With the sound of jingle bells now just around the corner and less than four weeks to go until the opening of Manchester’s legendary Christmas Markets, preparations are well underway for the festive season in the city.
And with hundreds of stalls across the city in ten different locations Manchester’s Christmas Markets are already picking up the plaudits, even before they have officially opened.
Named only this week as the best Christmas Markets in the UK, Manchester Christmas Markets have also been crowned second best Christmas Markets in the World for 2026 – narrowly missing out to Nuremberg for the top spot and seeing off the likes of Christmas heavyweights New York and Strasbourg.
Albert Square is once again set to be at the centre of the city’s countdown to Christmas festivities with several not-to-be-missed new features this year, including live artisan pastry baking with a heart – raising money for local charities – a pop-up festive pub that is sure to be everyone’s favourite local by the time the markets are done, plus the return of the almighty giant Ferris Wheel with its stunning views from the top over the city, and a brand-new selfie sleigh nestled inside a giant Christmas tree.
Also back on Albert Square for the first time in nearly a decade will be everyone’s favourite giant Santa, back once again in time-honoured tradition in front of Manchester’s majestic Victorian town hall, keeping an eye on the city throughout the festive season, bringing an extra touch of Christmas magic to the square.
Just around the corner from Albert Square, this year’s Christmas Markets also see the addition of a brand-new market location, with Lincoln Square off Brazennose Street transformed for the festive season with over a dozen market stalls and trucks, offering a mouth-watering selection of food and drinks, plus cosy undercover seating.
Other Christmas Market locations across the city this year include King Street, St Ann’s Square, Exchange Street, New Cathedral Street, Exchange Square, Corn Exchange, Cathedral Gardens, and Market Street.
Christmas Market regulars who visit St Ann’s Square this year will see a big difference on the square which is one of the longest-running of the city’s Christmas market locations – with even more craft, food, and drink stalls on offer in a brand-new layout providing more choice and even better browsing opportunities around the stalls.
And over at Cathedral Gardens Skate MCR is back, transforming the gardens into the ultimate winter destination with a range of market stalls alongside an undercover ice rink – perfect for a seasonal skate whatever the weather – that will remain open through the festive season until the new year.
Markets across the city will be open daily from Friday 6 November to Tuesday 22 December, except at Albert Square and Cathedral Gardens which will remain open until Sunday 3 January 2027.
Opening hours at all market locations (except Albert Square and Cathedral Gardens) are from 10 am – 9 pm, except on the final day of trading 22 December when stalls will close at 6 pm.
On Albert Square and Cathedral Gardens stalls will open from 10 am – 9 pm each day, before closing slightly earlier at 5 pm on Christmas Eve and reopening on 26 December until 3 January from 10 am – 6 pm each day, except for New Year’s Eve, when Cathedral Gardens will close at 6 pm, whilst Albert Square will remain open until just after midnight.
Councillor Pat Karney, Christmas spokesperson for Manchester City Council, said:
“Christmas can never come round quickly enough for me and I’m very excited for everything we’ve got coming up across the city – it’s going to be fabulous. The festive season has to be my absolute favourite time of the year in Manchester because there’s nowhere that does Christmas quite like we do.“It’s no surprise then that our legendary Christmas Markets have been voted the Best Christmas Markets in the UK. They’ve been helping make magical memories of Christmas in the city for generations of Mancunians for a good two-and-a-half decades now, and the crowds of people visiting them from up and down the country and far beyond gets bigger and bigger every time.
“We’ve been saying for years just how brilliant our markets are – they really are up there with the very best in the world and everyone should come. So it’s no surprise either that as well as Best in the UK, we’ve also been voted second Best Christmas Markets in the World by a whisker – coming within touching distance of Nuremberg who bagged first place.
“I take my Santa’s hat off to Nuremberg for being top of the Christmas tree once again this year – it’s a beautiful place, full of tradition, and well worth a visit – but there’s definitely room for two at the top next year. We’ll bring the tinsel!”
For more information about Christmas in Manchester visit manchester.gov.uk/christmas
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