Manchester Christmas Markets 2026: Dates & Locations

Cathedral Gardens, the green space between Manchester Cathedral, Chetham's and the National Football Museum, hosts Skate Manchester, a covered ice rink surrounded by market stalls. Because the rink is under cover, it works in the rain, which matters in a Manchester December. Like Albert Square, the site stays open until 3 January 2027.

The stalls around the rink sell food, hot drinks and gifts, and the medieval cathedral and the glass walls of the National Football Museum make an unusual backdrop. Skating is ticketed separately from the free market.

Cathedral Gardens sits right next to Victoria station, so it is the first site many visitors reach when they arrive by train from Leeds, Liverpool or the north.

St Ann's Square has been one of the busiest of the Manchester Christmas Markets sites since the markets began in 1999, and it gets a new layout for 2026 with extra craft, food and drink traders. The square is framed by St Ann's Church, consecrated in 1712, and the Royal Exchange Theatre.

Expect a mix of handmade gifts, decorations and European food stalls, with bratwurst, cheese, crêpes and mulled wine among the regulars. The square links naturally with King Street to the south and Exchange Street to the north.

The 2026 dates are 6 November to 22 December, like most of the city's market sites. The square fills quickly after work and at weekends, so earlier visits are more comfortable.

Exchange Square sits between the main shopping streets and the Cathedral Quarter, and its Christmas stalls lean towards food and drink. It is a good place for lunch on a market day, with hot dishes, sweet treats and mulled drinks from around Europe.

The square is surrounded by large stores and the Corn Exchange, so it is easy to combine with shopping. The Exchange Square Metrolink stop is right on the square, which makes it a practical starting or finishing point.

The 2026 market runs from 6 November to 22 December. From here, Cathedral Gardens and its ice rink are a two-minute walk north, and New Cathedral Street leads back towards St Ann's Square.

Lincoln Square is the newest of the Manchester Christmas Markets locations, added for 2026. More than a dozen stalls and food trucks set up on the small square just off Brazennose Street, a few minutes from Albert Square and the Town Hall.

As a new site, it is likely to be quieter than the established squares in its first year, which makes it a good place to pause for food without the queues of Albert Square. The square is named after the statue of Abraham Lincoln that stands there, a reminder of Manchester's support for the anti-slavery cause during the American Civil War.

The market runs from 6 November to 22 December 2026, alongside the other main sites.