News

All the locations for Manchester Christmas Markets 2023 have been confirmed

We're nearing closer to the official opening of the city's flagship festive event on Friday 10 November.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 23rd October 2023

All the locations where wooden huts and hives of festive activity will be popping up across the city centre in just a few weeks time have been revealed.

As the nights draw in, the air gets nippier, and we all fully start to embrace everything the upcoming colder season has to offer, it won’t be long now before Manchester‘s flagship festive event returns to spread some cheer right across the city centre.

Manchester Christmas Markets officially open for 2023 on Friday 10 November.

The iconic annual event is an absolute staple in Manchester’s festive events calendar, and always draws in thousands of visitors from all across the globe each year.

And now, with only three weeks left to go before the fun arrives, Manchester City Council has confirmed all the locations across the city centre where wooden huts will be lining the streets and visitors will be able to tuck into a wide range of festive foods and drinks, and shop for Christmas gifts from countless independent traders.

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More than 225 stalls will be popping up across nine sites throughout the city centre, the Council has confirmed.

This year’s Christmas Markets will see the iconic ski chalet-style market stalls take over Piccadilly Gardens – which is, once again, set to be transformed into the ‘Winter Gardens’ – as well as Market Street, Cathedral Gardens, Exchange Street, New Cathedral Street, St Ann’s Square, Exchange Square, The Corn Exchange, and King Street.

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Here’s all the locations and a brief rundown of what you can expect to find at them this year.

The Manchester Christmas Markets 2023 return on Friday 10 November / Credit: Flickr

Winter Gardens 

Piccadilly Gardens will again be transformed into the magical ‘Winter Gardens’.

You can expect a mix of craft and gift stalls, alongside food and drink, as well as the return of the fabulous Scandi-style tipi festooned with lights and traditional log fires, and of course, this is the home of the iconic Manchester Christmas Windmill too.

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St Ann’s Square and Exchange Street

Did you know that St Ann’s Square is the oldest Christmas market site in Manchester, and was home to the city’s first seasonal stalls 25 years ago? Here you can expect continental cheeses, fresh authentic paella, bratwurst, salt and pepper chicken, festive hot drinks, and… alien sculptures?

Sounds like there’s something for everyone then.

Market Street

Market Street will be home to an exclusive craft and gift area, with over 40 stalls full of extraordinary gift ideas – from tweed hats, spiced rum, Christmas decorations, and candles, to jewellery, gift sets of cheese truckles and much more.

Hundreds of wooden huts will line the city centre’s streets / Credit: Manchester Christmas Markets (via Twitter)

King Street

King Street is set to be a must-visit for foodies and shoppers alike this year.

Authentic Italian deli, Ballaro, will be serving up fresh cannelloni and arancini, while El Gato Negro will bring some Mediterranean menu flavours, and you can also expect a range of crafts too – including the always-popular French soap stall, personalised tree decorations, handmade wooden furniture, and beautifully-illustrated bottles from local distillery, Salford Rum. 

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New Cathedral Street

New Cathedral will be your go-to spot for high end gifts and foodie favourites.

Head here if you’re looking for handmade candles, ceramics, local spirits, and thoughtful keepsakes, all before you savour a cold beer and currywurst from The Witch House, a hearty burrito from Mango Rays, or a cheesy ‘Parmo’ from local legends, Parmageddon. 

Exchange Square

This will be one of the largest of the city centre Christmas market sites this year, and is the place to grab a Mancunian mulled wine, try the much-loved legendary Yorkshire pudding wrap from Porky Pig, as well as everything from birria bowls and hot curries, to mini pancakes and fresh fudge.

You’ll also find clothing, soaps, boutique babywear, local crafts, and handmade gifts too.

All the locations for the Markets sites for 2023 have now been revealed / Credit: Manchester City Council

The Corn Exchange

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Set between Corn Exchange and Shambles Square is where you’ll find some of the most unique gifts available this year, so expect handmade pies, Nepalese woollen jumpers, handmade jewellery, Christmas decorations made from recycled wood, and so much more.

Cathedral Gardens

Cathedral Gardens will be at the heart of the family festive fun this year, as this is where you’ll find Skate Manchester’s huge covered ice rink, and free live entertainment hosted every Thursday to Sunday all the way up to New Year’s Eve.

