All the winter and Christmas markets happening in Manchester 2021
From the 'world famous' Christmas markets to various indie pop-ups at venues around town, discover all the brilliant places to get festive in Manchester this Christmas
Christmas only starts when Manchester says it does – and our world-famous Christmas markets moving into town is confirmation winter is coming.
Manchester is the UK’s capital of Christmas and we sure do it right. People travel from far and wide to catch festive feelings in our bustling streets, with thousands pouring into the city every year for the occassion.
The Manchester Christmas markets are the perfect place to complete your Christmas shopping, fill up on on the best food have a laugh with the littl’uns, or marvel at the lights over a steaming cup of mulled wine.
A maze of the best street food, retailers, and roasted chestnuts; the markets can seem overwhelming – but fear not, simply follow our lead.
We’ve made a list of all the greatest market spots in Manchester – noting when they start, and the treasures they offer, to help you get planned ahead of the festive season.
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Our list includes markets across the whole of Manchester, but will also run you through the six city centre locations.
Keep reading to discover all the markets to discover in Manchester this Christmas.
Ramona will be hosting winter parties through to the new year in its fabulous Winter Village.
Created in honour of the festive season, the whole of Swan Street, the walled garden of Ramona, and the Firehouse are being transformed into a festive Christmas market.
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Colorado-style log cabins, a sparkling winter terrace, tepees, tequila cabins, and pop-up stalls from independent traders, are just a taste of what you can expect.
A huge outside sitting area is covered and heated by open fires creating a cozy winter feel, whilst a mix of artists brings the party firmly outdoors at the campfire stage.
Escape the Christmas chaos of Oxford Street and browse Refuge’s large gin selection in the shelter of their leafy winter garden, created as part of the venue’s new Edwardian Christmas market.
The best place to go if you want to spend a classy afternoon tucking into mini cakes or sipping on a cocktail while the snow falls outside, up until Christmas you’ll also be able to find festive stalls selling goods from local traders – perfect for picking out locally-made Christmas presents.
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The Refuge also offers a Christmas program of events including wreath making sessions, running from 12 November up until New Year’s Eve itself.
Credit: Facebook (Manchester Food and Drink Festival) Hatch’s ‘Urban Narnia’
Hatch Christmas markets
Oxford Road,15 November – 20 December
Hatch has announced the arrival of their ‘Urban Narnia’ – a festive wonderland market packed with local retailers and street food kitchens.
Set to double in size and add a brand-new stage, Hatch is transforming for Christmas – bringing its entire Manchester family together for the season.
Head down to find some of Manchester’s best independent retailers and street food traders, with special appearances from the likes of NQ bar Cottonopolis selling their belly baos, plus Chorlton’s Electrik bar, which will offer craft ales.
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Elsewhere, Cayuco will bring authentic arancini and cannoli to the party. Festive cocktails, meanwhile, include mulled plum sake, hot toddies, and hot buttered rum.
Crazy P’s Danielle Moore is gracing the decks on the new stage and performing live is Manchester’s Jenna G. Get there quick – because the first 200 guests get a free cocktail!
Credit: Facebook (Great Northern Makers Street)
Makers Market
Deansgate, 9 November – 22 December
At the Maker’s Market, you find independent local traders, local products, local ingredients, and materials – it’s a real salt of the earth stuff.
Pop down to this alternative Christmas Artisanmarket happening every weekend at the same location, Great Northern Warehouse, throughout November and December.
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Choirs sing, DJs mix and artists perform live providing the perfect accompaniment to your Christmas shopping. It’s a unique Christmas market without the mad crowds and provides the perfect sustainable and eco-friendly gift for a loved one.
There’s no better way to support your local independent traders and help the planet this Christmas.
Credit: Facebook (Eventbrite) Festive Winter Fair at Victoria Baths
Victoria Baths Festive Winter Fair
Hathersage Road, 13 – 14 November 11 am – 4 pm
This historic venue was once home to pools and Turkish Baths, but this Christmas will be swimming in everything from ceramics to stocking fillers, all made by local craftspeople.
