The main gripe people seem to have with the Manchester Christmas Markets is the prices of food and drinks, blasting them every year like a broken record as being ‘overpriced’.
So we’ve done the hard slog for you, running all around the city centre to suss out exactly how much everything is costing in 2024.
From Piccadilly Gardens (rebranded as The Winter Gardens for the season) to King Street, there are wooden sheds and festive cheer absolutely everywhere.
There’s some brilliant food and drink to discover – you can see our top picks HERE – but as this is a huge visitor attraction, that can come at a price.
Once you factor in the deposit for a Manchester Christmas Markets mug, you can easily spend £12 just to get a mulled wine (though you will get £3.50 of that back when you return your mug).
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There are also deposit charges on glassware – £2 for a pint glass, £3.50 for cocktail glasses and £7 for a stein.
You can see the full list of prices for food and drinks right across the Manchester Christmas Markets HERE, but below are where you can find the cheapest spots at the festive event.
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Mulled wine
Mulled wines are priced at £5.50 almost everywhere across the Manchester Christmas Markets, though some stalls are offering bigger serves of this popular festive drink for a small price hike.
Then people are charging another £3 to add a shot of brandy, rum or amaretto, making an £8.50 total.
But the cheapest we’ve found is just £7 for mulled wine with a shot of booze, and that’s at Mamma Mia, an Italian stall on New Cathedral Street, right near St Ann’s Square.
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Where to find the cheapest drinks at the Manchester Christmas Markets, from beer to mulled wine. Credit: The Manc Group
Beer
Again, prices for beers at the Manchester Christmas Markets are pretty consistent and average £6 a pint.
But you can get cheaper – at The Last Outpost, a Western-themed bar at Exchange Square, beers start from £5.50.
And at The Hip Hop Chip Shop at Piccadilly Gardens, they’re selling local craft beers, like Shindigger, Pomona Island, Manchester Union) for just £5.50. And you get bonus good vibes for supporting local breweries.
Wine
We’ve found a couple of glasses of wine for just £5 around the Markets this year, which is cheaper than most bars in town really.
The King Street Craft Bar, which has the bonus of having seating, has house wines from a fiver.
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Christmas Alley at Piccadilly Gardens will also give you a wine for £5.
Prosecco
Prosecco works in every season and if this is your go-to of all the drinks at the Manchester Christmas Markets, we’ve found where you can save a few pennies.
Most places are charging between £6.50 and £7 per glass, but at El Gato Negro on King Street (yep, the same stall operated by the Michelin-recommended restaurant) are charging just £5 – that’s a whole £1.50 cheaper than most other stalls.
Hot chocolate
Basic hot chocolates are generally £3.50 everywhere, with a few very luxury upgrades (like a £7.90 creation from The Flat Baker that’s served in an edible cookie cup).
Once you add in a shot of alcohol, the cheapest as at the Apres Ski Bar at Piccadilly Gardens, which charges £2.50 for a spirit.
Dazzling Christmas light trail to return to Chester Zoo with new installations this winter
Emily Sergeant
Chester Zoo has announced that it’s dazzling Christmas light trail will be returning this winter with some new installations.
Still think it’s a bit too early to mention the ‘C’ word? Well you’ll have to start getting used to it soon, because Chester Zoo‘s massively-popular Christmas lights trail is set to return very soon and organisers are promising this year’s trail will be its ‘brightest ever’ – with a whole raft of new additions.
The zoo has, once again, teamed up with entertainment giants Sony Music to deliver this year’s Lanterns and Light spectacle.
Over the past couple of years, Lanterns and Light has proved to be such a success that it’s developed into one of the North West’s biggest and longest-running festive light trails, and all profits from the event support the zoo’s charitable mission to prevent wildlife extinction.
A dazzling Christmas light trail will be returning to Chester Zoo with new installations this winter / Credit: Chester Zoo
All profits from the event, which will run on selected nights from 14 November 2025 until 3 January 2026, will support the zoo’s charitable mission to prevent wildlife extinction.
This year’s trail will see the zoo transform into a spectacular winter wonderland with colour-changing forests, glowing animals, show-stopping puppets and, brand-new for this year, a host of new immersive installations.
Among the exciting new highlights for 2025 is The Airquarium, which is a dreamlike world filled with floating, glowing sea creatures, and the Bubble Walk which will bring a joyful explosion of light and colour.
All profits support the zoo’s charitable mission to prevent wildlife extinction / Credit: Chester Zoo
Also debuting this year is Submergence – an awe-inspiring walk-through tunnel of light that fully immerses guests in a dazzling, interactive display.
Dozens of life-sized animal puppets, animated by expert performers, will also line the trail.
Alongside all these new additions will be a bunch of returning favourite attractions like giant festive baubles, neon-lit walkways, marshmallow toasting stations, fairground rides, and an enchanting fire garden, as well as a chance to catch a glimpse of Father Christmas hard at work in his toy workshop with his busy team of elves.
“We’re bringing something new and spectacular to Lanterns and Light in 2025, and it’s planned to be our brightest Christmas trail ever,” commented Gemma Wright, who is the Head of Guest Experience at Chester Zoo.
“What makes Lanterns and Light so special is that it’s not only an unforgettable festive experience, but also one with real purpose behind it.
“Every ticket purchased helps to fund Chester Zoo’s vital conservation work right here at the zoo, where we care for and breed some of the world’s most threatened species, and in more than 20 countries globally where we’re working with partners to prevent extinction.
“By joining us for this magical evening, visitors are also helping to secure a brighter future for wildlife globally.”
Lanterns and Light will return to Chester Zoo from Friday 14 November 2025 and will run on selected evenings right through to 3 January 2026 – with tickets now on sale, priced at £19 for adults, £12 for children, £2.50 for toddlers, and free for babies.
The Oast House’s popular winter teepee is returning this Christmas
Emily Sergeant
The Oast House has confirmed that its popular teepee draped in twinkling lights is set to return for the festive season.
By summer, the central Spinningfields venue is a proper sun-trap, but once winter rolls around, the teepee brings the festive spirit to Manchester just like it has done for the past 13 years, so it’s fair to say that it’s become something of an institution.
And now, with the air getting nippier by the day, The Oast House has given Mancs the news they’ve been waiting for.
That’s right, The Teepee – which is famed for its free live music, house-cooked food, and welcoming atmosphere – is back once again for another year, and it’s set to open for the festive season in just a couple of weeks time.
Complete with two roaring fires, twinkling fairy lights, faux fur throws, The Teepee will be made up of four tents joined together to create a huge open hub, complete with a stage area for guests to dance the night away in festive spirit.
It’s all sounding set to be a popular spot for locals and those who’ve finished a hard day at work during the autumn and winter months.
Following a huge summer of festivals in the courtyard, rounding off with the Seed Sounds Weekender last week, The Oast House is set to reopen The Teepee on Monday 13 October, and it’ll then be staying open to festive revellers every day of the week throughout the winter.
The Oast House’s popular winter teepee is returning this Christmas / Credit: The Manc Group
Inside the new lodge, guests can expect to enjoy winter cocktails, mulled wine, and heart-warming food, just in time for the chilly weather.
Favourites from The Oast House’s street food-style menu set to be served up include katsu chicken fries, Korean fried chicken, chicken or plant-based gyros, and burgers stacked high.
The Teepee will reopen on Monday 13 October, and will then be open every day from 11am until late throughout the winter.
Daisy Jackson -
16th November 2024 
