UK Christmas Markets 2026 in Numbers
When they open, when the country is busiest, how many are over before Christmas and how many charge at the gate: counted from the 295 markets whose organisers have published 2026 dates.
295 markets with 2026 dates confirmed
113 open on Saturday 28 November, the busiest day
67% last three days or fewer
25% need a ticket or charge for entry
41 have still not announced their dates
When Do Christmas Markets Open in 2026?
The first to open is Living North Christmas Fair North East (Newcastle upon Tyne) on Thursday 22 October, followed by Skate Leicester Square and Christmas Market (London) on 31 October, Leamington Christmas Market (Royal Leamington Spa) on 1 November, Southbank Centre Winter Market (London) on 2 November and Spirit of Christmas Fair (London) on 2 November. 56 markets have opened by the middle of November, but 77% do not start until 20 November or later.
The Busiest Day of the Season
More markets are open on Saturday 28 November than on any other day: 113 of the 295. The count for each Saturday:
| 24 Oct | 1 |
|---|---|
| 31 Oct | 1 |
| 7 Nov | 15 |
| 14 Nov | 46 |
| 21 Nov | 85 |
| 28 Nov | 113 |
| 5 Dec | 112 |
| 12 Dec | 72 |
| 19 Dec | 56 |
Most Are Over Before Christmas
The surprise in the dates is how early most markets finish. 207 of the 295 (70%) have packed up by the end of Sunday 6 December, and 78% by 13 December. On Saturday 19 December, the last Saturday before Christmas, 56 are open.
Only 15 carry on after Christmas Day: Southbank Centre Winter Market (London), Aberdeen Christmas Village, Christmas By The Sea (Blackpool), Christmas in Cambridge, Edinburgh Christmas Market, Hyde Park Winter Wonderland (London), Liverpool Christmas Market at Skate St George's, Reading's Christmas Market on Broad Street, Skate Leicester Square and Christmas Market (London), Winter Wonderland at Glasgow Green, Bournemouth Christmas Market, Christmas in City Square (Dundee), Christmas in Oxford, Southampton Christmas Market and Winter Wonderland at St Enoch (Glasgow).
How Long Do They Last?
80 markets (27%) are a single day and 197 (67%) are over within three. At the other end, 48 run for four weeks or more. So the date matters more than most visitors expect: for most markets there is one weekend to go.
Which Markets Shut on a Weekday?
Of the long-running markets, 4 close on the same day every week: Haddon Hall Mercatum Christmas Artisan Market (Bakewell) (Mondays and Tuesdays), York Christmas Market (Tuesdays), Flowerfield Christmas Craft Market (Portstewart) (Sundays) and Torre Abbey Christmas Market (Torquay) (Mondays and Tuesdays). Each market page lists its closed days.
How Many Charge for Entry?
75 of the 295 (25%) need a ticket or charge at the gate. Most of those are in the grounds of a house, garden, museum or showground. Of the 110 town and city markets, 10 charge, in Lincoln, Bury St Edmunds, Durham, Norwich, Ely, Ipswich, Peterborough, Farnham, Ford and Teddington. Prices, where the organiser has published them, are on each market page.
Still Waiting for Dates
41 markets that ran in earlier years have not published 2026 dates on their official pages. The most searched-for are Kingston, Trafalgar Square, Greenwich Market at Christmas, Brighton, King's Cross and Coventry. We re-read each one weekly.
The Christmas Markets That Do Not Exist
People search for a Christmas market at 23 places that do not have one. The most searched-for: Covent Garden (33,100 UK searches a month), Buckingham Palace (12,100 UK searches a month), Battersea Power Station (3,600 UK searches a month), Milton Keynes (1,300 UK searches a month) and Borough Market (1,000 UK searches a month). Each of those pages says what the venue's own site shows is on instead, and lists the closest real markets.
By Region
| Region | Dates Confirmed | Not Yet Announced |
|---|---|---|
| London | 14 | 7 |
| South East | 47 | 6 |
| South West | 43 | 1 |
| East of England | 35 | 1 |
| East Midlands | 23 | 3 |
| West Midlands | 23 | 4 |
| Yorkshire | 21 | 4 |
| North West | 28 | 3 |
| North East | 17 | 2 |
| Scotland | 19 | 1 |
| Wales | 15 | 6 |
| Northern Ireland | 10 | 3 |
How These Figures Are Counted
Every figure comes from our own records, and every record comes from the organiser's, venue's or council's own page, read by us and dated: see how we check dates. A market counts as open on a day if that day falls inside its published run and is not one of its published closed days. The page is recalculated each night, so the figures move as organisers announce or change dates. Last counted on 12 October 2026.
You are welcome to quote these figures; please name bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk and link to this page. For a figure that is not here (one county, one week), ask us.