Off to the Christmas Market — yellow rubber duck in a festive hat and scarfGood trips start hereOff to the
Christmas Market
Christmas lights and illuminated tree on Bridge Street in Stratford-upon-Avon, photographed in a previous season

Stratford-upon-Avon / Christmas 2026

Stratford-upon-Avon Christmas Market

Two festive weekends bring stalls to Stratford’s historic streets.

28–29 November and 5–6 December 2026 only · Free entry; food, drinks and any paid activities are extra.

By The Off to the… team · Updated 24 October 2026

See the 2026 dates

Archive 2022. Photo: Philip Halling / CC BY-SA 2.0

Our verdict

Go if…

You want a visit built around a short, distinct market run.

Skip if…

You want a daily market throughout Advent.

Best day to go

Choose one of the published Saturday or Sunday sessions; the hours differ.

Our top tip

Match the visit to a trading weekend before booking the train or hotel.

How we choose and check our guides

At a glance

2026 dates
28–29 November and 5–6 December 2026 only
Opening hours
Saturdays noon–8pm; Sundays 10am–5pm. Check the organiser’s opening times on the day before travelling.
Entry
Free entry; food, drinks and any paid activities are extra.
Rail / nearest useful station
Stratford-upon-Avon station; approximately ten minutes on foot.
Best time to go
One of the four published weekend dates only
Setting
Bridge Street, Waterside and Henley Street

Parking: See parking and park-and-ride

The market

Stratford’s Christmas market is a walk through the town itself. The stalls spread along Bridge Street, Henley Street and Waterside, giving you three quite different stretches to explore: a broad town-centre street, the setting of Shakespeare’s Birthplace, and the riverside side of the shopping circuit. Henley Street’s restored, half-timbered Birthplace is a reminder that the historic surroundings are as much a reason to come as the things for sale. Start with a slow look round, then choose a food stop before returning to the gifts that caught your eye.

The council says more than 200 stallholders will attend in 2026, with bespoke presents and festive treats among the offer. That makes this a visit to give some time to: one short street is only part of the market. A late-afternoon circuit lets you enjoy the buildings before the light fades, then stay for the festive evening atmosphere on Saturday. The two-weekend format also makes it easy to build the market into a town break, with a theatre visit or an independently booked heritage stop alongside it.

The modern event has changed as it has grown. Stratford’s first Victorian Christmas Market was held in 2017 with 207 stalls; the council records its expansion to four days in 2021. By 2025 it had moved to two consecutive weekends with a fresh look and 200 stalls. Today’s Christmas Markets keep that weekend approach, while the historic streets and the mix of food, gifts and makers remain the heart of the day out. Choose which street you want to explore first, and agree a meeting point before your group separates. The riverside section can be another part of the day rather than a hurried last stop.

About the market ↗ · About the market ↗ · About the market ↗ · About the market ↗

Eat and drink

2025 favourites — check the 2026 line-up.

Food type: Homemade cream sauce and lots of 2-year old raw-milk Vermont cheddar caramelized with the Martelli family's artisanal macaroni from Tuscany (the best pasta in the world!)
Food photograph. Photo: @joefoodie from USA / CC BY 2.0
Mac Daddies

Mac and cheese

A comforting hot-food stop from last year’s Bridge Street list.

2025 favourite2025 market listing ↗
Amos Catering

Hog roast

A savoury option on the 2025 Bridge Street trader list.

2025 favourite2025 market listing ↗
Selly Punjabis

Vegan Indian snacks

Indian street snacks listed for the 2025 market.

2025 favourite2025 market listing ↗
Croome Cuisine

Artisan cheese

Handcrafted cheeses for festive feasting or a gift.

2025 favourite2025 market listing ↗
Food type: Chocolate brownie
Food photograph. Archive 2009. Photo: Eljay / CC BY 2.0
Chock Shop

Chocolate brownies

A little chocolate indulgence from the 2025 line-up.

2025 favourite2025 market listing ↗
Food type: Crêpe Suzette.jpg
Food photograph. Photo: Stu Spivack (stu_spivack) / CC BY-SA 2.0
Suzettes Crepes

Sweet crêpes and galettes

Sweet crêpes and savoury galettes appeared on Henley Street’s 2025 list.

2025 favourite2025 market listing ↗
Food type: churros with dark chocolate sauce from the Chocolatería San Churro.Churros with Chocolate Sauce - Choclateria San Churro
Food photograph. Photo: Alpha from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia / CC BY-SA 2.0
Churros and Crepes

Churros

A sweet street-food break from the Waterside 2025 list.

2025 favourite2025 market listing ↗

Last year’s favourites

2025 favourites — check the 2026 line-up.

Where we’d stay

Historic town centre

Chapel Street and Rother Street keep you close to the old streets and the market.

Station and Arden Street

A practical choice for rail arrivals; check the final market road closures.

Across the river

Stay beyond the bridge for a riverside setting and walk into town.

