Christmas Markets in Yorkshire 2026

Yorkshire's Christmas markets are mostly in historic towns and cities. York has its market in the medieval centre of the walled city, Leeds and Sheffield run city-centre markets (Sheffield's Victorian Christmas Market at Kelham Island Museum is a separate, smaller event), and Harrogate and Knaresborough hold Christmas fayres in the spa-town streets. Halifax has the Christmas market in The Piece Hall, the Georgian cloth hall, Beverley a Festival of Christmas, Skipton a town-centre market, and Whitby a Christmas market festival on the coast. Barnsley is the big-town option in South Yorkshire.

The best-known and prettiest Christmas markets in Yorkshire

Picked by search interest, visitor reviews and our own verdict, the strongest market in each town. 2026 dates only where the organiser has confirmed them; otherwise last season's dates, marked as such.

1. 1York

   York Christmas Market

   Christmas market

   2026: 12 Nov – 21 Dec 2026 (closed Tuesdays)

   Lovely with a walk round the Shambles and the Minster — go on a weekday.

   ✨ Date night🎉 With friends
   York guide →

2. 2Leeds

   Leeds Christmas Market

   Christmas market

   2026: 19 Nov – 23 Dec 2026

   Good for an evening with friends — the bierkeller is the heart of it.

   🎉 With friends🧒 With kids
   Leeds guide →

3. 3Sheffield

   Sheffield Christmas Market

   Christmas market

   2026: 12 Nov – 26 Dec 2026

   A solid city-centre market for a festive evening — combine with Christmas shopping.

   🎉 With friends
   Sheffield guide →

4. 4Harrogate

   Harrogate Christmas Fayre

   Christmas market

   2026: Not running in 2026 (organisers' announcement, Aug 2026)

   Cancelled for 2026 — go to Knaresborough (5–6 Dec) or York instead.

   🧒 With kids
   Harrogate guide →

5. 5Halifax

   The Piece Hall Christmas Market

   Weekend Christmas market

   2026: weekends from 13 Nov 2026

   One of Yorkshire's prettiest market settings — weekends only.

   ✨ Date night🎉 With friends
   Halifax guide →

6. 6Beverley

   Beverley Festival of Christmas

   Weekend Christmas market

   2026: Sun 13 Dec 2026, 10am–4pm

   A proper Yorkshire Christmas day out — arrive early, the town is packed.

   🧒 With kids✨ Date night
   Beverley guide →

7. 7Skipton

   Skipton Christmas Market

   Weekend Christmas market

   2026: Sun 6 & Sun 13 Dec 2026

   The gateway to the Dales at its most festive — two Sundays only.

   ✨ Date night🎉 With friends
   Skipton guide →

8. 8Knaresborough

   Knaresborough Christmas Market

   Weekend Christmas market

   2026: 5–6 Dec 2026, 10am–5pm

   Small and pretty — the better choice in the Harrogate area in 2026.

   ✨ Date night🧒 With kids
   Knaresborough guide →

Christmas markets in Yorkshire by town

• York1
• Leeds1
• Sheffield2
• Beverley1
• Harrogate1
• Halifax1
• Knaresborough1
• Barnsley1
• Skipton1
• Whitby1

All 11 Christmas markets in Yorkshire: dates at a glance

Sorted by town, checked in October 2026. Each market links to its guide with opening times, how to get there and our verdict.

Questions about Christmas markets in Yorkshire

When do the Christmas markets in Yorkshire open in 2026?

For 9 of the 11 markets in Yorkshire, 2026 dates are already announced. The multi-week markets open between 12 November and 19 November, half of them by 12 November, and most close around 23 December. For example: York Christmas Market: 12 Nov – 21 Dec 2026 (closed Tuesdays); Leeds Christmas Market: 19 Nov – 23 Dec 2026; Sheffield Christmas Market: 12 Nov – 26 Dec 2026. Smaller markets often run only for a few days or weekends, so check the dates on each town's guide, and check the organiser's website before you travel as opening hours can change.

What is the best Christmas market in Yorkshire?

It depends what you like. Going by search interest, visitor reviews and our own verdict, the standouts in Yorkshire are: York Christmas Market (Google 3.9 ★, 92 reviews) – Parliament Street and St Sampson's Square; Leeds Christmas Market – Bavarian-style bierkeller and market around Millennium Square; Sheffield Christmas Market – 50+ log cabins of food, drink and gifts. For a quieter visit pick a smaller town; the «with kids, for two, with friends» tags on each market say who it suits.

How many Christmas markets are there in Yorkshire?

Our list currently has 11 Christmas markets and festive events in 10 towns and cities in Yorkshire, 10 of them with a full city guide. We list markets announced by the council, the organiser or the tourist board, not one-day school or church stalls, so the real number is higher.

Do you have to pay to enter the Christmas markets in Yorkshire?

Mostly no: the markets in Yorkshire are free to walk around, and each guide says whether rides, ice rinks, grottos, parking or park and ride cost extra.

How do I get to the Christmas markets in Yorkshire?

Most Yorkshire market towns can be reached by train: York and Leeds are on the East Coast and cross-country lines, Harrogate and Knaresborough are on the line from Leeds and York, Skipton on the Leeds line, Halifax on the Calder Valley line, Sheffield and Barnsley in the south, Beverley on the Hull line and Whitby on the Esk Valley line from Middlesbrough. Park and ride runs at York and Harrogate in busy weeks; check the organiser's page for the dates it operates.

Which Christmas markets in Yorkshire are best for children?

According to our guides: Leeds Christmas Market (bavarian-style bierkeller and market around Millennium Square); Beverley Festival of Christmas (opening parade at 10am); Harrogate Christmas Fayre (stalls along Cambridge Street and by the war memorial); Victorian Christmas Market (Kelham Island Museum), Sheffield (80+ stalls of Sheffield-made wares). Some rides and grottos are paid; the guide for each market says which.

Which Christmas markets in Yorkshire are the most romantic?

For an evening for two our guides point to Beverley Festival of Christmas, The Piece Hall Christmas Market (Halifax), York Christmas Market and Victorian Christmas Market (Kelham Island Museum), Sheffield. Go around dusk or on a weekday, when it is less crowded.

Christmas markets in other parts of the UK

• The Midlands18
• North West England17
• South East England15
• South West England11
• East of England11
• East Midlands9
• West Midlands9
• Scotland6
• Kent5
• Essex5
• Northern Ireland5
• Devon and Cornwall4
• The Cotswolds4
• North East England3