You can also warm up with authentic crepes, gourmet hotdogs, and hot chocolate too.

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Featured Image – Manchester City Council

News

Huge tunnel through the Peak District linking Manchester and Sheffield moves one step closer

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Huge tunnel through the Peak District linking Manchester and Sheffield moves one step closer

Ambitions plans to build a tunnel beneath the Peak District to connect Manchester and Sheffield has moved a step closer.

The proposed tunnel, which could completely transform travel between the two cities, has received a major £500,000 funding boost.

Picture the Eurostar, but plonk it going across the Pennines instead of London to Paris.

If it all goes ahead, journeys between South Yorkshire and Greater Manchester would be much quicker and easier, cutting times by up to 30 minutes, The Sheff reports.

The whopping £500,000 funding has been secured by infrastructure group Future Works, which is behind the proposed Trans-Pennine Connect scheme.

The money will be used to carry out technical and environmental feasibility studies to establish whether the project could actually go ahead.

The plans would see a 14-mile dual-carriageway tunnel built underneath the Peak District, potentially running between Langsett in South Yorkshire and Hollingworth or Tintwistle in Greater Manchester.

Michael Dnes, Future Works co-founder, said: “We’re very excited to be working with UK Dynamism Fund to unlock the next stage of our project.

“This funding will let us complete the technical and environmental feasibility studies needed to get the right outcomes for people and the Peak District as we deliver better transport connections across the Pennines.”

South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard has previously voiced his support for the proposals, describing them as a “really exciting opportunity”.

Speaking at a South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority meeting back in September, he said: “We all know the frustrations of travelling between two of the North’s biggest and best cities.”

He also stressed that any plans would need to take environmental considerations very seriously, particularly the impact on wildlife in the Peak District.

The project is still in very early stages, and the funding doesn’t indicate that planning has been approved. We’ll keep you updated with any updates as and when we know.

So, what do you make of this proposal? Would you be keen for a drive through the tunnel?

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Featured image – Minku Kang on Unsplash

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Town just outside Greater Manchester named one of UK’s ‘happiest’ places to live

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

The UK’s happiest places to live for 2026 have been named, and a town just outside Greater Manchester is in the top 10.

Just as it has done for the last 14 years now, Rightmove has published its annual ‘Happy at Home’ index, which explores exactly what it is that makes people feel content about where they live, and highlights the happiest places nationwide ahead of the new year.

This year, thousands of residents across more than 200 locations told the leading property listing platform what they love (or don’t love) about their community – from the friendliness of their neighbours, to job opportunities, access to green spaces, and so much more.

The survey also outlines the differences in happiness in rural, urban, and suburban environments, as well as the way our sense of ‘home happiness’ changes as we age.

So, where do we have in the top 10 then?

Well, Skipton in North Yorkshire – last year’s winner – only ranked seventh in this year’s study, making way for Richmond upon Thames in London to take the coveted stop spot, but looking a little further down the list, you’ll find the Lancashire town of Chorley in sixth place.

Closest to the Bolton and Wigan boroughs, Chorley is about a 40-minute drive outside of Manchester, and sits on a direct train route into the city centre.

The UK’s top 10 happiest places to live 2026

  1. Richmond upon Thames
  2. Harrogate
  3. Cirencester
  4. Monmouth
  5. Hove
  6. Chorley
  7. Skipton
  8. Llandrindod Wells
  9. Horsham
  10. Hexham

With a deep legacy rooted in the Industrial Revolution, Chorley is now a popular place to live full of amenities, good local schooling options, and convenient transport links – with an average property price of £234,387, and average rent costing £1,011 per month.

When it comes to the wider rankings, and the North West ranking as a whole, two Greater Manchester towns made it into the region’s top five, Stockport at number two and Altrincham following right behind at number three.

Other of the region’s inclusions like Bury, Bolton, Wigan, and the Manchester borough itself all ranked towards the bottom.

Speaking on this year’s list, Colleen Babcock – a property expert at Rightmove – explained: “The balance between greenery and everyday convenience runs through the wider findings. Even among people who would ideally choose a rural setting, access to amenities, parks and public transport remains important.

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“This year’s results suggest that the places people rate most highly aren’t simply urban or rural, but often bring together some of the best elements of both.”

Featured Image – Matt Baker (via Unsplash)

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