See all stays in Stratford-upon-Avon ↗

We may earn a commission if you book through our links, at no extra cost to you. Affiliate disclosure.

Book early for weekends. The walking times are measured routes to Bridge Street market area; give yourself a little longer for a relaxed stroll through the market.

Map

Find the market streets, arrival points, parking and places to stay. The map loads as you approach this section; mouse-wheel scrolling stays with the page.

Map waiting to load. The places list below works without it.

Market streetsRail & coachParking & park and ridePlaces to stayAccessible toilets

Choose Explore the map to pan and pinch to zoom; choose Finish exploring or press Escape to return to page scrolling. Pins show places, not the precise position of individual stalls.

Open in Google Maps ↗

All map places, as a list

Coordinates: OpenStreetMap contributors. Organiser toilet and access information. Temporary toilet locations use the named street/site as a navigation point; ask staff for the exact unit.

A perfect day

  1. Late morning

    Arrive with time to spare

    Allow time to walk from your arrival point and check the day’s opening time.

  2. At opening

    Make a first circuit

    Browse before committing to your gifts; take note of food options as you go.

  3. Lunch

    Pause for hot food or drink

    Choose from the stalls open on your day and ask directly about allergens.

  4. Afternoon

    Enjoy the city beyond the stalls

    Leave room for the surrounding streets and a quieter break.

  5. After dusk

    Come back for the lights

    Return before closing, with enough time for your journey home.

  6. Heading home

    Check your own final connection

    Check the operator’s journey planner for your exact date, including the last connection home and any engineering changes.

  7. Last-train example

    Stratford-upon-Avon → Birmingham Moor Street

    For the Saturday 28 November 2026 market, WMR’s published timetable lists the last direct Stratford–Birmingham Moor Street train at 11.30pm, reaching Moor Street at 12.04am on Sunday 29 November. That leaves room for dinner after the market; still check the actual service before committing to a late return. Published timetable example, checked 23 October 2026. Recheck your exact date before travelling: engineering work and short-notice alterations can override the baseline timetable. Onward connections are not established.

    Check the details ↗

On Instagram

Also in town: these two posts feature the separate 14 November Christmas lights celebration. They do not show or establish the main Christmas Market line-up.

A little festive inspiration from organisers, makers and visitors. Tap any tile to load all 4 Instagram posts on this page. Instagram may receive your IP address and set cookies; read the privacy note. Until then, nothing loads from Instagram.

@stratforduponavonmarkets

Also in town — 2026 festive preview: glowing street lights and stalls for the separate 14 November lights switch-on.

Open this post on Instagram ↗

@stratforduponavonbid

Also in town — 2026 Christmas lights programme: the separate 14 November celebration, with a festive market and entertainment.

Open this post on Instagram ↗

@peartreelivinguk

An archived market post by Pear Tree Living, embedded alongside Stratford’s Victorian Christmas Market in West Midlands Railway’s Christmas guide. Historical market atmosphere; it does not announce 2026 trader attendance.

Open this post on Instagram ↗

@stratforward

A historical Love Stratford-upon-Avon post embedded in a Christmas-market round-up under Stratford’s Victorian market. A view of an earlier event, not a promise of the 2026 layout or programme.

Open this post on Instagram ↗

Instagram is off until you choose to load it.

Practical information

Getting there and back

Choose your arrival point on the map and allow extra time for market crowds. Check the transport operator for your exact date before setting out.

Parking and park-and-ride

Use the council’s parking guidance to choose your arrival point and check Blue Badge arrangements.

Source: Stratford-upon-Avon parking and visitor information. Source record checked 23 October 2026.

On the day

The timeline is a suggested order, not a timed event programme. Adapt it to the published opening hours and your booked journey.

Before and after

Check the organiser again before travelling for weather changes, final stall information and access updates.

Accessibility

Temporary market layouts, queues and street surfaces can affect access. Contact the organiser for the current step-free routes and exact accessible toilet locations.

Frequently asked questions

Questions before you go

When is Stratford-upon-Avon Christmas market in 2026?

28–29 November and 5–6 December 2026 only

Official market information →

What are the opening hours?

Saturdays noon–8pm; Sundays 10am–5pm. Check the organiser’s opening times on the day before travelling.

Check the organiser’s hours →

Do I need an entry ticket?

Free entry; food, drinks and any paid activities are extra.

Official entry information →

How can I arrive by train?

Stratford-upon-Avon station; approximately ten minutes on foot.

Check the full guide and sources

Can I bring my dog?

Check the organiser’s current pet-dog rules before travelling. Assistance-dog arrangements are separate; use the accessibility guide for the published information.

Check the full guide and sources →

What access information should I check?

Temporary market layouts, queues and street surfaces can affect access. Contact the organiser for the current step-free routes and exact accessible toilet locations.

Check the full guide and sources

Official links

Keep exploring

More market trips

Back to the full market calendar

How it compares: see our top 15 UK Christmas markets.