UK Christmas Markets 2025 full guide: including dates, opening times, locations and trader information!

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UK Christmas Markets seem to grow and grow in popularity in every year - and we can see why. There's nothing better than wandering around a city centre, seeing twinkling Christmas lights, sipping a hot winter drink and maybe even finding some unique, handmade gifts from a local business.

But choosing the Christmas markets that you want to visit and when is a tough decision, especially when all of the dates and times are different! So we've compiled this full guide to help you for your 2025 Christmas market trip.

Here's our full list of the best UK Christmas Markets in 2025, including our guide to dates, times, trader information and locations):

Birmingham (Frankfurt): 1 Nov – 24 Dec 2025

A favourite among locals and visitors to the city, Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas market is already up and running, bringing a festive atmosphere to the area. It’s free to enter too, and open 7 days a week!

Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas Market can be found in Victoria Square and on New Street, and offers a free live music programme as well as a great variety of stalls and shops.  Here's their opening times:

Monday – Thursday 11am – 9pm

Friday 11am – 9.30pm

Saturday 10am – 9.30pm

Sunday 10am – 9pm

Manchester: 7 Nov – 22 Dec 2025

Manchester Christmas Market is another UK favourite, spanning across 9 different locations in the city centre. The iconic wooden chalets that make the Manchester markets look so festive are back, and already open to the public!

They have 274 stalls this year including food, drink, crafts, and seasonal treats like hot chocolate, mulled wine, and festive hot food. They even have an ice rink and a big wheel!

Manchester’s Christmas Market can be found in these locations: Albert Square, St Ann's Square, King Street, Exchange Street, New Cathedral Street, Exchange Square, Corn Exchange & Cathedral Gardens, Market Street and Piccadilly Gardens.

This Christmas Market is the biggest in the UK, and it’s free to visit too!! Stalls are open 7 days a week, 10am-8pm, with hot food and drink stalls able to stay open until 9pm. 

Edinburgh: 15 Nov 2025 – 4 Jan 2026

The biggest Christmas market in Scotland, Edinburgh Christmas Market welcomes millions of visitors each year!

Edinburgh is really bringing the excitement and experiences this year. Aside from their huge variety of stalls and the beauty of the city, which would be enough to attract visitors anyway, they have a lot of extras on offer.

There’s a skyflyer ride, a family ice experience, concerts, silent discos, an ice bar, big wheel and an ice rink, to name a few!

You certainly won’t be bored in Edinburgh this festive season, and although many of the attractions and experiences are paid, entry to the Christmas Markets themselves is completely free.

They’ll be held at Princes Street Gardens and on George Street, with stalls open from 10am-10pm 7 days a week.

Edinburgh ready for the festive season!!

If this is all sounding like too much to choose from - and you don't even know where to start, why not check out our new travel planning service called MakeTheMost. We can create a personalised itinerary for your trip to the UK with an interactive map included, so all the places that you want to visit are saved to your phone! You can read more about our service or enquire here.

Bath: 27 Nov – 14 Dec 2025

Bath as a city is a UNESCO World Heritage site, so to add Christmas lights and market stalls brings it to a whole new level of stunning!

It’s centred around their gorgeous cathedral and expands into the city centre, offering a huge selection of craft, food and drink stalls. You’ll be able to grab some delicious hot food and drinks while you’re there, from tacos, to pasta, to fish and chips! And of course, not forgetting winter warmer drinks like chai, mulled wine, cider, and hot chocolates.

Stalls are open at Bath Christmas Market from 10am-7pm Monday to Wednesday, 10am-8pm from Thursday to Saturday and 10am-6pm on Sundays. 

London (Winter Wonderland): 14 Nov 2025 – 1 Jan 2026

London’s Winter Wonderland is a national favourite, and for good reason. It’s jam-packed with rides, shows, attractions, events, and experiences as well as traditional Christmas market food, drink and shopping. 

Winter Wonderland is also known to be a pretty pricey event, however entry can be as little as £1 per adult if you enter at an off-peak time. If you enter at a peak time, it’s £8.25 per person.However, if the events, rides and shows are what you’re going for, think about booking your attractions online in advance. If you spend £25 or more on attraction tickets online, you’ll receive free entry. 

There is also some free live entertainment every day (or included in the price of your entry ticket), including singers, bands and DJs. 

You certainly won’t leave London’s Winter Wonderland underwhelmed, hungry or thirsty with all the options they have on offer for you. They’re open every day in December 10am-10pm. In November, the Winter Wonderland is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. A full guide to what's on is available on their website.

York: 13 Nov – 21 Dec 2025

York is a beautiful, quaint city that looks even better when decorated for the festive season!! And their Christmas market may not be the biggest in the country, but it certainly has a lot to offer in terms of shopping, food, drink and atmosphere. 

There really is something for everyone here - think pies, scotch eggs and chilli products, but also brownies, cookies and macarons. Plus local crafts, artisan products, hot food and festive hot drinks. All of that, paired with the magic of the city itself, and you really can’t miss it!

If you can’t get to York this year, they’re even offering a Virtual Christmas Market where you can order online from their traders. 

York Christmas Market can be found on Parliament Street and St Sampson’s Square, and stalls are open from 10:30am-7pm every day. 

York Christmas Market

Cardiff: 13 Nov – 23 Dec 2025

Wales’ biggest Christmas Market is found in the heart of Cardiff. They have a range of traders from handmade ceramics, candles and wax melts, jewellery, all the way to foodie treats like stuffed cookies, hot welshcakes and fudge!

You’ll find stalls for Cardiff’s Christmas Market on Trinity Street, Working Street, Hills Street, and St John Street. They’re open from 10am-6pm Monday to Saturday, and 10am-5pm on Sundays. 

