The opening dates and all-important details of the return of Manchester’s “world-beating” Christmas Markets for 2024 have now been confirmed.
It’s official… holidays are coming, and the countdown is on.
Just as we do every year, the Greater Manchester public has been eagerly awaiting news of when the city’s iconic Christmas Markets would be making a comeback for the 2024 festive season, especially as it was already confirmed last week that the massive outdoor ice rink would be returning to Cathedral Gardens for another year.
But now, Manchester City Council is announced that the famous wooden huts will be lining Manchester‘s streets once again from the first week in November.
Now in their 26th year, Manchester Christmas Markets are known and loved for delights local residents and visiting shoppers alike, bringing thousands of people into the city centre each year to fill up on the fantastic festive treats and to soak up all the Christmas atmosphere.
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The Manchester Christmas Markets 2024 return date has officially been confirmed / Credit: Flickr
Well over two hundred stalls will be spread across nine sites throughout the city centre this year.
Promising to be plenty on offer for seasonal shoppers of all ages, 2024 will see the iconic wooden ski chalet market stalls take over King Street West, St Ann’s Square, Exchange Street, New Cathedral Street, Exchange Square, Corn Exchange, and Cathedral Gardens, as well as Market Street and Piccadilly Gardens as usual.
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The stalls will be open daily from 10am – 8pm throughout the six-week run, the Council has confirmed, with food and drink stalls staying open until 9pm.
Due to the ways that the dates fall this year, 2024’s Markets run actually includes seven weekends instead of the usual six, before they officially wrap-up for Christmas at 6pm on Sunday 22 December.
The food and drink stalls at Cathedral Gardens, however, will stay open until 31 December.
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Festive cheer will soon be lining the city centre streets once again / Credit: Manchester City Council
Of course, it’s not just the Christmas Markets that are returning for 2024, as the Council has also confirmed that Manchester’s now-famous Christmas Lights Trail is set to make the city centre look its sparkly best for another year, as will the annual Manchester Christmas Parade in December, and, as previously mentioned, Skate Manchester will be back in Cathedral Gardens until the new year too.
“Everyone knows by now that Christmas is my absolute favourite time of year and Manchester is my favourite place in the world to be during the festive season,” Cllr Pat Karney said as the Christmas Markets opening dates were confirmed for 2024.
“Christmas is going to be wonderful in Manchester this year, with enough seasonal stalls across the city in our best-ever Christmas Markets to make sure that everyone gets their Christmas wrapped before the big day.”
Manchester Christmas Markets return for 2024 on Friday 8 November, and will run right through until Sunday 22 December.
Stalls in selected locations will remain open until the new year.
Featured Image – Manchester City Council
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Passengers urged to ‘plan ahead’ as Manchester Piccadilly prepares to close for nine days next week
Emily Sergeant
Passengers are being urged to ‘plan ahead’ as Manchester Piccadilly prepares to close for nine full days from next weekend.
In case you hadn’t heard, it was announced last November that Manchester Piccadilly train was going to have to shut in February 2026 for what is described as being a ‘once-in-a-generation upgrade’… and now, we are less than two weeks away before that officially becomes a reality and very few train services run in or out of the station.
Network Rail is investing £7.9m into the major upgrade at Manchester Piccadilly station – with the main points of action being to improve tracks, points, and signalling systems on the southern approach to Manchester Piccadilly station.
Teams are due to replace 11 sets of points, renew timber sleepers with modern, concrete equivalents, and alsobring lineside equipment ‘bang up to date’ across six lines to improve future journeys for passengers and freight.
Investment in this apparent ‘critical stretch’ of track has been long awaited, as any issues with the ageing infrastructure can disrupt all trains running in and out of Manchester.
Passengers are being urged to ‘plan ahead’ as Manchester Piccadilly prepares to close for nine days next week / Credit: Network Rail
The nine-day closure, although expected to cause commuting chaos, is tipped to ultimately deliver ‘better and more reliable journeys’ for passengers in the long run.
The main work takes place over nine days during February half term, from Saturday 14 through to Sunday 22 February 2026.
And what does this mean for anyone travelling exactly? Well, the scale of the work spanning all main lines means no trains from the south and east of the city will run into Manchester Piccadilly for the full nine days, while trains from the north will also be heavily impacted, as will direct connections to Manchester Airport station.
There will be a limited service westbound from Platforms 13 and 14.
⚠️ Major changes to services this February half term ⚠️
🛠️ We're upgrading the Piccadilly corridor.
📆 From 14-22 February there will be no trains from platforms 1-12. A limited service will terminate at platforms 13&14.
The train shed (Platforms 1-12) will also close for the full nine days, but Manchester Piccadilly station’s concourse will remain open to the public.
“During this time, we are advising passengers to travel light, allow extra time for their journey, and be prepared to queue, as stations and rail replacement services are expected to be very busy,” National Rail said in its statement issued ahead of the closure next week.
“We have worked with train operators, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and Manchester City Council to develop an alternative travel plan during the closure, to keep passengers moving smoothly to their destination.”
You can plan your journey on the Northern Rail website here.
Featured Image – Network Rail
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Work begins on new £500m ‘culture hub’ with a cinema and performance spaces in Manchester
Emily Sergeant
Work is finally beginning on a new £500 million culture hub in Manchester.
The first phase of plans to transform Wythenshawe Civic has entered an exciting new chapter, with Manchester City Council and placemaker Muse officially commencing construction of the new Culture Hub – which is tipped to provide a ‘major boost’ for budding artists, and creative groups and organisations in the area.
The hub is set to include space for food and drink on the ground floor, while the first floor is home to a mix of artist studio spaces and flexible areas for workshops, exhibitions, classes, and community events.
Locals can also expect a brand-new 40-seater cinema, which has been included following feedback given during a public consultation, and 200-seater performance space for a diverse range of performances.
Everything from dance and drama, to music and modern art will fill the performance spaces once the hub opens.
Expected to be completed in 2027, the Culture Hub sits within the first phase of a wider plan to ‘refresh’ Wythenshawe Civic, and will come to life thanks to £20 million of funding from the UK Government and a further £11.9 million from the Council.
What Wythenshawe Civic Centre looks like currently, before being transformed / Credit: Wikipedia Commons
“Listening to local people over the last year and more, we know that Wythenshawe residents want more from their town centre – more things to do, opportunities to spend time in Civic and night time attractions that give the area a lift and attract visitors,” explained Cllr Bev Craig, who is the leader of Manchester City Council.
“This is the drive behind the Culture Hub – a place for local people with an interest in the arts to take part in creative activities, see a show, or enjoy the cinema space, right in the heart of their community.
“This is another exciting chapter in the transformation of Wythenshawe town centre.”
Joe Stockton, Development Director at Muse, called the construction of the new Culture Hub an ‘exciting moment’ for Wythenshawe.
He added: “Our aim is to create a space for the town’s talented artists and creatives to come together and give them the facilities and the space they’ve asked for, to put on amazing shows, live performances, and workshops.
“It’s all part of the wider plan to create opportunities for residents, new homes and jobs, as well as a thriving high street for people to spend time in.”
Emily Sergeant -
23rd September 2024 