Manchester’s water palace is about to become Manchester’s gin palace as Victoria Baths collaborate with Cheshire-based Winding River distillery for the launch of Victoria Baths Gin at its Festive Winter Fair.
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It all makes for the perfect pre-Christmas shopping experience, equipped with a Tea Room, mince pies, mulled wine, and apparently, Santa will be in the Grotto – if you’re good, that is.
Credit: Facebook (Christmas market Manchester) Manchester Christmas Markets
Manchester city center Christmas markets
Manchester’s world-famous Christmas markets are back and found in six different locations across Manchester’s city center. Opening from 12 November to 22 December, the Christmas markets brighten up the city with fairy lights and cheer.
Follow this list on what there is to do and how to navigate the big six.
Credit: Facebook (Christmas market Manchester) Piccadilly Gardens at Christmas
Piccadilly Gardens
For the first time ever, Piccadilly Gardens has been crowned the central hub of the Christmas markets, or winter gardens, as they are known during this festive period.
For the first time in the market’s history, the hub will have a live music stage – plus its usual array of the best foodie and gift stalls.
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Bringing out a new side of Piccadilly Gardens, head down to enjoy a feast of the finest food and drink under the market’s marquee-covered seating and glittering festoon lights.
We can’t wait to see the central square, often unloved and tatty, finally brimming with festive joy.
Credit: Facebook (Manchester Christmas Markets)
Market Street
This year Market Street has been scaled down slightly to make sure people keep their distance if they want to.
Here, you’ll be able to find products from some of the top makers and traders in the region.
The French Christmas market of Manchester is one not to miss. Think the best gallic food, beers, wines and a huge gin bar with over 100 varieties to choose from all in Manchester’s Christmas Markets.
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Cathedral Gardens
Home to Skate Manchester’s ice rink and a proper family favorite of all the markets.
Skate round with the littleuns then pop off and browse the best food and drinks stalls while recovering from the ice.
Credit: Facebook (Nonna’s) A Yorkshire pudding wrap
New Cathedral Street
Down on New Cathedral Street, there is some smoking cocktails waiting at Bar No.3 allongside boozy hot chocolates and coffees.
You can also purchase some local vegan skincare products, jewellery, or other crafted produce for your nearest and dearest.
Exchange Square
Food heaven. King of the Manchester Christmas Markets, the very best Porky Pig’s Yorkshire pudding wraps will be back – bigger and better than ever.
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You’ll also find Tikka Kebab kitchen serving up their incredible curries and hot shawarma kebabs to spice up your Christmas.
Drama Call opening first-ever flagship shop in Manchester
Danny Jones
Streetwear superstars Drama Call are opening their new flagship store and first-ever permanent site in Manchester city centre this weekend.
Expect massive queues and lots turning up wearing the increasingly recognisable starry logo.
Already a much-loved brand not just here in 0161 but across the nation at large, the native independent business turned street-style favourites and UK fashion phenomenon are no strangers to HUGE pop-ups in their hometown.
However, they’ve never had a mainstay location anywhere in the country, let alone Greater Manchester – well, until now, that is…
Credit: Press shots (supplied)
Debuting in the Northern Quarter this Sunday, the venue located on Tib Street will effectively serve as Drama Call‘s new HQ.
The local label has done everything from popping up vans with Manc rapper Aitch to collaborating with Man United for multiple limited edition collections, so it only felt like a matter of time before they’d make a big brick-and-mortar splash in our fair city.
Most notably, they’re also taking over the same unit as the Sheep Shop, a former skate shop and legendary urban clothing tastemaker of the 90s; they were one of the first places in Britain to stock famous names like Stüssy, Supreme, Carhartt, The North Face and many more.
With that in mind, it feels only fitting that they carry on the trendsetting tradition from the same premises, and just spitting distance from the likes of Note, as well.
And that’s not all, either: before the full launch, they’ll also be holding an exclusive cash-only shirt swap event, where a limited number of certain collector’s items will be sold for as little as £10.
Other things to note are the additions of signed vinyls by homegrown artists such as the aforementioned Aitch and even The Smiths.
In fact, the store will also feature strictly Mancunian exclusives, too.
Everything from polo shirts and tees to branded mugs, matchboxes and other accessories will be available in-store only.
