UK Christmas markets 2026, region by region
Around 70 stalls in the gardens below the Old Town, with the castle lit up above and a big wheel over the lawns.
Wooden chalets fill St Enoch Square in the shopping district. The ice rink and funfair are a separate trip, at Glasgow Green.
More than 210 stalls spread across the centre, so it is a walking trail rather than one square. Cathedral Gardens adds an ice rink. Albert Square and Cathedral Gardens stay open to 3 Jan 2027.
Where to stay, from £151 a night
CheapestPendulum Hotel£151a nightStep upAC Hotel Manchester City Centre£161a nightBest reviewedHyatt House Manchester£211a night
Alpine-style chalets, mostly run by Yorkshire traders, a few minutes from the Shambles and the Minster. Closed on Tuesdays.
Where to stay, from £141 a night
CheapestYo10£141a nightStep upJorvik House£230a nightBest reviewedNo.1 by GuestHouse, York£328a night
Chalets of Yorkshire makers right outside the station, plus a covered ice rink and a big wheel on Millennium Square.
The organiser bills it as the largest German market outside Germany and Austria. It is a few minutes' walk from New Street station.
Where to stay, from £109 a night
CheapesteasyHotel Birmingham£109a nightStep upConference Aston Hotel£111a nightBest reviewedAloft Birmingham Eastside£148a night
A small three-day market held inside the cathedral, with pre-booked timed tickets. The big street market it replaced ended in 2022.
Open-air stalls on pedestrian streets near the castle, with the focus on Welsh artists, designers and food producers.
Where to stay, from £150 a night
CheapesteasyHotel Cardiff£150a nightStep upHilton Cardiff£334a nightBest reviewedThe Parkgate Hotel£600a night
Chalets in the cobbled lanes of a World Heritage city. Free to enter, and the run is only about two and a half weeks.
More a festival than a market: rides, shows and stalls, plus what the organiser calls the UK's largest open-air ice rink. Entry is ticketed.
Where to stay, from £161 a night
CheapestPutera Puteri Residence£161a nightStep up1 Craven Hill Gardens£195a nightBest reviewedThe Exhibitionist Hotel£270a night
German-style chalets on the lawns beside the medieval cathedral, which also holds carol services through December. Free to enter.
Where to stay, from £207 a night
More than 100 local and continental traders beneath the green copper dome of City Hall, a short walk from the main shopping streets.
Where to stay, from £114 a night
CheapestThe Malone Hotel£114a nightStep upTara Lodge£150a nightBest reviewedSecond Nature Belfast£194a night
Most UK markets run from mid-November to just before Christmas, so almost any weekend works. Bath closes on 13 December and Lincoln lasts three days. Birmingham and Glasgow have the cheapest four-star rooms near the market.
Belfast is the one market on this list that most of Britain reaches by plane.
European Christmas markets 2026, by flight time
Flight time
Christmas in Tivoli
One of the world's oldest amusement parks turns into a winter village of stalls, rides and a lit-up lake. Entry is ticketed.
Buy entry tickets onlineNot in the UK? Flights to Copenhagen
Strasbourg Christkindelsmarik
Running since 1570 and billed as France's oldest Christmas market, with around 300 chalets across the old town. Fly to Basel, then about 1h30 by train.
Colmar Christmas Markets
Six small markets spread through a fairy-tale old town of half-timbered houses and canals. Fly to Basel, then about 60 km by road or rail.
Cologne Cathedral Christmas Market
Stalls on Roncalliplatz right at the foot of the cathedral, under a canopy of lights. Cologne runs several other markets within walking distance.
WeihnachtsZauber Gendarmenmarkt
An upmarket market on one of Berlin's grandest squares, between the concert hall and the twin domes. It has a small entry fee.
Brussels Winter Wonders
A trail of wooden chalets from the Bourse to Place Sainte-Catherine, with a big tree and light show on the Grand-Place.
Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt
One of Germany's most famous markets, filling the Hauptmarkt in the old town. It is known for gingerbread and handmade decorations.
Munich Christkindlmarkt
Stalls across Marienplatz in front of the neo-Gothic New Town Hall, with live Advent music from the town hall balcony.
Budapest Vorosmarty Square Christmas Fair
Budapest's longest-running Christmas fair, in front of the historic Gerbeaud cafe, with Hungarian crafts and folk music.
