Christmas

Manchester Christmas Markets 2023 mug design and price revealed

Last year's mugs were so popular the markets literally ran out of them

Daisy Jackson - 2nd November 2023

The design for the Manchester Christmas Markets 2023 mug has been revealed – along with how much it’ll cost you.

There’s a small price hike for the cups this year, with the cost of a mug rising from £3 to £3.50.

When you buy your first hot drink at the Manchester Christmas Markets you’ll be charged a £3.50 deposit for your mug – it’s then up to you whether you keep the mug and lose the deposit, or return it to the bar and get your money back.

The mugs are a popular collectible souvenir every year though, with last year’s demand so great the Christmas Markets actually ran out of them and had to resort to using retro mugs from previous years.

This year’s design features festive Nutcracker artwork with a Scandi feel, and comes from Manchester City Council’s in-house design studio.

As always, there are two different mug designs and sizes to collect – a large white mug for hot chocolates, and a smaller navy one for mulled wine and other warming boozy beverages.

They’ll be available at all of the city centre Manchester Christmas Markets locations from 10 November, while stocks last.

The council is urging people not to leave their visit until the last minute for fear of mugs selling out again, saying that in 2022 us festive lot got through a whopping 140,000 specially produced mugs.

Extra Christmas Market mugs have been ordered for 2023 though, with 170,000 speeding their way to Manchester’s cosy wooden huts as we speak.

The Manchester Christmas Markets mug design for 2023

A few mugs are already in circulation at the ice rink in Cathedral Gardens, where a few festive market stalls have already opened.

Councillor Pat Karney, Manchester City Council’s Christmas spokesperson, said: “Our iconic Christmas mugs are the must-have accessory of the festive season and absolutely no social media feed should be without one!

“With different designs every year the collectible mugs are highly sought after and even have Santa’s seal of approval. Don’t leave it too late to come and get yours!

“No-one does Christmas quite like Manchester and we can’t wait to welcome everyone to Santa’s favourite city and to our world-beating Christmas Markets again this year!”

Manchester’s Christmas markets open on Friday 10 November and close on Thursday 21 December.

They will be open daily at the following times: