dec – 3 Jan 10am–6pm; New Year's Eve 10am–12.30am. Exchange Square: daily 10am–9pm. Albert Square and Cathedral Gardens stay open until 3 Jan 2027; the other eight sites close on 22 Dec.
  • Many bars open later in the day than the food stalls.

  Albert Square, Manchester M2 5DBOfficial site
• Illustration

  Christmas market · Manchester

  Manchester Christmas Markets: St Ann's Square

  St Ann's Square gets a brand-new layout with more stalls in 2026, between the Royal Exchange and King Street.

  ✨ Date night🎉 With friends

  What's there

  • ★Brand-new layout for 2026 with extra craft, food and drink traders
  • ★Between the Royal Exchange and King Street
  • ★Handcrafted gifts

  One of the nicest settings in the trail — refreshed for 2026, worth a slow loop with King Street.

  2026

  6 Nov – 22 Dec 2026

  Cost

  Free to enter.

  Getting there and parking

  • Metrolink to Market Street; Deansgate and Victoria stations within walking distance.

  Worth knowing

  • 6 Nov – 22 Dec 2026; 2026 opening hours not yet published (2025: craft 10am–8pm, food and drink 11am–9pm).
  • Go on a weekday lunchtime in early November to avoid the biggest crowds.

  St Ann's Square, Manchester M2Official site
• 📷 Gerald England · CC BY-SA 2.0
  

  📷 David Dixon · CC BY-SA 2.0 · 📷 Gerald England · CC BY-SA 2.0

  Christmas market · Manchester

  Piccadilly, Christmas Market

  The biggest site of Manchester's markets, in Piccadilly Gardens, with lots of food and some covered seating; packed on weekend nights.

  🎉 With friends

  What's there

  • ★Biggest site of Manchester's markets, in Piccadilly Gardens
  • ★Food from Europe and beyond
  • ★Some covered seating

  What visitors say

  Lots of varied, good food and a lively atmosphere among pubs and bars. It is mainly food, seating is scarce and weekend nights are packed; prices keep climbing.

  Manchester's food-and-drink hub at Christmas — go on a weekday.

  Dates

  7 Nov – 22 Dec 2025

  Cost

  Free entry; rising food prices.

  Getting there and parking

  • Manchester Piccadilly station is a 5-minute walk; Piccadilly Gardens tram stop is on site.

  Worth knowing

  • Avoid Friday and Saturday nights.

  Manchester M60 1AY
• Illustration

  Christmas market · Manchester

  Manchester Christmas Markets: Lincoln Square

  New for 2026: a food and drink-focused market next to Albert Square, near Brazennose Street.

  🎉 With friends✨ Date night

  What's there

  • ★New for 2026, just off Brazennose Street next to Albert Square
  • ★More than a dozen stalls and food trucks
  • ★Food and drink focus

  A new, calmer spot for a bite next to Albert Square — a good escape when the main square is packed.

  2026

  6 Nov – 22 Dec 2026

  Cost

  Free to enter; food and drink pay-as-you-go.

  Getting there and parking

  • Metrolink to St Peter's Square (for Albert Square and Lincoln Square); Piccadilly, Victoria and Deansgate stations are all a walk away.

  Worth knowing

  • 6 Nov – 22 Dec 2026; opening hours for 2026 were not yet published (2025 craft stalls 10am–8pm, food and drink 11am–9pm).

  Lincoln Square, Brazennose Street, Manchester M2Official site
• Illustration

  Christmas market · Manchester

  Manchester Christmas Markets: King Street

  Stalls along the shopping street of King Street, part of the city's ten-site Christmas Markets trail.

  ✨ Date night🎉 With friends

  What's there

  • ★Stalls along the shopping street of King Street
  • ★Part of the city's ten-site Christmas Markets trail
  • ★Close to St Ann's Square

  A pleasant stroll between the shops and St Ann's Square — good for gifts without the Albert Square crush.

  2026

  6 Nov – 22 Dec 2026

  Cost

  Free to enter.

  Getting there and parking

  • Metrolink to Market Street (for King Street and St Ann's Square); Deansgate station is a short walk.

  Worth knowing

  • 6 Nov – 22 Dec 2026; 2026 opening hours not yet published (2025: craft 10am–8pm, food and drink 11am–9pm).

  King Street, Manchester M2Official site
• Illustration

  Christmas market · Manchester

  Manchester Christmas Markets: Exchange Street

  Market stalls on Exchange Street, linking St Ann's Square and the Royal Exchange area.

  ✨ Date night🎉 With friends

  What's there

  • ★Stalls linking St Ann's Square and the Royal Exchange area
  • ★Part of the ten-site trail with 210+ stalls overall

  A short link on the trail — pick it up on the way between St Ann's Square and the Royal Exchange.

  2026

  6 Nov – 22 Dec 2026

  Cost

  Free to enter.

  Getting there and parking

  • Metrolink to Market Street; short walk from Deansgate station.

  Worth knowing

  • 6 Nov – 22 Dec 2026; 2026 opening hours not yet published.

  Exchange Street, Manchester M2Official site
• Illustration

  Christmas market · Manchester

  Manchester Christmas Markets: New Cathedral Street

  Stalls on New Cathedral Street between Exchange Square and Market Street.

