Fourteen UK Christmas markets open between Monday 2 November and Thursday 26 November 2026, from the Southbank Centre in London on 2 November to Bath on 26 November, and the Southbank, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow's St Enoch Square are already open.
In this guide, Manchester's Albert Square, Edinburgh, Glasgow Green, Liverpool, Hyde Park Winter Wonderland and the Southbank Centre run until Sunday 3 January 2027, and Bath ends first, on Sunday 13 December. Ten of the fourteen say they are free to enter.
Checked 10 November 2026. Not announced yet: what is new in Belfast and York, and the number of chalets in Bath. Leicester Square's market and Chester are not in this guide.
UK Christmas markets 2026: dates and opening hours
| Christmas market | Dates 2026 | Opening hours | Official page |
|---|---|---|---|
| London: Southbank Centre Winter Market | Mon 2 November – Sun 3 January 2027 | Stalls 11:00–22:00, bars 11:00–23:00 | southbankcentre.co.uk |
| Birmingham: Frankfurt Christmas Market | Thu 5 November – Thu 24 December | Mon–Thu 11:00–21:00, Fri 11:00–21:30, Sat 10:00–21:30, Sun 10:00–21:00 | birmingham.gov.uk |
| Manchester: Christmas Markets (ten sites) | Fri 6 November – Tue 22 December; Albert Square and Cathedral Gardens to Sun 3 January 2027 | Stalls 10:00–21:00, food and drink 11:00–21:00 | manchester.gov.uk |
| Glasgow: Christmas Market, St Enoch Square | Fri 6 November – Sun 27 December | Sun–Wed 12:00–21:00, Thu–Fri 12:00–22:00, Sat 10:00–22:00 until 20 December | glasgowswinterwonderland.com |
| Nottingham: Winter Wonderland, Old Market Square | Thu 12 November – Thu 24 December; rides and ice rink to Thu 31 December | Market 10:00–18:30 Sun–Thu, 10:00–20:00 Fri–Sat until 11 December | nottinghamwinterwonderland.co.uk |
| Cardiff: Christmas Market | Thu 12 November – Wed 23 December | Mon–Sat 10:00–18:00, Sun 10:00–17:00 | visitcardiff.com |
| York: Christmas Market | Thu 12 November – Mon 21 December | Wed–Mon 10:30–19:00, closed Tuesdays; Mon 21 December until 17:00 | makeityork.com |
| Edinburgh: Christmas Market, East Princes Street Gardens | Sat 14 November – Sun 3 January 2027 | Daily 10:00–22:00 | edwinterfest.com |
| Belfast: Christmas Market, City Hall grounds | Sat 14 November – Tue 22 December | Mon–Wed 10:00–20:00, Thu–Sat 10:00–22:00, Sun 12:00–18:00 | belfastcity.gov.uk |
| London: Hyde Park Winter Wonderland | Thu 19 November – Sun 3 January 2027 | Mostly 10:00–22:00; later starts on listed weekdays; closed Fri 25 December | hydeparkwinterwonderland.com |
| Glasgow: Winter Wonderland, Glasgow Green | Fri 20 November – Sun 3 January 2027 | Mon–Fri 15:00–22:00, Sat–Sun 12:00–22:00 until 20 December | glasgowswinterwonderland.com |
| Winchester: Cathedral Christmas Market | Fri 20 November – Tue 22 December | Fri–Sat 10:00–20:00, Sun–Thu 10:00–18:00 | winchester-cathedral.org.uk |
| Liverpool: Skate St George's and Christmas market | Sat 21 November – Sun 3 January 2027 | Mon–Thu 12:00–22:00, Fri–Sat 10:00–23:00, Sun 10:00–22:00 | skatestgeorges.co.uk |
| Bath: Christmas Market | Thu 26 November – Sun 13 December | Mon–Wed 10:00–19:00, Thu–Sat 10:00–20:00, Sun 10:00–18:00 | bathchristmasmarket.co.uk |
Which UK Christmas markets are open on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Eve?
