Best Christmas Markets in the UK 2026
The 25 Christmas markets the UK looks for most, in order, each with this year's dates.
"Best" lists of Christmas markets are usually one writer's favourites. This one is counted. We took the number of UK searches for each market by name over a year (Google search data, read in October 2026) and ranked them. It is a measure of where people most want to go, which is not quite the same as which is best, but it is one nobody can pay to change.
Search counts say where people want to go, not whether they were glad they went. So every market page also asks visitors one question: was it worth the trip? Once a market has five votes, its tally is shown beside it here. The order stays by searches for now; when there are enough votes to mean something, they will count towards it.
Popular also means busy. If you would sooner have room to walk, look at the lower half of the list, or use the date finder to pick a weekday.
The Ranking
Edinburgh Christmas Market
14 Nov 2026 to 3 Jan 2027 · Closed on Fri 25 Dec
Edinburgh's main Christmas market, with chalet stalls, food and drink huts, a big wheel and a starflyer ride in East Princes Street Gardens. It is part of the wider Edinburgh's Christmas programme, which also uses West Princes Street Gardens and George Street.
Manchester Christmas Markets
6 Nov to 22 Dec 2026
Manchester's council-run Christmas markets, with 210 stalls across ten city centre sites including Albert Square and a new food and drink site at Lincoln Square. The main run ends on 22 December, with Albert Square and Cathedral Gardens continuing to 3 January 2027.
York Christmas Market (St Nicholas Fair)
12 Nov to 21 Dec 2026 · Closed Tuesdays
Wooden chalets along Parliament Street and St Sampson's Square in the centre of York, open six days a week. The organiser says more than 80% of the traders are from Yorkshire.
Bath Christmas Market
26 Nov to 13 Dec 2026
Wooden chalets spread through the streets of central Bath around the Abbey and Roman Baths for 18 days. The tourism board expects about 245 traders in 2026.
Chatsworth Christmas Market
7 Nov to 13 Dec 2026
Outdoor market of more than 100 stalls on Lodge Hill beside Chatsworth House, with food and drink stands and outdoor bars. It runs alongside the ticketed Christmas at Chatsworth house and garden season.
Winchester Cathedral Christmas Market
20 Nov to 22 Dec 2026
Chalet market in the grounds of Winchester Cathedral selling gifts, crafts and food. It runs daily for just over a month and entry is free with no booking.
Birmingham's Frankfurt Christmas Market
5 Nov to 24 Dec 2026
A German-style market of food, drink and gift stalls run by a Frankfurt operator, set out across Victoria Square and along New Street. It opens every day for seven weeks up to Christmas Eve.
Belfast Christmas Market
14 Nov to 22 Dec 2026
Chalet market of local and international traders in the grounds of Belfast City Hall, running daily from mid November to 22 December. The council says more than half of the stalls are local traders.
Liverpool Christmas Market at Skate St George's
21 Nov 2026 to 3 Jan 2027 · Closed on Fri 25 Dec
For 2026 the market on St George's Plateau is part of Skate St George's, a new site run by Underbelly with an outdoor ice rink, big wheel, rides, a rooftop bar and a Christmas market of local traders. The council is also planning separate pop-up markets on Basnett Street and at the Cunard Building, with dates still to come.
Chester Christmas Market
18 Nov to 22 Dec 2026
Around 80 traders in wooden chalets in the square around Chester Town Hall, selling crafts, gifts, food and drink.
Nottingham Winter Wonderland
12 Nov to 24 Dec 2026
Christmas market stalls in Old Market Square alongside an ice rink, observation wheel, ice bar and ski-lodge style bars. The market stalls trade until Christmas Eve and the attractions continue to New Year's Eve.
Rochester Christmas Market
27 Nov to 13 Dec 2026 · Open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only
Market of more than 120 stalls in Rochester Castle Gardens with a Bavarian food village, funfair and bandstand entertainment. Open Friday to Sunday over three weekends; free entry.
Sheffield Christmas Market
12 Nov to 24 Dec 2026
More than 50 log cabins running from Town Hall Square to the bottom of The Moor, with bars, a big wheel and a Santa's grotto and rides on Barker's Pool.
Southbank Centre Winter Market
2 Nov 2026 to 4 Jan 2027 · Closed on Fri 25 Dec, Thu 31 Dec
Riverside market of wooden chalets along the Queen's Walk outside the Southbank Centre, with street food, pop-up bars and gift and craft stalls.
Christmas in Cambridge
13 Nov 2026 to 3 Jan 2027
A seasonal village on Parker's Piece with a market of wooden chalets and street food alongside an open-air ice rink, big wheel, curling lanes, funfair and a lodge bar.
Exeter Cathedral Christmas Market
13 Nov to 13 Dec 2026
A month-long market of more than 100 wooden chalets on the green beside Exeter Cathedral, selling West Country food, drink and crafts, with street food and bars.
Leeds Christmas Markets
19 Nov to 23 Dec 2026
Market stalls of Yorkshire makers and food traders in City Square, open seven days a week, with Bavarian-style cabins, a carousel, big wheel and the Ice Cube rink at Millennium Square and Victoria Gardens.
Skate Leicester Square and Christmas Market
31 Oct 2026 to 3 Jan 2027 · Closed on Fri 25 Dec
Christmas market stalls and a seasonal bar set around an ice rink in Leicester Square, run by Underbelly. The site was previously branded Christmas in Leicester Square.
Winter Wonderland at St Enoch
6 Nov to 27 Dec 2026 · Closed on Fri 25 Dec
Glasgow's city-centre Christmas market in St Enoch Square, with food and gift stalls, a festive bar, an observation wheel and children's rides. The same operator runs a larger site with an ice rink at Glasgow Green on different dates.
Bristol Christmas Market
6 Nov to 23 Dec 2026
City-centre market in Broadmead with over 40 craft and gift stalls, food stalls and two bars with live music.
Canterbury Christmas Market
12 Nov to 24 Dec 2026
Daily market of more than 120 wooden huts across three linked areas of the city centre, including the Cathedral Precincts. Free to walk round; Santa's grotto and some activities are ticketed.
Christmas in Oxford
21 Nov to 31 Dec 2026 · Closed on Fri 25 Dec
Oxford's main Christmas market, with gift and food stalls, a bar and a stage for live music along Broad Street. It runs daily for six weeks.
Kingston Christmas Market
2026 dates not yet announced
Town-centre Christmas market of gift stalls, a bar and a music stage in Kingston's Ancient Market Place, organised by the Kingston First BID. A fire on 6 October 2026 damaged several stalls in the Market Place and the council closed the regular market from 10 to 18 October 2026; no 2026 Christmas market dates have been published.
Newcastle's Christmas Market
19 Nov to 23 Dec 2026
City-centre street market of more than 70 traders around Grey's Monument, Grey Street, Grainger Street and Nelson Street, with hot food stalls and a Christmas Village with rides on Old Eldon Square.
Stratford-upon-Avon Christmas Markets
28 Nov to 6 Dec 2026 · Open Saturdays and Sundays only
A street market of more than 200 stalls in the town centre, held over two weekends rather than a continuous run. Often called the Victorian Christmas Market.