The best Christmas markets in the UK for 2026

Updated 24 October 2026

Edinburgh, Bath and York are our top three UK Christmas markets for 2026. Choose Edinburgh for a capital-city weekend, Bath for a chalet trail through historic shopping streets, and York for Yorkshire makers in a compact centre. Manchester and Birmingham follow for a bigger city outing. The best choice is the market that fits your arrival route, shopping plans and time away.

How we ranked them

These are editorial choices, based on the market setting, variety described in the full guide, ease of arriving, length of the published season and the activities around the stalls. A large market is not automatically the best trip. The order favours destinations where the visit and the surrounding city make sense together. Compare the whole outing before choosing a weekend.

How we work

We may earn a commission if you book through our Booking.com links, at no extra cost to you. How affiliate links work.

1. 1. Edinburgh

   

   Dates: 14 November–3 January 2027
   Best for: A capital-city weekend

   Why go

   Start at East Princes Street Gardens and let the city do some of the scene-setting. The Scott Monument rises above the traditional Christmas market, with Edinburgh’s skyline and castle beyond. Wooden chalets bring gifts, decorations and food into the gardens, while the Big Wheel and Starflyer add movement above the stalls. Browse in daylight for a good look at the gifts, then leave time for another circuit as dusk makes the lights the main attraction. This is a substantial part of a wider city-centre festival.

   Don’t miss: The Gardens after dark.

   Getting there: Edinburgh Waverley; approximately two minutes via the step-free Waverley Bridge exit.

   Hotels near the market · Read the Edinburgh guide

   Source: Edinburgh organiser information · guide research 23 October 2026

2. 2. Bath

   

   Dates: 26 November–13 December 2026
   Best for: Shopping through historic streets

   Why go

   Bath’s market is made for wandering rather than marching through a single square. Start around the Abbey Quarter, then let the chalet route take you through the city’s shopping streets, with Bath’s pale stone buildings framing the stalls. The 2026 route stretches from Abbeygate Street towards Milsom Street, and New Bond Street joins the circuit for the first time. Browse while there is daylight to look closely at the work, then return for the lights and a slower evening drink. This year’s market brings together 245 traders, with 80 per cent from the South West.

   Don’t miss: New Bond Street chalets.

   Getting there: Bath Spa is a short walk from the market; the bus station is beside it on Dorchester Street.

   Hotels near the market · Read the Bath guide

   Source: Bath organiser information · guide research 23 October 2026

3. 3. York

   

   Dates: 12 November–21 December 2026; closed Tuesdays.
   Best for: Yorkshire makers

   Why go

   York’s Christmas market belongs to the city’s streets rather than a separate festival ground. Follow the Alpine chalets along Parliament Street and into St Sampson’s Square, taking time to look beyond the first tempting food stall. Gifts, food and handmade pieces sit within an easy wander of York’s independent shops and historic lanes. A daylight browse lets you take in the detail; returning towards dusk gives the illuminated chalets their moment and makes a warm drink feel like part of the outing. The market’s strongest identity is its Yorkshire connection.

   Don’t miss: Alpine chalets.

   Getting there: York station; plan your walk to Parliament Street.

   Hotels near the market · Read the York guide

   Source: York organiser information · guide research 23 October 2026

4. 4. Manchester

   

   Dates: 6 November–22 December 2026; Albert Square and Cathedral Gardens continue to 3 January 2027, closed Christmas Day.
   Best for: A choice of market districts

   Why go

   Manchester’s Christmas Markets are best enjoyed as a trail through the city, with a different square waiting around the next corner. You can make a short visit around a couple of favourite stops or spend the day linking food, gifts and a booked skate. The council announces more than 210 stalls across ten locations for 2026, so there is no need to squeeze every stop into one hurried circuit. Albert Square is again a centrepiece, with its 50-metre wheel, helter-skelter and a mix of craft, food and drink stalls.

   Don’t miss: Albert Square returns to centre stage.

   Getting there: Victoria for the northern cluster; compare Piccadilly for other city-centre stops.

   Hotels near the market · Read the Manchester guide

   Source: Manchester organiser information · guide research 23 October 2026

5. 5. Birmingham

   

   Dates: 5 November–24 December 2026
   Best for: German-market food

   Why go

   Start in Victoria Square, then follow the stalls along New Street: Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas Market is a city-centre promenade rather than an enclosed attraction. Give yourself time to browse before choosing something warm to eat, and come back towards dusk for another circuit among the decorated stalls. Victoria Square is also the place to pause for the live music programme, so your shopping can happily turn into an evening out. The Frankfurt connection is the market’s defining feature. It grew from the relationship between the two partner cities, bringing German Christmas-market traditions to Birmingham.

   Don’t miss: Victoria Square after dark.

   Getting there: Compare New Street, Moor Street and Snow Hill for your journey.