On Friday 25 December 2026 every market in this guide is closed or has ended. On Boxing Day, Saturday 26 December, Manchester's Albert Square and Cathedral Gardens, both Glasgow sites, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Hyde Park Winter Wonderland and the Southbank Centre are open, and on Thursday 31 December Edinburgh is open until 17:00, Manchester's Albert Square until 00:30 and Glasgow Green, Liverpool and Winter Wonderland until 22:00.
| Christmas market | Thu 24 December | Fri 25 December | Sat 26 December (Boxing Day) | Thu 31 December | Fri 1 January |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | 11:00–21:00 (no exception listed), last day | Ended | Ended | Ended | Ended |
| Manchester, Albert Square | 10:00–17:00 | Closed | 10:00–18:00 | 10:00–00:30 | 10:00–18:00 |
| Glasgow, St Enoch Square | 10:00–20:00 | Closed | 12:00–20:00 | Ended | Ended |
| Glasgow, Glasgow Green | 12:00–20:00 | Closed | 12:00–22:00 | 12:00–22:00 | 14:00–22:00 |
| Nottingham | Market 10:00–19:30, last day | Closed | Market ended; rides and rink 10:00–20:00 | Market ended; rides and rink 10:00–20:00 | Ended |
| Edinburgh, East Princes Street Gardens | 10:00–20:00 | Closed | 12:00–20:00 | 10:00–17:00 | 12:00–20:00 |
| Liverpool, Skate St George's | 10:00–18:00 | Closed | 12:00–22:00 | 12:00–22:00 | 12:00–22:00 |
| London, Winter Wonderland | 10:00–22:00 | Closed | 10:00–22:00 | 11:00–22:00 | 11:00–22:00 |
| London, Southbank Centre Winter Market | Stalls 11:00–22:00 | Closed | Stalls 11:00–22:00 | Closed | Closed |
For New Year's Eve fireworks in London, see the guide to London's New Year's Eve fireworks 2026. Winchester, Cardiff's Christmas Market, York, Belfast and Bath have ended by 24 December, and Manchester's other eight sites close on 22 December. Liverpool's page lists the Boxing Day exception under the wrong weekday ("Sunday"), so check its hours that day.
Manchester Christmas Markets 2026: ten sites, Albert Square to 3 January
Manchester's Christmas Markets run from Friday 6 November to Tuesday 22 December 2026 across ten city-centre sites, and Albert Square and Cathedral Gardens stay open until Sunday 3 January 2027, according to Manchester City Council.
The ten sites are Albert Square, Lincoln Square, King Street, St Ann's Square, the Corn Exchange, Exchange Street, New Cathedral Street, Market Street, Exchange Square and Cathedral Gardens. Lincoln Square is new in 2026, a market of food and drink next to Albert Square, and St Ann's Square has a new layout.
Manchester's craft and seasonal stalls open from 10:00 to 21:00 at every site except Market Street, and its food and drink stalls from 11:00 to 21:00, the council's launch release says. The release also gives Market Street an 18:00 close on Sundays, which its own page does not mention.
Albert Square and Cathedral Gardens share the same hours: 10:00–21:00 until 23 December, then the Christmas hours in the table above. Albert Square has the 50-metre Ferris wheel, a vintage helter-skelter and a new festive pop-up pub.
Cathedral Gardens has Skate Manchester's covered ice rink, open every day except Christmas Day. Skate Manchester lists 12:00–21:00 in November and 11:00–22:00 from 1 December. Adult and teen tickets cost £15.00 to £21.00, child tickets £13.75 to £17.00 and family tickets £44 to £59, depending on the session, before the booking fee.
The council says every site is a few minutes' walk from a tram, train or bus stop; Transport for Greater Manchester keeps the travel information.
Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market 2026: 42 stalls from Victoria Square
Birmingham's Frankfurt Christmas Market is open from Thursday 5 November to Thursday 24 December 2026 on Victoria Square and New Street, with 42 stalls, according to Birmingham City Council. The market's FAQ calls it a free public event and says no ticket is needed.
Birmingham's market opens 11:00–21:00 from Monday to Thursday, 11:00–21:30 on Fridays, 10:00–21:30 on Saturdays and 10:00–21:00 on Sundays. The council lists no change for Christmas Eve, so the Thursday hours apply.
Because of public realm works on Bennetts Hill and Temple Street there are no stalls on New Street between the Apple store and Nando's in 2026; the market continues beyond Corporation Street, with craft stalls on High Street. German musicians play on the Victoria Square bandstand at weekday lunchtimes and in the evenings, and local performers take the weekends from 12:00 to 18:00.