NQ is bound to be buzzing across launch weekend, with doors officially opening to the public on Sunday, and we wouldn’t be surprised if you see people camping outside the front well ahead of time.
What a moment the Manc shopping scene is having right now.
Featured Images — Publicity pictures (supplied via Pear)
What's On
An innovative new Macbeth stage production is being put on at an unlikely venue in Oldham
Danny Jones
A brand-new innovative take on Macbeth is coming to a rather surprising venue in Oldham as part of a new production by the Coliseum.
It may be BY Oldham Coliseum Theatre, but this new stage show is taking place at a rather different kind of location entirely.
Teaming up with North West actor Nick Bagnall and director, who has already served in an associate role at the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse, this will be his very first production, and unlike most other Shakespeare performances you will have come across.
With his various plays serving as ever-perfect pairings for adaptation, his version of arguably the world’s most famous tragedy is coming to an iconic site in its own right, which just so happens to be a nightclub.
Yes, Nick Bagnall and Oldham Coliseum Theatre‘s twist on Macbeth will be coming to none other than Liquid and Envy on Retiro Street.
A legendary local institution known for more late-night entertainment, the native artist is using it as a staging ground for a very unique interpretation.
While this version will still revolve around the same themes of ambition, masculinity, power and identity, it will instead be set against a late-1970s backdrop, in a world filled with gangsters, casinos and similarly shifting social codes.
Perhaps not as contemporary as current modern-day (we’ve seen plenty of that even in the past couple of decades alone), but it still looks set to be a creative take on the timeless tale; a retelling of Romeo and Juliet is also part of their autumn/winter programme.
Speaking ahead of the debut, Nick said picking Macbeth was a no-brainer. “Macbeth asks profound questions about power, identity and what it means to be a man,” he said. “Those questions feel urgent in a proud industrial town like Oldham that is navigating huge social and economic change.
“I want to blow the dust off Shakespeare. This isn’t about putting the play on a pedestal; it’s about creating an experience that grabs people by the throat, whether they have seen Macbeth ten times or never encountered it before.
“We want people who have never set foot in a theatre to walk into Liquid & Envy and feel this story belongs to them. Staging Macbeth inside a working Oldham nightclub creates its own intrigue.”
Martina Murphy, Chief Executive of Oldham Coliseum Theatre, went on to add: “This is a huge moment for the Coliseum. Nick’s Macbeth is uncompromising, thrilling and unmistakably of this place, and it announces exactly the kind of theatre we intend to make.
“As we continue our journey back to Fairbottom Street, we are determined to keep creating ambitious work that surprises audiences and reaches people wherever they are. Macbeth demonstrates that the Coliseum isn’t waiting for its building to return before making theatre of national significance.”
Check out the full list of scheduled performances set to arrive later this year:
Macbeth at Liquid and Envy in Oldham – 2026 dates
October
Friday 23 – 1:30pm (preview)
Saturday 24 – 1:30pm and 6:30pm (previews)
Monday 26 – 7pm (preview)
Tuesday 27 – 7pm (press night)
Wednesday 28 – 7pm
Thursday 29 – 1:30pm and 7pm
Friday 30 – 6:30pm
Saturday 31 – 1:30pm and 6:30pm
November
Monday 2 – 7pm
Tuesday, 3 – 1:30pm and 7pm
Wednesday, 4 – 7pm
Thursday, 5 – 1:30pm and 7pm
Friday, 6 – 6:30pm
Saturday, 7 – 6:30pm
It’s also worth noting that these shows have been put together with accessibility in mind, with the two-week season including a relaxed performance, an audio-described version, a fully captioned version, as well as two interpreted with British Sign Language. Things we love to hear.
The Coliseum’s new Creative Director has also ensured that tickets remain affordable, with £15 concessions and preview passes costing just £20, as well as a discount for Oldham locals.
You can see the full list of ticket options and find out more information about this exciting production right HERE.
Safe to say that we can’t wait to see how this thing turns out. It’s not the only inventive theatrical take on a classic that’s coming to Greater Manchester later this year, either; find out more down below.
Dolly Busby -
29th October 2021 