Advent in Zagreb
The whole centre becomes a festival rather than one market: stalls on Ban Jelacic Square, an ice rink and lit-up parks.
Krakow Christmas Market
Held on Rynek Glowny, one of Europe's largest medieval squares, between the Cloth Hall and St Mary's Basilica.
Prague Old Town Square Christmas Market
A towering tree between the Tyn Church spires and the Astronomical Clock, with stalls filling one of Europe's best-known squares.
Vienna Christkindlmarkt
The city's flagship market sits in front of the floodlit City Hall, with the park trees next to it hung with lights.
Salzburg Christkindlmarkt
Stalls between the baroque cathedral and the archbishops' palace, with the fortress on the hill above. Its roots go back more than 500 years.
Vilnius Christmas Market
Known for a different, striking Christmas tree design each year on Cathedral Square, beside the white cathedral and its bell tower.
Tallinn Christmas Market
Set on the medieval Town Hall Square of a UNESCO-listed old town. Tallinn claims one of Europe's first public Christmas trees, in 1441.
Dresden Striezelmarkt
Documented since 1434, which makes it one of the oldest recorded markets in Germany. It is known for a giant walk-through wooden pyramid. Few direct UK flights: many visitors fly to Berlin or Prague and take the train.
Brussels Winter Wonders
A trail of wooden chalets from the Bourse to Place Sainte-Catherine, with a big tree and light show on the Grand-Place.
Cologne Cathedral Christmas Market
Stalls on Roncalliplatz right at the foot of the cathedral, under a canopy of lights. Cologne runs several other markets within walking distance.
Christmas in Tivoli
One of the world's oldest amusement parks turns into a winter village of stalls, rides and a lit-up lake. Entry is ticketed.
Buy entry tickets onlineNot in the UK? Flights to Copenhagen
Prague Old Town Square Christmas Market
A towering tree between the Tyn Church spires and the Astronomical Clock, with stalls filling one of Europe's best-known squares.
Vienna Christkindlmarkt
The city's flagship market sits in front of the floodlit City Hall, with the park trees next to it hung with lights.
WeihnachtsZauber Gendarmenmarkt
An upmarket market on one of Berlin's grandest squares, between the concert hall and the twin domes. It has a small entry fee.
Strasbourg Christkindelsmarik
Running since 1570 and billed as France's oldest Christmas market, with around 300 chalets across the old town. Fly to Basel, then about 1h30 by train.
Colmar Christmas Markets
Six small markets spread through a fairy-tale old town of half-timbered houses and canals. Fly to Basel, then about 60 km by road or rail.
Munich Christkindlmarkt
Stalls across Marienplatz in front of the neo-Gothic New Town Hall, with live Advent music from the town hall balcony.
Advent in Zagreb
The whole centre becomes a festival rather than one market: stalls on Ban Jelacic Square, an ice rink and lit-up parks.
Vilnius Christmas Market
Known for a different, striking Christmas tree design each year on Cathedral Square, beside the white cathedral and its bell tower.
Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt
One of Germany's most famous markets, filling the Hauptmarkt in the old town. It is known for gingerbread and handmade decorations.
Budapest Vorosmarty Square Christmas Fair
Budapest's longest-running Christmas fair, in front of the historic Gerbeaud cafe, with Hungarian crafts and folk music.
Tallinn Christmas Market
Set on the medieval Town Hall Square of a UNESCO-listed old town. Tallinn claims one of Europe's first public Christmas trees, in 1441.
Krakow Christmas Market
Held on Rynek Glowny, one of Europe's largest medieval squares, between the Cloth Hall and St Mary's Basilica.
Salzburg Christkindlmarkt
Stalls between the baroque cathedral and the archbishops' palace, with the fortress on the hill above. Its roots go back more than 500 years.
Dresden Striezelmarkt
Documented since 1434, which makes it one of the oldest recorded markets in Germany. It is known for a giant walk-through wooden pyramid. Few direct UK flights: many visitors fly to Berlin or Prague and take the train.
Brussels Winter Wonders
A trail of wooden chalets from the Bourse to Place Sainte-Catherine, with a big tree and light show on the Grand-Place.
Christmas in Tivoli
One of the world's oldest amusement parks turns into a winter village of stalls, rides and a lit-up lake. Entry is ticketed.