The Big Wheel and the ice rink in Centenary Square open daily from 10:00 to 22:00 until Sunday 3 January 2027 and are closed on Christmas Day. Ice Skate Birmingham lists 45-minute skating sessions at £11.50 for an adult and £10.50 for a child aged 12 or under off-peak, and £14.00 and £12.00 at peak times. Off-peak means Monday to Friday sessions starting 11:00–15:00; a Big Wheel ride costs £7.00 off-peak and £8.00 at peak times.
Glasgow Christmas Market 2026: St Enoch Square and Glasgow Green
Glasgow's Christmas Market in St Enoch Square runs from Friday 6 November to Sunday 27 December 2026 and is free to enter, according to Glasgow's Winter Wonderland, the organiser. The main entrance is on Argyle Street.
St Enoch Square is open from 12:00 to 21:00 on Sundays to Wednesdays, 12:00 to 22:00 on Thursdays and Fridays and 10:00 to 22:00 on Saturdays until 20 December. It then opens 10:00–22:00 from 21 to 23 December, 10:00–20:00 on 24 December and 12:00–20:00 on 26 and 27 December, and is closed on Christmas Day.
Glasgow's Winter Wonderland at Glasgow Green runs from Friday 20 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027, with free entry through the McLennan Arch and paid attractions. Glasgow Green is open 15:00–22:00 from Monday to Friday and 12:00–22:00 at weekends until 20 December, then 12:00–22:00 daily. It closes at 20:00 on 24 December, is closed on 25 December and opens from 14:00 to 22:00 on 1 January.
Nottingham, Cardiff and Winchester Christmas markets 2026
Nottingham's Winter Wonderland is free to enter, according to the organiser's FAQ, and opens on Thursday 12 November 2026 in Old Market Square; Visit Nottinghamshire gives its dates as 12 November to Thursday 31 December.
Nottingham's market is open 10:00–18:30 from Sunday to Thursday and 10:00–20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays until 11 December, then 10:00–19:30 and 10:00–20:30 until its last day, Thursday 24 December. Nottingham's observation wheel and ice rink are ticketed and stay open to 31 December, from 10:00 to 20:00 on 24, 26 and 31 December; everything is closed on Christmas Day.
Cardiff's Christmas Market runs from Thursday 12 November to Wednesday 23 December 2026 on St John Street, Working Street, Trinity Street and Hills Street, and entry is free, according to Visit Cardiff. Cardiff's market is open 10:00–18:00 from Monday to Saturday and 10:00–17:00 on Sundays, and until 19:00 on Thursdays in December.
Visit Cardiff's Winter Wonderland, at Cardiff Castle and City Hall Lawn, runs to Sunday 3 January 2027 with free entry and is closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Winchester's Cathedral Christmas Market is open from Friday 20 November to Tuesday 22 December 2026 in the Cathedral's Inner and Outer Close, and admission is free with no pre-booking, according to Winchester Cathedral. Winchester's hours are 10:00–20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays and 10:00–18:00 from Sunday to Thursday.
York Christmas Market 2026: 12 November to 21 December
York Christmas Market runs from Thursday 12 November to Monday 21 December 2026 along Parliament Street and St Sampson's Square, open from 10:30 to 19:00 from Wednesday to Monday and closed on Tuesdays, according to Visit York and the organiser, Make It York.
York's market closes at 17:00 on its last day, Monday 21 December. Make It York's guide to the 2026 market adds a quiet hour every day from 10:30 to 12:00 with the music switched off, and six park and ride sites. Visit York gives the park and ride fare as £4 for an adult, with up to three children travelling free. Neither page says how many stalls there are or whether entry is free.
Edinburgh's Christmas 2026: the market in Princes Street Gardens
Edinburgh's Christmas runs from Saturday 14 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027, and its Traditional Christmas Market in East Princes Street Gardens is free to enter, according to Forever Edinburgh, the city's tourism site.
Edinburgh's Christmas, the festival's own site, gives East Princes Street Gardens daily hours of 10:00 to 22:00. The exceptions are Tuesday 17 November (16:00–22:00), the Christmas and New Year days in the table above and Sunday 3 January (10:00–20:00).
