The Manchester Christmas Markets are the stuff of legend, drawing thousands to the city every winter – but for those of us who live here 365 days a year, they can be A Bit Much.
Despite being crowned the best festive markets in the UK, a lot of us (especially those of us who work in the city centre and have to run the Market Street gauntlet every day) will be looking for some alternatives.
There are loads of smaller Christmas markets taking place around the region over the coming weeks, offering a much less stressful alternative to the main event.
While the Manchester Christmas Markets have had a big push to include more local indies in its line-up – just look at all this brilliant food and drink – the following spots are packed to the brim with independent businesses and nothing else.
Time to get your Christmas shopping on.
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The best alternative Christmas markets in Manchester
Merry Kampus at Kampus
Manchester’s leafy little canal-side apartment neighbourhood near Piccadilly has got a ‘one-stop-Christmas-shop’ running through to the weekend just before Christmas.
The plan is to showcase the best Manc-made presents, with a cosy festive den in The Bungalow operated by the Flat Baker and Ancoats Pop-Up selling gifts and baked treats.
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The shop will sell candles and melts, jewellery and ceramics, prints and calendars, vintage clothes and locally brewed beer
The takeover will also include a schedule of weekly workshops and masterclasses, including upcycling, cocktail making, macrame, and embroidery.
The shop will be open 8am-4pm on Thursdays and Fridays, and 10am-4pm on Saturdays and Sundays until 18 December – find out more about Merry Kampus here.
Another alternative Christmas Market, again from Ancoats Pop Up, has taken shape in Canton House on Princess Street, right on the edge of Chinatown.
It’s the biggest (and indeed only) indoor Christmas market with more than 50 independent bakers, makers and artists involved.
There’ll be local creatives selling their goodies, a children’s play area, entertainment and a cafe, spread across two floors.
You can find it in the Yang Sing site, open 11am-4pm on 3, 4, 10, 17 and 18 December.
YES
You know what makes Christmas shopping more bearable? Doing it with a pint and a slice of pizza in your hand.
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There’ll be a carefully curated selection of Manchester’s coolest indie makers taking over the Pink Room for a one-day mini market.
All the businesses involved are female-owned – you’ll find prop maker and artist Mariel Osborn, clothing brand Grey Milk, sustainable jewellery from SKEN Studios, and floral design studio POWERPLANT, who will sell their Christmas wreaths as well as hosting a couple of workshops).
It’s taking place on Sunday 4 December between 12pm and 6pm.
Open Kitchen
It doesn’t get much more wholesome than this one – Open Kitchen are throwing a ‘Very Merry Open Christmas’ featuring performances from the Halle Ancoats Community Choir, festive food and drink, and a fully ethical, sustainable, independent Christmas market.
You’ll be able to pick up ethically-sourced presents like plants, wreaths, ceramics, jewellery and food items under one roof, while knocking back one of four festive drinks and listening to the beautiful carols.
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Traders involved include BreadFlower, Plant Shop, Tracey Birchwood Jewellery, Stephanie Mann Jewellery, Sue MC Ceramics, Dew Drop Jewellery, the People’s History Museum, and Charlotte Verity Jewellery.
You’ll find all this goodness in Open Kitchen’s cafe space at the People’s History Museum on Tuesday 6 December from 6pm, with performances at 6.30pm and 8pm.
Horse & Jockey Artisan Markets on the Green
Chorlton Green will get a big dose of the festivities this year thanks to the Horse & Jockey pub, which is bringing together more than 50 artisan stall holders on the green outside for a Christmas market alternative.
It’s been four years since the event was able to take place, but it’ll be back with everything from pies and pasties to home furnishings to local gin.
It’s part-run by the Joseph Holt pub in conjunction with the organisation Independent Street.
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Carol singers and local brass bands will provide the soundtrack and the event’s even promising a visit from Dancer and Blitzen.
It will take place on Saturday 10 December between 1pm and 7pm.
Winter Market, Wythenshawe
35 of the best makers Manchester has to offer will be popped under one roof for a Winter Market this weekend.
Running from 10am to 3pm on Saturday 3 December, the event will feature stalls selling everything from candles to hand-crafted bottle openers to personalised baubles.
You can find it all at the Message Enterprise Centre in Sharston and find out more by following Winter Market on Instagram.
The Makers Markets that spring up around Greater Manchester are always an impressive sight, and never more so than at Christmas.