Buy entry tickets onlineNot in the UK? Flights to Copenhagen
Prague Old Town Square Christmas Market
A towering tree between the Tyn Church spires and the Astronomical Clock, with stalls filling one of Europe's best-known squares.
WeihnachtsZauber Gendarmenmarkt
An upmarket market on one of Berlin's grandest squares, between the concert hall and the twin domes. It has a small entry fee.
Strasbourg Christkindelsmarik
Running since 1570 and billed as France's oldest Christmas market, with around 300 chalets across the old town. Fly to Basel, then about 1h30 by train.
Colmar Christmas Markets
Six small markets spread through a fairy-tale old town of half-timbered houses and canals. Fly to Basel, then about 60 km by road or rail.
Advent in Zagreb
The whole centre becomes a festival rather than one market: stalls on Ban Jelacic Square, an ice rink and lit-up parks.
Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt
One of Germany's most famous markets, filling the Hauptmarkt in the old town. It is known for gingerbread and handmade decorations.
Krakow Christmas Market
Held on Rynek Glowny, one of Europe's largest medieval squares, between the Cloth Hall and St Mary's Basilica.
Vilnius Christmas Market
Known for a different, striking Christmas tree design each year on Cathedral Square, beside the white cathedral and its bell tower.
Munich Christkindlmarkt
Stalls across Marienplatz in front of the neo-Gothic New Town Hall, with live Advent music from the town hall balcony.
Cologne Cathedral Christmas Market
Stalls on Roncalliplatz right at the foot of the cathedral, under a canopy of lights. Cologne runs several other markets within walking distance.
Budapest Vorosmarty Square Christmas Fair
Budapest's longest-running Christmas fair, in front of the historic Gerbeaud cafe, with Hungarian crafts and folk music.
Vienna Christkindlmarkt
The city's flagship market sits in front of the floodlit City Hall, with the park trees next to it hung with lights.
Tallinn Christmas Market
Set on the medieval Town Hall Square of a UNESCO-listed old town. Tallinn claims one of Europe's first public Christmas trees, in 1441.
Dresden Striezelmarkt
Documented since 1434, which makes it one of the oldest recorded markets in Germany. It is known for a giant walk-through wooden pyramid. Few direct UK flights: many visitors fly to Berlin or Prague and take the train.
Salzburg Christkindlmarkt
Stalls between the baroque cathedral and the archbishops' palace, with the fortress on the hill above. Its roots go back more than 500 years.
Cologne Cathedral Christmas Market
Stalls on Roncalliplatz right at the foot of the cathedral, under a canopy of lights. Cologne runs several other markets within walking distance.
WeihnachtsZauber Gendarmenmarkt
An upmarket market on one of Berlin's grandest squares, between the concert hall and the twin domes. It has a small entry fee.
Krakow Christmas Market
Held on Rynek Glowny, one of Europe's largest medieval squares, between the Cloth Hall and St Mary's Basilica.
Christmas in Tivoli
One of the world's oldest amusement parks turns into a winter village of stalls, rides and a lit-up lake. Entry is ticketed.
Buy entry tickets onlineNot in the UK? Flights to Copenhagen
Prague Old Town Square Christmas Market
A towering tree between the Tyn Church spires and the Astronomical Clock, with stalls filling one of Europe's best-known squares.
Munich Christkindlmarkt
Stalls across Marienplatz in front of the neo-Gothic New Town Hall, with live Advent music from the town hall balcony.
Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt
One of Germany's most famous markets, filling the Hauptmarkt in the old town. It is known for gingerbread and handmade decorations.
Advent in Zagreb
The whole centre becomes a festival rather than one market: stalls on Ban Jelacic Square, an ice rink and lit-up parks.
Brussels Winter Wonders
A trail of wooden chalets from the Bourse to Place Sainte-Catherine, with a big tree and light show on the Grand-Place.
Vilnius Christmas Market
Known for a different, striking Christmas tree design each year on Cathedral Square, beside the white cathedral and its bell tower.
Tallinn Christmas Market
Set on the medieval Town Hall Square of a UNESCO-listed old town. Tallinn claims one of Europe's first public Christmas trees, in 1441.
Strasbourg Christkindelsmarik
Running since 1570 and billed as France's oldest Christmas market, with around 300 chalets across the old town. Fly to Basel, then about 1h30 by train.