East Gardens also hold the LNER Big Wheel, with tickets from £12. Its enclosed pods take up to six people, a family ticket covers four people with at most two adults, and a child who can toddle needs a ticket.
West Princes Street Gardens have the Festive Family Funfair, and The Coorie Inn on George Street opens on Thursday 19 November. The festival also lists the Polar Ice Bar, for ages 18 and over, from 19 November to 2 January, Santa's Stories from 20 November to 24 December and the cabaret La Clique Noël in Bristo Square from 20 November to 3 January.
Belfast Christmas Market 2026: free entry at City Hall
Belfast Christmas Market opens at 12:00 on Saturday 14 November 2026 in the grounds of Belfast City Hall and closes at 18:00 on Tuesday 22 December, and admission is free, according to Belfast City Council.
Belfast's stalls open 10:00–20:00 from Monday to Wednesday, 10:00–22:00 from Thursday to Saturday and 12:00–18:00 on Sundays, and the bars close an hour later than the stalls from Monday to Saturday. The council says there are over 100 local and international traders and that local traders make up more than half of the stalls.
Liverpool's Skate St George's and Christmas market 2026
Skate St George's in Liverpool is open every day from Saturday 21 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027 except Christmas Day, and Visit Liverpool says it is free to visit, with the Christmas market to browse and the ice rink ticketed from £11.50 for an adult.
Skate St George's lists Monday to Thursday 12:00–22:00, Friday and Saturday 10:00–23:00 and Sunday 10:00–22:00. It opens at 14:00 on Saturday 21 November and runs 10:00–18:00 on Thursday 24 December. Its home page says 10:00–22:00 as standard hours, so check the day before you go.
Hyde Park Winter Wonderland 2026: dates, tickets and free entry
Hyde Park Winter Wonderland in London is open from Thursday 19 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027, every day except Christmas Day, and every visitor needs an entry ticket, according to its tickets guide.
Winter Wonderland's slots cost £1.00 Off-Peak, £5.50 Standard and £8.25 Peak, with no separate prices for children; the guide also calls Off-Peak slots "always free to enter", so check the price at checkout. Off-Peak applies all day Monday to Thursday in November.
Spending £25 in one online transaction on rides, attractions, packages, passes or food and drink meal deals unlocks free entry when you pre-book. Winter Wonderland also sells tickets on arrival at higher prices, but slots sell out in busy periods.
Winter Wonderland opens at 10:00 and closes at 22:00 unless a date is listed, with last entry at 21:30. The later starts are:
- 12:00: Thursday 19 and Friday 20 November, Monday 23 to Thursday 26 November, Monday 30 November and Wednesday 2 December.
- 14:00: Tuesday 1 December.
- 11:00: Friday 27 November, Thursday 3 and Friday 4 December, Monday 7 to Friday 11 December, Monday 14 to Friday 18 December and Monday 28 December to Friday 1 January 2027.
New for 2026, the Winter Wonderland site lists a VIP Tour Experience at £149, a Coaster Pass and an Explorer Pass, the Spinning Racer ride and a K-pop dragon circus. Prices include booking fees in 2026.
The Getting here page pairs each gate with its closest stations: Red (east) with Bond Street and Marble Arch, Blue (south) with Hyde Park Corner, Green Park and Victoria, Green (west) with Knightsbridge and High Street Kensington, and Gold (north) with Marble Arch and Paddington. It recommends Victoria, Bond Street and Paddington for a quieter journey and warns that there is no Elizabeth line service on 26 December.
Every bag is searched at the gates and bags must be A4 size or smaller; food and drink may not be brought in apart from baby and medical food, sealed water and empty reusable bottles, and chairs and drones are not allowed.
Southbank Centre Winter Market 2026: Queen's Walk under Hungerford Bridge
The Southbank Centre's Winter Market in London is open from Monday 2 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027 on Queen's Walk, under Hungerford Bridge, according to the Southbank Centre.
The Southbank Centre's stalls open from 11:00 to 22:00 and its bars from 11:00 to 23:00, and the market is closed on Friday 25 December, Thursday 31 December and Friday 1 January. It lists hot food, sweet treats, three bars and craft stalls, and gives Waterloo and Embankment as the nearest stations. The venue is cash-free.
