Christmas Markets Beyond London: The 2026 Dates
Manchester opens first, on 6 November, and Bath closes earliest, on 13 December. Official dates for four of Britain's biggest markets, and the weekends to book now.
This year Britain’s big Christmas markets are spread across almost two months. Manchester opens first, on Friday 6 November. Bath, one of the shortest runs, is over by Sunday 13 December. Here are the official dates for four of the biggest markets outside London. For the capital, see our Christmas in London guide.
The dates
| Market | Opens | Closes | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester | Fri 6 Nov | Tue 22 Dec (Albert Square and Cathedral Gardens to Sun 3 Jan) | Ten city-centre sites |
| York | Thu 12 Nov | Mon 21 Dec | Parliament Street and St Sampson’s Square |
| Edinburgh | Sat 14 Nov | Sun 3 Jan | East Princes Street Gardens |
| Bath | Thu 26 Nov | Sun 13 Dec | City centre |
Manchester
According to Visit Manchester, 210 stalls are spread across ten sites, from Albert Square and St Ann’s Square to Exchange Square and Cathedral Gardens. Entry is free and there are no tickets. There’s a 50-metre Ferris wheel, the Skate MCR rink opens with the markets on 6 November, and the Christmas Parade is on Sunday 6 December.
York
Visit York says the alpine chalets on Parliament Street and St Sampson’s Square open 10:30–19:00, Wednesday to Monday. The market is closed on Tuesdays, a weekly rest day, and closes at 17:00 on the final day, 21 December. More than 80% of traders are from Yorkshire.
Edinburgh
The official Edinburgh’s Christmas site lists the market in East Princes Street Gardens from 14 November to 3 January, 10:00–22:00 daily except Christmas Day. Entry is free. Rides include the Big Wheel and an 80-metre Starflyer. The site says hours may change.
Bath
Bath & North East Somerset Council confirmed the 2026 dates, 26 November to 13 December, when the 2025 market closed. It estimates the 2024 market drew 444,000 visitors. More than 250 businesses took part in 2025, about two-thirds of them local.
Sources
- Visit Manchester, Manchester Christmas Markets 2026 listing
- Visit York, York Christmas Market 2026
- Edinburgh's Christmas official site, Traditional Christmas Markets 2026
- Bath & North East Somerset Council, Festive magic for Christmas 2026 already on the horizon in Bath, 16 Dec 2025
- National Rail, Christmas and New Year 2026/27
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Casie Stewart is Senior Editor at Not An Atlas, usually found in a Toronto coffee shop in a cute outfit, laptop open, coffee in hand and phone (always) within arm's reach. Some of her warmest memories are of fishing and camping in New Zealand's Bay of Islands with her family as a kid. She's a New Zealand citizen, and it will always feel like home. She takes the window seat (she wants to see the world, not the beverage cart), swears by her Trtl travel pillow (comfort over cool, always) and orders whatever the locals are having. Waking up to the sounds of the rainforest in the middle of the Costa Rican jungle is her “this is why I travel” moment, and Arizona's deserts and sunsets are where she'd go back tomorrow. She covers the places, people, food and festivals that make a destination memorable. Friends say funny, effervescent and organized. Her mum adds cuddly. Next stop: Bali.