Pulling together hundreds of traders selling all sorts of products, this year’s festive markets include a Victorian Christmas Market Day in Cheadle, plus a huge ongoing market at Quayside in Salford Quays.
You’ll be spoilt for choice.
GRUB’s Sustainable Indie Christmas Market
The lovely folks at GRUB are used to pulling together local food and drink traders, but this weekend they’re boosting the usual offering with other small businesses.
18 stalls will be selling a variety of sustainable gifts, there’ll be a wreath making workshop, plus vegan food from Jeyda’s Turkish Kitchen, Marley’s Pizza, Nina’s Taco Truck and Dohlightful.
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Oh, and mulled wine and boozy hot drinks, naturally.
Featured image: The Manc Group
Christmas
The Cut and Craft are hosting a bottomless Boxing Day brunch this year
Danny Jones
This holiday season, The Cut and Craft are hosting an extra lavish take on their usual bottomless brunch on Boxing Day.
Suddenly, we’re looking forward to 26 December maybe even more than our mam’s Christmas dinner…
Yes, the much-loved steak and seafood restaurant is already well-known for one of the best bottomless brunches in Manchester, not to mention evening meals, but they always elevate things even further over the festive period.
Promising top ingredients, the best booze labels you could ask for, as well as stunning service in an even more stunning room, you can’t go wrong if you’re looking to make the most of your toasts this Boxing Day – and don’t worry, vegetarians: there are some great options for you, too.
Typically held over a long weekend, The Cut and Craft bank holiday bottomless brunch will be held for the last time this year on the final Friday of 2025. You couldn’t ask for more perfect timing than that.
The group have transformed the beautiful room in the heart of the city into what they’ve dubbed “a scene straight out of Miracle on 34th Street.
Adorned with grand wreaths, the reliable warmth of twinkling fairy lights, stockings hanging in front of the fire in ‘The Gossip Room’, plus Santa guarding the wine cellar, the only thing more inviting than the space is the menu.
Besides the usual 90 minutes of non-stop Moët & Chandon champagne, as well as DJs, live entertainment and dancers, the food offerings include flat iron steak and chips served on a hot stone with a grilled tomato and signature salt.
If you prefer something to steer away from the red meat/have already had plenty over Christmas, you can go for grilled seabass with Duchess potatoes, gremolata, hazelnut and cauliflower sauce, OR opt for the halloumi fajitas packed with roasted peppers and onions, guacamole, salsa and chive sour cream.
You can even load these up even further with the addition of free-range British chicken breast, rump steak (if you change your mind on the day), and even king prawns.
We’re almost drooling just thinking about all this – as are our mates from The Hoot after confirming the same promotion is available at their equally gorgeous sites over in Leeds.
Veggie options are Cut & Craft’s ‘Redefine Flank Steak & Chips’ (tender flank-style cut of plant-based steak), or spicy cauliflower wings, served with broad beans, English garden peas, buckwheat, baby gem, baby spinach, broccoli couscous, toasted cashews, pistachio crumb, and maple-mustard dressing.
Once again, all of this can be tweaked here and there by the exceptional waiting staff; for instance, if you’d rather wine than champers, you can always swap the bubbly for Whispering Angel Rosé, which will be served straight from their limitless fountain.
Guests who fancy visiting Cut and Craft for Boxing Day 2025 can choose between a bar table with unlimited Whispering Angel drinks only from just £55, or go all out with a restaurant table and a dish from the set brunch menu starting from £75.
The full Moët fizz upgrade package will set you back £100, if you’re really looking to indulge yourself this year, and who could blame you? It’s a long, old winter, after all.
If you’re interested in securing your seat at 38-42 Mosley St, bookings are available from 1pm onwards, and you can reserve your table right HERE.
Full list of Christmas opening hours at all UK supermarkets 2025
Emily Sergeant
Tesco, Sainsbury’s Aldi, and M&S are among the supermarkets to adjust opening hours at stores across the UK during the festive period.
As Christmas is fast approaching, most of us will have already started to stock up on food and drink for the big day ahead of time, but with so much to prepare for, it’s pretty easy to forget something important – which tends to leave us running to the shops before 25th.
While some have probably opted for home deliveries or Click & Collect services, others still prefer to shop in store.
To help you make sure everything is sorted, we’ve pulled together a list of all the major supermarket opening hours over the festive period, so grab your bags for life and get your shopping list at the ready, because Santa is on his way and he’ll be expecting his annual dose of mince pies.