Colmar Christmas Markets
Six small markets spread through a fairy-tale old town of half-timbered houses and canals. Fly to Basel, then about 60 km by road or rail.
Vienna Christkindlmarkt
The city's flagship market sits in front of the floodlit City Hall, with the park trees next to it hung with lights.
Salzburg Christkindlmarkt
Stalls between the baroque cathedral and the archbishops' palace, with the fortress on the hill above. Its roots go back more than 500 years.
Dresden Striezelmarkt
Documented since 1434, which makes it one of the oldest recorded markets in Germany. It is known for a giant walk-through wooden pyramid. Few direct UK flights: many visitors fly to Berlin or Prague and take the train.
Budapest Vorosmarty Square Christmas Fair
Budapest's longest-running Christmas fair, in front of the historic Gerbeaud cafe, with Hungarian crafts and folk music.
From London, Copenhagen is the cheapest market to reach and Cologne the shortest flight. Not flying from the UK? Tap any market name for a link to flights from your own city.
European market stays: hotels near each Christmas market
Vilnius and Tallinn are where a well-reviewed four-star room near the market costs least. Colmar and Strasbourg are the dearest on a market weekend.
Questions
When do the UK Christmas markets open in 2026?
Most open in early or mid-November. Birmingham starts on 5 November and Manchester on 6 November, while Edinburgh opens on 14 November. Edinburgh and Hyde Park Winter Wonderland run until 3 January 2027. Glasgow and Belfast had not announced their 2026 dates when we checked.
What is the biggest Christmas market in the UK?
Manchester is the largest by stall count, with more than 210 stalls across about ten city-centre sites. Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas Market bills itself as the largest German market outside Germany and Austria.
Is there still a Lincoln Christmas Market?
Not in its old form. The council ended the big street market after 2022. In 2026 a small market runs inside Lincoln Cathedral from 3 to 5 December, and you need to book a timed ticket.
Which European Christmas market is cheapest to fly to from the UK?
In our early-December sample, the cheapest return was from London, Copenhagen at £61; from Manchester, Brussels at £66; from Edinburgh, Brussels at £67; from Birmingham, Berlin at £115. These are sample “from” fares, so check live prices for your own dates.
When do the European Christmas markets open in 2026?
Vienna and Christmas in Tivoli in Copenhagen open first, on 13 November, and Cologne follows on 16 November. Prague, Zagreb and Vilnius open on 28 November. Several run into January, including Prague and Tallinn, which close on 6 January 2027.
Do I need a ticket for a Christmas market?
Most are free to walk into. Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, Christmas in Tivoli and the Lincoln Cathedral market need a ticket, and the Gendarmenmarkt market in Berlin charges a small entry fee. All four sell tickets online.
Sources
- Edinburgh's Christmas Market, dates and details, retrieved 23 September 2026.
- Glasgow Christmas Market, dates and details, retrieved 23 September 2026.
- Manchester Christmas Markets, dates and details, retrieved 23 September 2026.
- York Christmas Market (St Nicholas Fair), dates and details, retrieved 23 September 2026.
- Leeds Christmas Market, dates and details, retrieved 23 September 2026.
- Birmingham's Frankfurt Christmas Market, dates and details, retrieved 23 September 2026.
- Lincoln Cathedral Christmas Market, dates and details, retrieved 23 September 2026.
- Cardiff Christmas Market, dates and details, retrieved 23 September 2026.
- Bath Christmas Market, dates and details, retrieved 23 September 2026.
- Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, dates and details, retrieved 23 September 2026.
- Winchester Cathedral Christmas Market, dates and details, retrieved 23 September 2026.
- Belfast Continental Christmas Market, dates and details, retrieved 23 September 2026.
- Cologne Cathedral Christmas Market, dates and details, retrieved 23 September 2026.
- Munich Christkindlmarkt, dates and details, retrieved 23 September 2026.
- WeihnachtsZauber Gendarmenmarkt, dates and details, retrieved 23 September 2026.
- Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt, dates and details, retrieved 23 September 2026.
- Dresden Striezelmarkt, dates and details, retrieved 23 September 2026.
- Vienna Christkindlmarkt, dates and details, retrieved 23 September 2026.
- Salzburg Christkindlmarkt, dates and details, retrieved 23 September 2026.