Nottingham (Winter Wonderland): 8 Nov – 31 Dec 2025

Yes, it’s true, the Midlands have their very own Winter Wonderland, and it’s completely free to enter. But whether it matches up to London’s Winter Wonderland is only for you to decide!

They’ve got typical, traditional market stalls, and a few elevated extras that you might want to think about booking in advance. For example, their rooftop bar, Altitude, and Ski-Chalet themed bar, Sur la Piste. Both have a minimum spend of £160, which is well worth it if you’re visiting in a large group and want a more luxury experience!

There’s also a large ice rink, toboggan riding, an ice bar, a helter skelter and even a sky skate ice path!! You’ll find the market and attractions in and around Old Market Square, open 10am-10pm Monday-Thursday, 10am-11pm Friday-Saturday and 10am-9pm on Sundays. 

Chester: 15 Nov – 22 Dec 2025

With 80 traders dotted around the city centre, creating a magical, festive experience, Chester Christmas Market is an underrated Christmas destination. 

From burgers and pies to mini dutch pancakes and churros, you absolutely won’t go hungry no matter what type of food you fancy. And you’ll definitely pick up plenty of gifts for loved ones with their huge variety of gift traders, selling everything from natural skincare all the way to gingerbread houses!!

The Christmas Market in Chester is found in their Town Hall Square, and open 10:30am-6:30pm Sunday-Wednesday, and 10:30am-8pm Thursday-Saturday.

Glasgow: 17 Nov – 23 Dec 2025

Glasgow is also offering a Winter Wonderland, but this one is across two locations, and both are free to enter!

There’s loads to see and do in Glasgow in the festive period, from an observation wheel, to live theatre performances in their “Festive Big Top”, ice skating, a Santa’s Grotto and of course, Christmas Market stalls for local vendors. 

You’ll also find a selection of rides, a warm, covered beer hall and a variety of hot food and drinks traders. 

You’ll find the Winter Wonderland at both Glasgow Green and St Enoch Square. 

The St Enoch Square location is open from 12-9pm Sunday-Thursday  and 10am-10pm Friday & Saturday. The Glasgow Green location is open from 3-10pm Monday-Friday and 12-10pm Saturday & Sunday until the 18th December. From the 19th, it’s open 12-10pm, 7 days a week. 

Leeds: 21 Nov – 21 Dec 2025

The centre of Leeds will be full of festive spirit from late November onwards, as the 60 chalets full of local crafts, food and drink appear, as well as two large bars. 

There are also additional craft markets, running only on certain days, such as Little Bird Artisan Market, running Thursday to Sunday, and ArtMix Market, running on Saturdays. 

And don’t forget their ice rink, rides such as a carousel and a big wheel, and of course, lots of catering stalls with hot food to warm you up on these freezing cold days we have coming up!

The 2025 Leeds Christmas market is spread across two main locations: Millennium Square and City Square. Millennium Square is home to the Ice Rink and their Ski bar, with stalls and attractions opening 12-9:30pm Monday to Friday, 11am-10pm on Saturdays and 11am-7pm on Sundays. 

The City Square location is where the main Christmas tree is, along with market stalls, rides and bars. Their stalls and rides are open 10am-7pm Monday-Wednesday, 10am-9pm Thursday-Saturday and 10am-6pm on Sundays. 

All locations are free to enter, you just have to pay for attractions or shows!

Belfast: 16 Nov – 22 Dec 2025

The go-to Christmas Market in Northern Ireland, Belfast Christmas Market is already open and ready for visitors. Housing over 100 traders - from local specialities to international favourites, there’s something for absolutely everybody. 

The Belfast Christmas Market is found by their City Hall, a picturesque setting that makes the atmosphere even more magical!!

Stalls are open from 10am-8pm Monday to Wednesday, 10am-10pm Thursday to Saturday and 12-6pm on Sundays. As with the majority of city centre Christmas markets, this one is free to enter too!

Winchester Cathedral: 21 Nov – 22 Dec 2025

Recognised as one of the best Christmas markets in the UK and Europe, what could be better than exploring over 100 festive stalls in such a beautiful setting?

Their wooden chalets are inspired by traditional German Christmas markets, and traders are thoughtfully chosen so you have the best selection of artisan goods possible. 

This isn’t a winter wonderland packed with bright lights, rides, loud shows, just a calm, festive setting to do your Christmas shopping (you might even hear a few carols being sung in the background). 

Entry to the Christmas market is completely free. Here are the opening times for Winchester Cathedral Christmas Market: 

Monday to Wednesday: 10am-6pm

Thursday: 10am-7pm

Friday and Saturday: 10am-8pm

Sunday : 10am-5pm

Exeter Cathedral: 20 Nov – 19 Dec 2025

Devon’s biggest Christmas market, home to over 100 pretty wooden chalets full of food, drinks, crafts and handmade gifts just waiting for you to take them home!

Think about homeware, handmade wooden crafts, scented products, vintage jewellery, and then delicious food and drink stalls too including charcuterie, pies and sweet baked goods. If you can imagine a festive gift or treat, you’ll find it here.

Plus it’s set with the gorgeous backdrop of the Exeter Cathedral!

The Exeter Cathedral Christmas Market is free to enter, and stalls are open from 10am-7pm Monday to Wednesday, 10am-9pm Thursday to Saturday and 11am-5pm on Sundays. 

We really hope our full guide to the best UK Christmas markets in 2025 with dates and times and locations has helped you out whilst planning your festive shopping!! Why not book an overnight stay to make your Christmas Market trip feel like a holiday? You can search for accommodation here through booking.com:

Here's our summary of the best UK Christmas Markets in one picture:

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