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.
Alex Warren at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
Singer-songwriter and social media star Alex Warren is visiting Co-op Live, Manchester, for two nights of out of the ‘Ordinary’ live music.
One of the founding members of the TikTok group, the ‘Hype House’, which also included fellow pop performer Addison Rae, Warren has gone on to receive global recognition for his contributions to music.
Born in California, it’s no surprise his music has managed to catapult into the mainstream as he’s been mastering content creation since he was 10 on YouTube.
His music journey began back in 2021, when he released music as an independent artist in 2021 before signing a record deal one year later, dropping the chart-topping ‘Ordinary’ in 2025.
Now, Alex Warren prepares for his biggest UK tour to date, and he’s playing two shows right here in Manchester at the 23,500 seater Co-op Live in April and May.
Gig guide | Alex Warren at Co-op Live, Manchester – all you need to know
Alex Warren is visiting Manchester at Co-op Live on 27 April and 4 May / Credit: Press Shots (supplied)
Alex Warren UK tour dates
Fri 24 April – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena
Sun 26 April – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro
Mon 27 April – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Wed 29 April – Leeds, UK – First Direct Arena
Thu 30 April – Nottingham, UK – Motorpoint Arena
Sat 2 May – Belfast, UK – SSE Arena
Mon 4 May – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Wed 6 May – Dublin, IE – 3Arena
Thu 7 May – Dublin, IE – 3Arena
Are there tickets left for Alex Warren at Co-op Live?
If you’re looking for somebody to ‘Save You a Seat’, look no further as you can get tickets to Alex Warren’s 27 April at Co-op Live HERE.
And don’t find yourself in ‘Troubled Waters’, make sure you grab tickets for Alex Warren at Co-op Live on 4 May HERE.
Stage times for Alex Warren at Co-op Live, Manchester
Warren has built a cult following thanks to chart-topping hits like ‘Ordinary’ (Credit: Press shots)
Co-op Live has a strict curfew of 11pm, meaning you can still get home without ‘Chasing Shadows’.
Supporting Alex Warren on the night will be Claire Rosinkranz, a singer-songwriter from California with tracks like ‘Frankenstein’ and ‘Backyard Boy’.
How to get to Co-op Live
Tram
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live.
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU, and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide on event day, though estimates will obviously vary:
Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes on the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Yungblud channels a bit of magic that’d make Ozzy proud on huge headline night in Manchester
Lonnie Bowes
A darkened arena erupts into life as Yungblud storms the AO Arena main stage for his biggest Manchester show to date.
He flickers across the giant screens, projected against a curtain that stretches the full width of the AO Arena. Then that unmistakable Doncaster drawl cuts through the noise, urging the audience to make some noise (even more of it), and they oblige – gladly.
When the lights come up, a barrage of lights flickers, pyrotechnics explode, and chaos ensues. Manchester crowds are no strangers to Yungblud; he’s a livewire performer with seemingly endless energy, a proclivity for raw emotion, and a fiercely loyal fanbase: the self-proclaimed ‘Black Hearts Club’.
Dressed in a grungy pair of Chrome Hearts leather trousers, a leopard-print waistcoat and sunglasses so thick he could look directly at the sun with no issues, he tears straight into the opening track (Hello Heaven, Hello) with barely a second to breathe.
He then pauses – hands extended to the crowd, a cheeky grin – and bang: confetti fills the room.
If previous Manchester shows hinted at his stamina, this one confirms it. The scale may be bigger, but the intensity hasn’t dipped. The floor quickly becomes a sea of movement, with mosh pits swelling and collapsing in waves, sending bodies ricocheting across the arena.
It’s the kind of gig where you’re never quite safe from getting drenched either – water cups are less for drinking and more for launching, with sprays arcing out over the front rows like some kind of punk rock baptism of fire. So many flames.
The audience was on the ball; at one point, Yungblud’s comb was hurled into the crowd. Showgoers in the area tussled over the item for a minute before returning to the mayhem unfolding around them.
Part conductor, part chaos agent, part mic-wielding cowboy, he commands the room with ease. The mic stand, placed in front of him between each song by the production team, is repeatedly cast to the back of the stage, and he flails the mic above his head on more than one occasion – always catching it again before it can strike anyone else. It’s reckless, but never careless.
Because beneath the sweat and noise, there’s something more deliberate at play. His speeches on identity, equality, belonging and mental health feel less like interludes and more like the backbone of the entire night.
This isn’t just performance: it’s a space he’s actively shaping, one where thousands feel seen. Towards the back end of the set, he invites the whole crowd to look left and right and tell each other how much they f***ing love one another.
Tracks like ‘Loner’, ‘Lowlife’ and ‘Zombie’ land with particular weight, their messages amplified by a crowd that knows every word. At one point, the lights swing out over the audience, and for a moment the focus shifts – not just to the performer, but to the community he’s built.
With a touching tribute to the late, great Ozzy Osbourne, Yungblud is visibly emotional, with tears in his eyes for his dearly departed friend. And if the ringing in my ears is anything to go by, I’m pretty sure Ozzy heard it and was looking down with pride.
If you haven’t guessed by now, Yungblud knows how to command a room, but things definitely took a turn when he invited a member of the crowd on stage.
Holding a poster that read something along the lines of “I can play guitar”, she was brought up and proceeded to absolutely bring the house down, performing alongside him for a song. Daisy, hats off – you absolutely SMASHED it.
Congratulations are in order as well to the happy couple who got engaged at the gig. We really hope your first dance is to a Yungblud track.
Even in a venue of this size, he moves like he’s trying to outpace it; sprinting, leaping, barely standing still long enough to catch a breath. It’s hard not to feel like this is still just a stepping stone. Because if he can command a room like this with such force, it’s not a stretch to imagine Yungblud scaling even bigger stages before long.
Loud, relentless and emotionally charged, this wasn’t just a gig, it was a statement – a place to escape the struggles of day-to-day life and bolster an ever-growing community built on all the right things: acceptance, harmony, and just a little bit of chaos. In short, he’s welcome back anytime.
Dolly Busby -
29th October 2021 