- Brussels Winter Wonders, dates and details, retrieved 23 September 2026.
- Strasbourg Christkindelsmarik, dates and details, retrieved 23 September 2026.
- Colmar Christmas Markets, dates and details, retrieved 23 September 2026.
- Prague Old Town Square Christmas Market, dates and details, retrieved 23 September 2026.
- Budapest Vorosmarty Square Christmas Fair, dates and details, retrieved 23 September 2026.
- Krakow Christmas Market, dates and details, retrieved 23 September 2026.
- Advent in Zagreb, dates and details, retrieved 23 September 2026.
- Christmas in Tivoli, dates and details, retrieved 23 September 2026.
- Tallinn Christmas Market, dates and details, retrieved 23 September 2026.
- Vilnius Christmas Market, dates and details, retrieved 23 September 2026.
- Hyde Park Winter Wonderland tickets, official online ticket page, retrieved 23 September 2026.
- Lincoln Cathedral Christmas Market tickets, official online ticket page, retrieved 23 September 2026.
- Christmas in Tivoli tickets, official online ticket page, retrieved 23 September 2026.
- WeihnachtsZauber Gendarmenmarkt tickets, official online ticket page, retrieved 23 September 2026.
- Wego flight search, sampled 23 September 2026 in GBP, return fares for one adult.
- Wego hotel search, sampled 23 September 2026 in GBP, two adults, one room.
Photo credits
- Edinburgh: photo by Sourabh.biswas003, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Glasgow: photo by CS104Group15, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Manchester: photo by A J Paxton, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
- York: photo by Malcolmxl5, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Leeds: photo by Stephen Craven, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
- Birmingham: photo by Brian McNeil, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0.
- Lincoln: photo by Julian P Guffogg, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
- Cardiff: photo by Seth Whales, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Bath: photo by Rwendland, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- London: photo by Garry Knight, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
- Winchester: photo by Fernweh, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
- Belfast: photo by Eric Jones, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
- Cologne: photo by CGP Grey, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
- Munich: photo by Strubbl, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Berlin: photo by Andreas Trojak, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
- Nuremberg: photo by Max Schrader, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.5.
- Dresden: photo by LH DD/Dittrich, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
- Vienna: photo by Thomas2006, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
- Salzburg: photo by Eweht, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Brussels: photo by William Murphy from Dublin, Ireland, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
- Strasbourg: photo by Photo Claude TRUONG-NGOC, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
- Colmar: photo by Arnaud 25, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Prague: photo by Helena Melezínková, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Budapest: photo by Elekes Andor, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
- Krakow: photo by Zala, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Zagreb: photo by Branko Radovanović, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Copenhagen: photo by Maria Eklind, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
- Tallinn: photo by Ypsilon from Finland, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
- Vilnius: photo by Pofka, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
How these figures were produced
- Market dates come from each organiser, city council or tourism board, checked on 23 September 2026. Where 2026 dates were not yet published, the card says so and gives last year’s dates as a guide only.
- Fares are the cheapest return for one adult in economy on Wego’s UK site, for Friday 4 to Sunday 6 December 2026, sampled 23 September 2026. Nonstop flights were used wherever one was on sale; otherwise the cheapest one-stop trip with an outbound journey of eight hours or less. London covers all its airports.
- The flight-time filter uses the shortest outbound journey on sale for that route, including any connection.
- Strasbourg and Colmar are priced to EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse, the nearest airport with regular UK flights.
- Hotels are within 2 km of each market (3 km in Bath, York, Lincoln and Colmar, 6 km in Winchester), for two adults in one room, same weekend, same sample date. Step up and Best reviewed need four stars, a guest score of 8.0 or more and at least 150 reviews. Cheapest needs a score of 7.5 and at least 50 reviews. Best reviewed is capped at twice the Step up price. Hostels and pubs were left out.
- Distances are straight lines from the market square, not walking routes.
- Links open a live Wego search with no dates set, so you can pick your own.
Disclaimer: We’ve worked hard to make sure the information in this article is as accurate and up to date as possible at the time of publishing. Travel details such as prices, schedules, visa rules, and entry requirements can change at short notice, so it remains your responsibility to verify the current details with official sources before you book or travel. Wego accepts no liability for any loss or inconvenience arising from the use of this content.