   Hotels near the market · Read the Birmingham guide

   Source: Birmingham organiser information · guide research 23 October 2026

6. 6. London

   

   Dates: Main venues vary: Leicester Square 31 October; Southbank 2 November; Hyde Park 19 November; all run to 3 January 2027
   Best for: A choice of separate outings

   Why go

   London works best as a choice of festive neighbourhoods, not one enormous market to complete in a day. Start with the setting you most want: the Thames beside Southbank Centre, the West End around Leicester Square, or the fairground energy of Hyde Park Winter Wonderland. Each is a separate outing with its own opening pattern and organiser. Pick one main stop, leave time for a second nearby, and enjoy the journey between them rather than spending the whole evening crossing the city. At Southbank Centre, alpine-style chalets line Queen’s Walk under Hungerford Bridge.

   Don’t miss: Follow the river lights.

   Getting there: Waterloo for Southbank; Leicester Square for its rink; choose Hyde Park travel for your booked gate.

   Hotels near the market · Read the London guide

   Source: London organiser information · guide research 23 October 2026

7. 7. Winchester

   

   Dates: 20 November–22 December 2026
   Best for: A cathedral setting

   Why go

   Winchester’s market gathers around the cathedral rather than spreading across a whole city centre. Walk into the Close and the wooden chalets sit against a setting that gives the visit its character: this is a seasonal shopping village within the cathedral’s historic grounds. The market takes its inspiration from German Christmas markets, with garlands and festoon lighting around the chalet fronts. Arrive in daylight to browse the smaller details, then enjoy another circuit as the lights become part of the scene. For 2026, the cathedral’s published plan provides 128 chalets across the Inner and Outer Close, the Makers’ Market and the Food Court.

   Don’t miss: The Cathedral Close setting.

   Getting there: Winchester station; plan the walk to your chosen Cathedral Close entrance.

   Hotels near the market · Read the Winchester guide

   Source: Winchester organiser information · guide research 23 October 2026

8. 8. Cardiff

   

   Dates: 12 November–23 December 2026
   Best for: Handmade gifts and arcades

   Why go

   Cardiff makes Christmas shopping feel like a day out. Wooden stalls sit among the pedestrian streets around St John’s Church, with the city’s Victorian and Edwardian arcades ready to tempt you away for a second circuit. Begin with an unhurried look along Working Street, then follow the market through St John Street, Trinity Street and Hills Street. The pleasure is in the detail: a piece of glass catching the light, a hand-thrown pot or a small artwork that suddenly brings the right person to mind.

   Don’t miss: Find something handmade.

   Getting there: Cardiff Central.

   Hotels near the market · Read the Cardiff guide

   Source: Cardiff organiser information · guide research 23 October 2026

9. 9. Liverpool

   

   Dates: 21 November 2026–3 January 2027; closed Christmas Day
   Best for: Stalls and winter attractions

   Why go

   Liverpool’s festive market makes an immediate impression from its setting on St George’s Plateau, with the hall behind it and Lime Street station directly opposite. You can arrive by train and be close to the action without beginning the day with a long cross-city journey. Take a first circuit to see the stalls and decide what catches your eye, then leave some time to return as daylight fades and the lights and attractions become part of the scene. For 2026, Underbelly’s Skate St George’s brings a new outdoor rink to this familiar location, alongside a market with local traders.

   Don’t miss: Skate beside St George’s Hall.

   Getting there: Liverpool Lime Street: about five minutes. Queen Square bus station: about five minutes; Liverpool Central: about ten.

   Hotels near the market · Read the Liverpool guide

   Source: Liverpool organiser information · guide research 23 October 2026

10. 10. Chester

    

    Dates: 18 November–22 December 2026
    Best for: A compact historic centre

    Why go

    Chester’s Christmas Market gathers its wooden huts around Town Hall Square and Northgate Street, with the Town Hall and Cathedral giving the shopping a wonderfully historic setting. Begin with a slow circuit of the gifts, then leave time to come back as daylight fades and the lights take over. It is a compact part of the city to enjoy at an unhurried pace, with the Christmas tree providing a natural point to meet up again. This version of the market began in 2013 as part of the Chester Winter Festival, with about 25 chalets between the Town Hall and Cathedral.

    Don’t miss: A handsome historic setting.

    Getting there: Chester station; plan the onward walk to Town Hall Square.

    Hotels near the market · Read the Chester guide

    Source: Chester organiser information · guide research 23 October 2026

11. 11. Glasgow

    

    Dates: St Enoch: 6 November–27 December 2026. Glasgow Green: 20 November 2026–3 January 2027. Check the George Square programme for its opening dates.
    Best for: Two different festive venues

    Why go

    Glasgow makes a festive outing feel like a series of little discoveries. Start at St Enoch Square for stalls, gift browsing and a view from the solar-powered Observation Wheel. It is an easy place to build a warm drink and a bite to eat into a city-centre shopping day. As daylight fades, the wheel and seasonal lights turn the square into a bright meeting point; leave time to enjoy the atmosphere rather than simply passing through on the way to the next shop. Glasgow Green offers a different sort of stop, with more room in the plan for rides, skating and entertainment.