Bath Christmas Market 2026: 26 November to 13 December
Bath Christmas Market is open from Thursday 26 November to Sunday 13 December 2026, with the market centre at Stall Street, and it is an open-air, free event, according to its official site.
Bath's market opens 10:00–19:00 from Monday to Wednesday, 10:00–20:00 from Thursday to Saturday and 10:00–18:00 on Sundays, and the site does not say how many chalets there are. Its journey page lists park and ride from Odd Down, Newbridge and Lansdown, the Royal Avenue coach drop-off and engineering works on trains from London on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 November, the market's first weekend.
Which UK Christmas market should you visit?
The markets differ in size and in what they charge. Manchester spreads over ten sites, Belfast says it has over 100 traders, Edinburgh's East Gardens have around 70 stalls according to Forever Edinburgh, and Birmingham has 42. Birmingham, Bath, Edinburgh, Belfast, Glasgow, Nottingham, Cardiff, Winchester and Liverpool charge nothing to enter. Hyde Park Winter Wonderland is the one that needs an entry ticket.
For the longest season, the Southbank Centre opened on 2 November and Manchester's Albert Square, Edinburgh, Glasgow Green, Liverpool and Winter Wonderland run to 3 January 2027.
Quick answers
When do Christmas markets open in the UK in 2026? The Southbank Centre's Winter Market opened on Monday 2 November, Birmingham's Frankfurt Christmas Market on Thursday 5 November, and Manchester's markets and Glasgow's St Enoch Square on Friday 6 November. Nottingham, Cardiff and York open on Thursday 12 November, Edinburgh and Belfast on Saturday 14 November, Winter Wonderland, Glasgow Green and Winchester on 19 and 20 November, Liverpool on Saturday 21 November and Bath on Thursday 26 November.
Which UK Christmas market opens first? The Southbank Centre's Winter Market in London opened first of the fourteen in this guide, on Monday 2 November 2026.
Which of these UK Christmas markets are open until 3 January 2027? Manchester's Albert Square and Cathedral Gardens, Edinburgh's Christmas, Glasgow's Winter Wonderland at Glasgow Green, Skate St George's in Liverpool, Hyde Park Winter Wonderland and the Southbank Centre Winter Market all run until Sunday 3 January 2027.
Which UK Christmas markets finish before Christmas? Bath finishes on Sunday 13 December, York on Monday 21 December, Manchester's other eight sites, Winchester and Belfast on Tuesday 22 December, Cardiff's Christmas Market on Wednesday 23 December and Birmingham's Frankfurt Christmas Market and Nottingham's market on Thursday 24 December.
Is Hyde Park Winter Wonderland free? No. Every visitor needs an entry ticket: slots cost £1.00 Off-Peak, £5.50 Standard and £8.25 Peak, and entry is free when you pre-book and spend £25 on rides, attractions, packages, passes or meal deals in one online transaction.
Which UK Christmas markets are free to enter? Birmingham, Bath, Edinburgh's Princes Street Gardens, Belfast, Glasgow's St Enoch Square and Glasgow Green, Nottingham, Cardiff, Winchester and Liverpool's Skate St George's are free to enter. The rides and ice rinks are ticketed, and York's page does not say.
Are UK Christmas markets open on Christmas Day or Boxing Day? No market in this guide is open on Friday 25 December 2026. On Boxing Day, Saturday 26 December, Edinburgh's East Princes Street Gardens open from 12:00 to 20:00, Manchester's Albert Square and Cathedral Gardens from 10:00 to 18:00, Glasgow's St Enoch Square from 12:00 to 20:00, Glasgow Green and Liverpool from 12:00 to 22:00, Winter Wonderland from 10:00 and the Southbank Centre's stalls from 11:00.
How do I get to Hyde Park Winter Wonderland? The nearest Tube stations are Marble Arch, Hyde Park Corner and Knightsbridge, which the organisers expect to be busy; Paddington is about 12 minutes on foot, Bond Street about 14 and Green Park about 17. Use the gate paired with your station: Red, Blue, Green or Gold.
Cover image: illustrative image of a British Christmas market, generated for Evenitto with OpenAI's image model; it does not show a particular market.