Here’s a roundup list of supermarket opening hours.
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Tesco
Shoppers are being advised to check the Tesco Store Locator for the festive opening times at their local, as different branches may be operating different hours, however, most stores are operating reduced hours on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day, as well as being closed all day on Christmas Day.
Here’s a rough guideline:
Christmas Eve: 6am – 7pm
Christmas Day: CLOSED
Boxing Day: 9am – 6pm
Saturday 27 – Tuesday 30 December: normal hours
New Year’s Eve: 6am – 7pm
New Year’s Day: 10am – 6pm
Check the opening times for your local Tesco store here.
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Sainsbury’s
Just like Tesco, Sainsbury’s will be operating reduced hours on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day, as well as being closed on Christmas day, but shoppers are encouraged to head to the retailer’s Store Locator to find out the opening times for their nearest branch.
Christmas Eve: 6am to 7pm
Christmas Day: CLOSED
Boxing Day: 8am to 8pm (with Local stores open until 10pm)
Saturday 27 – Tuesday 30 December: normal hours
New Year’s Eve: 7am – 7pm
New Year’s Day: 10am – 5pm
You can check the opening times for your local Sainsbury’s store here.
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Asda
Following along the same lines as Tesco and Sainsbury’s, Asda shoppers are being advised to check the Asda Store Locator for the festive opening times at their local store, as different branches are operating different hours, however, most stores are operating reduced hours on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day, as well as being closed all day on Christmas Day.
Here’s a rough guideline:
Christmas Eve: 6am – 7pm
Christmas Day: CLOSED
Boxing Day: 6am – 7pm
Saturday 27 – Tuesday 30 December: normal hours
New Year’s Eve: 6am – 7pm
New Year’s Day: 10am – 5pm
Check the opening times for your local ASDA store here.
Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Aldi, and more have adjusted their opening hours for the festive period / Credit: Tesco
Morrisons
Morrisons is open throughout the festive season, just like its other competitions, and will only closing on Christmas Day, but hours will vary so you’ll need to check the opening times for your local.
Christmas Eve: 6am to 6pm
Christmas Day: CLOSED
Boxing Day: 9am – 6pm
Saturday 27 – Tuesday 30 December: normal hours
New Year’s Eve: 7am – 6pm
New Year’s Day: 10am to 5pm
Check the opening times for your local Morrisons store here.
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Aldi
Aldi stores across the UK are set to close of the three major festive bank holidays this year, meaning doors will be shut on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day, with reduced hours in operation on the days surrounding it.
Here’s what you need to know:
Christmas Eve: 7am – 6pm
Christmas Day & Boxing Day: CLOSED
Saturday 27 – Tuesday 30 December: 8am – 10pm
New Year’s Eve: 8am – 6pm
New Year’s Day: CLOSED
You can find out more about the supermarket’s decision to shut up shop on the three festive bank holidays this year here.
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Lidl
Lidl has released a list of its festive opening hours, and just like Aldi, will also be closing most of its stores on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day, but you’ll want to check Lidl’s website to find out more information.
Just like many other retailers on this list, Co-op’s opening times vary from store to store over the festive period, but the retailer has confirmed it will be operating reduced hours on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day – with all branches closed on Christmas Day across the UK as a standard.
Christmas Eve: 7am – 9pm
Christmas Day: CLOSED
Boxing Day: 8am – 9pm
Saturday 27 – Tuesday 30 December: 7am – 10pm
New Year’s Eve: 7am – 9pm
New Year’s Day: 9am – 9pm
Shoppers are being urged to check the Co-op Store Finder for the opening hours for their nearest branch here.
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M&S
Once again, M&S is another retailer where festive opening hours differ from store to store, so it’s best to check your local branch specifically, but what we do know is that all stores across the UK will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day as a standard.
Christmas Eve: 6am – 6pm
Christmas Day & Boxing Day: CLOSED
Saturday 27 – Tuesday 30 December: 8am – 8pm
New Year’s Eve: 8am – 6pm
New Year’s Day: CLOSED
Check the opening times for your local M&S store here.
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Iceland
Anyone hoping to pop to Iceland over the festive period will be met with reduced opening hours, as is to be expected – with all UK stores closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day as a standard.
Daisy Jackson -
30th November 2022 