  🎉 With friends🧒 With kids

  What's there

  • ★Stalls between Exchange Square and Market Street
  • ★Right beside the Arndale and Selfridges area
  • ★Part of the ten-site trail

  Convenient between the Arndale and Exchange Square — easy to add to a shopping trip.

  2026

  6 Nov – 22 Dec 2026

  Cost

  Free to enter.

  Getting there and parking

  • Metrolink to Exchange Square (serves Exchange Square, the Corn Exchange and New Cathedral Street).

  Worth knowing

  • 6 Nov – 22 Dec 2026; 2026 opening hours not yet published.

  New Cathedral Street, Manchester M1Official site
• Illustration

  Christmas market · Manchester

  Manchester Christmas Markets: Exchange Square

  Stalls and food in Exchange Square beside Selfridges and the Arndale.

  🎉 With friends🧒 With kids

  What's there

  • ★Stalls and food beside Selfridges and the Arndale
  • ★Open daily 10am–9pm in 2026
  • ★Handy stop between Victoria and Market Street

  A reliable food-and-drink stop in the heart of the shopping district.

  2026

  6 Nov – 22 Dec 2026

  Cost

  Free to enter.

  Getting there and parking

  • Metrolink to Exchange Square; Victoria station is a short walk.

  Worth knowing

  • Opening hours 2026: daily 10am–9pm (manchester.gov.uk).

  Exchange Square, ManchesterOfficial site
• Illustration

  Christmas market · Manchester

  Manchester Christmas Markets: Corn Exchange

  Christmas stalls around the Corn Exchange building.

  🎉 With friends✨ Date night

  What's there

  • ★Christmas stalls around the Corn Exchange building
  • ★Close to Exchange Square and Cathedral Gardens

  A smaller site beside the Corn Exchange — fits naturally into a Victoria–Exchange Square loop.

  2026

  6 Nov – 22 Dec 2026

  Cost

  Free to enter.

  Getting there and parking

  • Metrolink to Exchange Square (serves the Corn Exchange); Victoria station nearby.

  Worth knowing

  • 6 Nov – 22 Dec 2026; 2026 opening hours not yet published.

  Corn Exchange, ManchesterOfficial site
• Illustration

  Christmas market · Manchester

  Manchester Christmas Markets: Cathedral Gardens

  Market stalls with the Skate MCR undercover ice rink beside Manchester Cathedral; stays open until 3 January 2027 along with Albert Square.

  🧒 With kids🎉 With friends

  What's there

  • ★Market stalls beside Manchester Cathedral
  • ★Skate MCR undercover ice rink
  • ★Stays open until 3 January 2027, like Albert Square

  The place for a skate with the market around you — open longest, so a good choice after Christmas.

  2026

  6 Nov 2026 – 3 Jan 2027

  Cost

  Free to enter; Skate MCR is paid.

  Getting there and parking

  • Metrolink to Victoria (for Cathedral Gardens); Victoria station on the doorstep.

  Worth knowing

  • Skate MCR 2026: 6 Nov – 3 Jan 2027 (not 25 Dec); 6 Nov–6 Dec 11am–9pm, from 7 Dec 10am–9pm; 45-minute sessions, adults roughly £15–£21 (themanc.com, manchestertourism.org).

  Cathedral Gardens, ManchesterOfficial site
• Illustration

  Christmas market · Manchester

  Manchester Christmas Markets: Market Street

  Stalls along Market Street in the retail core.

  🎉 With friends

  What's there

  • ★Stalls along Market Street in the retail core
  • ★Next to the Arndale and the Metrolink stop

  A quick browse while shopping — not a destination on its own.

  2026

  6 Nov – 22 Dec 2026

  Cost

  Free to enter.

  Getting there and parking

  • Metrolink to Market Street (serves Market Street and St Ann's Square).

  Worth knowing

  • 6 Nov – 22 Dec 2026; 2026 opening hours not yet published.

  Market Street, Manchester M1Official site

Christmas markets near you

Christmas markets in other towns

• London
• Edinburgh
• Winchester
• York
• Birmingham
• Bath
• Belfast
• Liverpool
• Chatsworth
• Nottingham
• Rochester
• Leeds
• Cambridge
• Sheffield
• Chester
• Kingston upon Thames
• Exeter
• Canterbury
• Glasgow
• Oxford
• Stratford-upon-Avon
• Newcastle
• Bristol
• Cardiff
• Bournemouth
• Southampton
• Worcester
• Harrogate
• Beverley
• Matlock
• Bakewell
• Leicester
• Windsor
• Woodstock
• Lincoln
• Halifax
• Aberdeen
• Cheltenham
• Blackpool
• Durham
• Knaresborough
• Bury St Edmunds
• Brighton
• Cirencester
• St Albans
• Gloucester
• Plymouth
• Skipton
• Coventry
• Salisbury
• Truro
• Totnes
• Lichfield
• Leamington Spa
• Barnsley
• Milton Keynes
• Norwich
• Colchester
• Guildford
• Shrewsbury
• Chichester
• Portsmouth
• Derby
• Broadway
• Preston
• Lancaster
• Knutsford
• Sandringham
• Ely
• Whitby
• Tunbridge Wells
• Faversham
• Lisburn
• Hillsborough
• Carryduff
• Alnwick
• Saffron Walden
• Brentwood
• Ingatestone
• Shenfield
• Tenterden
• Derry~Londonderry