{"id":650262,"date":"2025-12-23T11:27:32","date_gmt":"2025-12-23T11:27:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/650262\/"},"modified":"2025-12-23T11:27:32","modified_gmt":"2025-12-23T11:27:32","slug":"manchester-christmas-markets-taken-down-as-traders-divided-and-some-head-home-early","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/650262\/","title":{"rendered":"Manchester Christmas Markets taken down as traders divided and some head home early"},"content":{"rendered":"

Running for over six weeks and spanning more than 270 stalls, Manchester Christmas Markets are some of the UK’s most popular, but it’s been a mixed year for traders<\/p>\n

10:59, 23 Dec 2025Updated 11:00, 23 Dec 2025<\/p>\n

\"ChristmasChristmas Markets being taken down in Manchester City Centre, December 2025(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n

This year’s Christmas Markets have drawn to a close after almost seven weeks of festivities. The markets, which have been running since 1998, take over the city centre’s streets and squares with hundreds of wooden chalets, sparkling lights and plenty of bratwurst, gluhwein and festive treats.<\/p>\n

For 2025, more 270 stalls have been spread across ten locations including St Ann’s Square, Piccadilly Gardens<\/a> and King Street. This year, the world-famous markets also saw the return of Albert Square which has been hosting \u2018A Taste of Christmas<\/a>\u2019: a festive \u2018mini market\u2019 selling food, drinks and crafts.<\/p>\n

The square has also been home to a huge Ferris wheel, giving fantastic views of Manchester\u2019s Town Hall and the city centre. Here, along with Cathedral Gardens – where the ice rink is located – will remain open until Sunday, 4 January, while the other eight locations have now all closed up shop as of yesterday evening (December 22).<\/p>\n

\"ChristmasChristmas Markets being taken down in Manchester City Centre, December 2025(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n

Last night and this morning, the wooden huts, which for weeks have been home to traders selling everything from apple crumble and Yorkshire pudding wraps, to Hong Kong-style French toast and hearty pies, as well as plenty of beer and wine, have been dismantled, while the lights around them taken down too.<\/p>\n

It comes as those working on the markets reported a mixed year in terms of success. Some, including long-term stall holder Gareth Kitching, who runs the Porky’s Grill at Piccadilly Gardens, told the M.E.N. yesterday it has been the “worst Christmas markets”<\/a> for his business in 20 years.<\/p>\n

\"ChristmasChristmas Markets being taken down in Manchester City Centre, December 2025(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s mostly down to it being over-catered, if I\u2019m being honest,” he said. “Things are getting quite diluted – how many bratwurst and loaded Yorkshire Pudding stalls do we really need next to each other?”<\/p>\n

Gareth, who also has stalls in Albert Square<\/a> and Exchange Square, did say he has made enough money to \u2018just about\u2019 cover the rent, and he appreciates the efforts to change up the Piccadilly Gardens set-up this year \u2013 with a new open-plan layout.<\/p>\n

\"ChristmasChristmas Markets being taken down in Manchester City Centre, December 2025(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n

But he added that one of the big factors this year had been how people aren\u2019t able to spend as much as in previous years. \u201cEverybody\u2019s a bit wary of the way the world is right now,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou might have a family who would have, in previous years, bought a pork sandwich each. Now they\u2019re buying a tray between them and asking for four forks. But that\u2019s just the way things are at the moment. There’s not really much that can be done about that.”<\/p>\n

\"ChristmasChristmas Markets being taken down in Manchester City Centre, December 2025(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n

Others agreed there is not the same spending power from consumers with shoppers cutting down on the quantity of items and food bought at the markets. Meanwhile, some traders have reported not being able to cover their rent this year.<\/p>\n

Rumours have also circulated amongst traders that some stall owners prematurely shut their shops on Sunday evening (December 21) cutting their losses on what could potentially be a quiet Monday. By yesterday afternoon, The Witch House on New Cathedral Street had already been fully dismantled.<\/p>\n

\"ChristmasChristmas Markets being taken down in Manchester City Centre, December 2025(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n

For others though, this year has been a great success. Miki Christi, who runs The Manchester Shop at St Ann’s, had nothing but positive comments. \u201cThis area of the markets is very close to my heart,” she said.<\/p>\n

“It\u2019s really beautiful and it always has such a lovely vibe. You get lots of families down here and lots of tourism. We\u2019ve had people from all over the world visit, we\u2019ve had people from Italy, Spain, Dubai and all over.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"ChristmasChristmas Markets being taken down in Manchester City Centre, December 2025(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n

Sunny, who works at the Greek Street Food stall on Cathedral Gardens, also said it’s been a good year for his stall too. “This is the first year where we’ve had three stalls,” he noted.<\/p>\n

“All off them have been very busy. We’ve always been busy at Exchange Square and here, but we have also gone up at Albert Square this year. It’s been very good for us.”<\/p>\n

\"ChristmasChristmas Markets being taken down in Manchester City Centre, December 2025(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n

While the Christmas Markets – except for Albert Square and Cathedral Gardens – is done and dusted for another year – there’s still some festivities in store. Last weekend, Manchester Council confirmed the plans for New Year’s Eve<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Manchester will welcome in the new year in style this year in a night that will for the first time see events taking place in two of the city centre’s most historic squares. There will also be the return of a big free firework display and “light spectacular”.<\/p>\n

\"ChristmasChristmas Markets being taken down in Manchester City Centre, December 2025(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n

St Peter’s Square will host the city’s big fireworks display, after hosting the New Year’s Eve celebrations for the first time last year. There will be a DJ-led family friendly event hosted by BBC Radio Manchester presenter Joe McGrath, and DJ Jimmy the Gent.<\/p>\n

Tunes will play out in the run-up to the traditional midnight countdown, which will be followed on the stroke of twelve by a free firework and light display off the roof of Manchester’s Central Library building. The alcohol-free event kicks off at 10pm with entry into the square through security-controlled entry points around the square with bag searches in operation.<\/p>\n

\"ChristmasChristmas Markets being taken down in Manchester City Centre, December 2025(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n

Over on Albert Square meanwhile, New Year revellers will be able to experience all the fun of the fair including Manchester’s giant festive Ferris Wheel, as well as a range of food and drink stalls that are having an extended run on this year’s Christmas markets.<\/p>\n

With a host of independent craft stalls on the square, those with a head for heights can swap a view of fireworks for a view instead from the top of the big wheel, of the rooftops of Manchester and beyond as the city brings in the new year. There will be will be no firework display taking place on Albert Square itself.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Running for over six weeks and spanning more than 270 stalls, Manchester Christmas Markets are some of the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":650263,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8813],"tags":[748,35745,144780,114578,393,26243,4884,2465,146045,8086,41991,37999,16429,26665,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-650262","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-manchester","8":"tag-britain","9":"tag-christmas","10":"tag-christmas-markets","11":"tag-christmas-shopping","12":"tag-england","13":"tag-exchange-square","14":"tag-great-britain","15":"tag-manchester","16":"tag-manchester-christmas-markets","17":"tag-manchester-city-centre","18":"tag-market-street","19":"tag-new-years-eve","20":"tag-piccadilly-gardens","21":"tag-st-anns-square","22":"tag-uk","23":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115768647818611427","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/650262","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=650262"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/650262\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/650263"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=650262"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=650262"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=650262"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}