    Don’t miss: St Enoch under the wheel.

    Getting there: Central or Queen Street; choose your onward route for St Enoch or Glasgow Green.

    Hotels near the market · Read the Glasgow guide

    Source: Glasgow organiser information · guide research 23 October 2026

12. 12. Belfast

    

    Dates: 14 November–22 December 2026
    Best for: City Hall and international food

    Why go

    Belfast’s market makes the City Hall gardens feel like a little festive village in the middle of the city. Step away from Donegall Square and the shopping streets for a circuit of wooden chalets, with the civic building giving the stalls a memorable backdrop. It is worth arriving before dusk, taking a first look at the gifts, then staying as the lights on the market and City Hall become the focus. The vintage carousel and giant helter-skelter add another layer to the scene; the latter offers a different view over the city.

    Don’t miss: City Hall after dark.

    Getting there: Use Translink to plan the best arrival and onward route to City Hall.

    Hotels near the market · Read the Belfast guide

    Source: Belfast organiser information · guide research 23 October 2026

13. 13. Nottingham

    

    Dates: 12 November–31 December 2026. For shopping after Christmas Eve, check the stall opening times with the organiser before setting off.
    Best for: Skating and market shopping

    Why go

    Old Market Square becomes the centre of a much bigger winter outing in Nottingham. Start with the independent stalls, where the organiser lists artisan cheeses, chutneys, mead, jewellery and home accessories, then look up: skating, a wheel and alpine-style bars are woven into the same city-centre setting. It is a good place to combine gift shopping with one properly planned treat rather than trying to do every attraction at once. By dusk, make time for another look around the square before settling down for food.

    Don’t miss: Skate above the square.

    Getting there: Nottingham station; approximately 12 minutes on foot. Old Market Square tram stop is beside the event.

    Hotels near the market · Read the Nottingham guide

    Source: Nottingham organiser information · guide research 23 October 2026

14. 14. Exeter

    

    Dates: 13 November–13 December 2026
    Best for: Cathedral Green

    Why go

    Take your time on Cathedral Green: this is a market to wander through with the cathedral in view, rather than a quick row of stalls to hurry past. The organisers describe more than a hundred festive chalets, with gifts, West Country produce, global street food and themed bars gathered around one of Exeter’s great landmarks. Arrive while you can still see the stonework clearly, then make another circuit as the chalet lights take over. A warm drink and a little unhurried browsing are a lovely way to bridge the change from afternoon to evening.

    Don’t miss: Cathedral Green.

    Getting there: Exeter Central or Exeter St Davids; compare the walk for your arrival service.

    Hotels near the market · Read the Exeter guide

    Source: Exeter organiser information · guide research 23 October 2026

15. 15. Canterbury

    

    Dates: 12 November – 24 December 2026
    Best for: Several festive quarters

    Why go

    Begin among the wooden huts around Whitefriars, then follow St George’s Street towards the lanes leading to the Cathedral Precincts. Canterbury rewards an unhurried visit: each of the three market quarters has its own setting, with the everyday shopping streets giving way to a particularly memorable cathedral backdrop. The sections are only minutes apart, so you can browse one stretch, pause for lunch and return to a favourite stall without turning the day into a march. The cathedral quarter brings a particularly rich story. Its seasonal market first ran in 1383 after a royal grant from Richard II, closed in 1813 and was revived in 2024 as an extension of the city’s existing Christmas market.

    Don’t miss: Three market quarters.

    Getting there: Canterbury West and Canterbury East.

    Hotels near the market · Read the Canterbury guide

    Source: Canterbury organiser information · guide research 23 October 2026

Best for: quick picks

Pair two markets in one weekend

Choose one city as your overnight base and make the second a separate outing. That leaves you time to return to the first market after dark and avoids treating two shopping trails as a race. Use the two guides to compare trading dates before deciding which stop comes first.

Bath + Bristol: compare both guides, choose your hotel base and plan the journey between them for the day you intend to travel.

Leeds + York: compare both guides, choose your hotel base and plan the journey between them for the day you intend to travel.

Manchester + Chester: compare both guides, choose your hotel base and plan the journey between them for the day you intend to travel.

Edinburgh + Glasgow: compare both guides, choose your hotel base and plan the journey between them for the day you intend to travel.

Cardiff + Swansea: compare both guides, choose your hotel base and plan the journey between them for the day you intend to travel.

Browse markets by region · Plan a Christmas market weekend

Compare the dates and arrival points

Questions before you go

Compare the full 2026 calendar · Markets open after Christmas