Christmas<\/a> Markets. Albert Square has been back open and in use this Winter for the first time in six years amid the ongoing Our Town Hall refurbishment.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0_MWdec25-100146JPG.jpg\")
Albert Square is back in action this year – and will host revellers on New Year’s Eve(Image: Mark Waugh Manchester Press Photography Ltd)<\/p>\n
With a host of independent craft stalls on the square, those with a head for heights can swap a view of midnight fireworks for a view instead from the top of the big wheel, of the rooftops of Manchester and beyond as the city and its neighbours bring in the new year. It’s important to note that there will be no firework display taking place on Albert Square itself.<\/p>\n
Open throughout the day as usual on New Year’s Eve, entry into Albert Square will continue to be allowed throughout the evening on a controlled basis using the existing entry points until it reaches capacity which will be 2,000. The event will end at 12.30am.<\/p>\n
Those wanting to join in with the celebrations on either Albert Square or St Peter’s Square should note that the number of people on both squares will be strictly controlled and once either space reaches capacity no further entry will be allowed.<\/p>\n
There will be no direct walk-through between the two squares. And council bosses have warned that entry into one of the squares will not guarantee entry into the other square once capacity is reached.<\/p>\n
People attending either of the two events are asked to limit any bags they bring with them to no bigger than A4 in size and no glass is allowed. Bag searches will be in operation at each of the entrances into both Albert Square and St Peter’s Square.<\/p>\n
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Last year it was a wet and windy New Year’s Eve on St Peter’s Square but it didn’t put off revellers<\/p>\n
Visitors should also note that guide dogs only will be allowed on St Peter’s Square. Portaloo toilet facilities, including accessible toilets will be available on St Peter’s Square, and the Lloyd Street public toilets serving both squares will also remain open until 1am.<\/p>\n
In order to ensure safe and celebratory events for all attending, security staff will be keeping a close eye on revellers to make sure there is no disruption and that everyone is able to enjoy seeing in the New Year together.<\/p>\n
Councillor Pat Karney, Christmas and New Year spokesperson for Manchester Council, said: “We all know how much Mancunians of all ages love to get together and party which is why we’re thrilled this year to give them not one but two celebrations to take their pick of this New Year’s Eve.<\/p>\n
“Whether you’re a Ferris Wheel fanatic with a head for heights, or a music-loving feet-on-the-ground firework fan it promises to be a brilliant night out.<\/p>\n
“So get yourselves ready to dance the night away – wrap up warm, grab your family and your friends and come down and join us!”<\/p>\n
Event staff will be working hard throughout the event and afterwards to make sure that both squares are cleared and people leave promptly once the events are over.<\/p>\n
Councillor Karney added: “We want everyone to be able to enjoy New Year’s Eve in Manchester, including our city centre residents and those working in businesses near to Albert Square and St Peter’s Square. I’ll therefore be working closely with local councillors and others to ensure that we minimise any nuisance to those living and working in the vicinity.”<\/p>\n
A number of temporary traffic management measures will be in place in the run-up to and on the day itself to ensure both events can safely go ahead.<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1_131123santa1.jpg\")
The New Year’s Eve fireworks event in Manchester will take place once again on St Peter’s Square(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n
New Year\u2019s Eve – Road Closures<\/strong><\/p>\n1pm 31 December 2025 – 2am 1 January 2026<\/strong><\/p>\nLibrary Walk (St Peter’s Square to Mount Street)<\/p>\n
7.30pm, 31 December 2025 to 2am, 1 January 2026<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Peter Street westbound (Mount Street to Lower Mosley Street)<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Peter Street eastbound (Deansgate to Lower Mosley Street)<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Oxford Street (Peter Street to Portland Street)<\/p>\n
\u00b7 George Street (Oxford Street to Dickinson Street)<\/p>\n
\u00b7 St James Street (Oxford Street to Dickinson Street)<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Bale Street (Lower Mosley Street to Hall Street)<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Hall Street (Bale Street to Oxford Street)<\/p>\n
9pm 31 December 2025 – 2am 1 January 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\u00b7 Lower Mosley Street (Windmill Street to St Peter\u2019s Square)<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Princess Street (Cooper Street to George Street)<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Back George Street (Princess Street to Dickenson Street)<\/p>\n
Parking Suspensions<\/strong><\/p>\n9am 27 December 2025 – 9am, 2 January 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\u00b7 Mount Street (4 accessible bays closest to Central Library loading bay)<\/p>\n
6pm, 30 December 2025 to 6am, 2 January 2026<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Peter Street (Lower Mosley Street to Mount Street)<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Oxford Street (Lower Mosley Street to Portland Street)<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Lower Mosley Street (Windmill Street to St Peter\u2019s Square)<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Princess Street (Cooper Street to George Street)<\/p>\n
\u00b7 George Street (Oxford Street to Princess Street) for accessible parking<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Back George Street (Princess Street to Dickenson Street)<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Museum Street (Windmill Street to Peter Street)<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Mount Street (Windmill Street to Albert Square<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Dickenson Street (Portland Street to Back George Street) for accessible parking<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Bootle Street (Mount Street to Southmill Street)<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Central Street (Mount Street to Southmill Street)<\/p>\n
Inaccessible Taxi Ranks<\/strong><\/p>\nPeter Street (outside The Midland)<\/strong><\/p>\nMetrolink<\/strong><\/p>\nNo trams will travel through St Peter\u2019s Square after 9pm.<\/p>\n
Accessible parking<\/strong><\/p>\nA limited amount of unreserved accessible event parking will be available on Dickinson Street (George Street to Portland Street) and George Street (between Princess Street and Dickinson Street). The nearest entrance to the event site is on Dickinson Street next to Anthologist bar.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Manchester will see in 2026 with one heck of a party in the city centre this year –…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":640984,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8813],"tags":[138437,748,35745,12232,393,4884,22137,2465,146045,8086,485,37999,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-640983","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-manchester","8":"tag-albert-square","9":"tag-britain","10":"tag-christmas","11":"tag-days-out","12":"tag-england","13":"tag-great-britain","14":"tag-happy-news","15":"tag-manchester","16":"tag-manchester-christmas-markets","17":"tag-manchester-city-centre","18":"tag-manchester-family","19":"tag-new-years-eve","20":"tag-uk","21":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115742734267239176","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/640983","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=640983"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/640983\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/640984"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=640983"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=640983"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=640983"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2_NWC_MEN_30688264_8_02.jpg\")
Crowds gathered in St Peter’s Square under umbrellas for the New Year’s Eve fireworks at the end of 2024(Image: Sean Hansford)<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0_Lit-up-Santa-in-StPeters-Square.jpg\")
The big Santa and Central Library will be the backdrop to fireworks as Manchester ushers in 2026 on New Year’s Eve(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n