The Manchester Christmas Markets have finally returned to the city centre, filling streets with wooden huts and festive cheer.
It’s one of the biggest events in Manchester’s cultural calendar and attracts thousands to our city every year.
The 2021 Manchester Christmas market celebrations have moved to a new location, with a central hub at Piccadilly Gardens for the first time.
This corner of the city centre will become the Winter Gardens, featuring market stalls, bars, a live music stage and street food stands, taking the reigns from the usual hub at Albert Square.
But the festivities won’t end there, with six other sites, including at St Ann’s Square, King Street and Market Street.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Manchester Christmas Markets.
When are the 2021 Manchester Christmas Markets?
The old hub at Albert Square. The Markets are now centred around Piccadilly Gardens. Credit: Flickr (Andrew Stawarz)
This year’s celebrations are officially underway, after weeks of wooden sheds beginning to appear across the city centre.
The 2021 markets are open from Friday November 12, and will run until Wednesday December 22.
The one exception will be the Winter Gardens at Piccadilly Gardens, which are open right through until January 3.
The Christmas Markets are open from 10am every day, though some sites and stalls will close earlier than others.
Where are the Manchester Christmas Markets sites in 2021?
The new hub at Piccadilly Gardens. Credit: The Manc
There’s loads to explore at this year’s Christmas Markets in Manchester, from family-friendly sites with ice skating to the main festive hub with live music and loads of bars.
Here’s a rough breakdown of what you can find and where.
Piccadilly Gardens/Winter Gardens – This will be the heart of the Manchester Christmas Markets for this winter, with a live music stage, covered marquee seating, and dozens of bars and food stalls.
St Ann’s Square – As well as the traditional nativity scene (part of the festive light trail), St Ann’s Square will have a campervan photo booth, food from local favourites Yard & Coop, and lots more market stalls.
Market Street – Manchester’s main shopping street will have a slightly scaled-down offering for 2021 to give people more room to move around.
Catherdral Gardens – This will be the family-friendly hive of activity at this year’s event, featuring an ice rink and live entertainment, plus food and drink huts.
King Street – A haven for all things Alpine, most of the huts along King Street will be serving up French and Italian produce – including a hot gin bar.
Exchange Square – Someone sound the Yorkshire pudding wrap alarm, for Exchange Square will be home to Porky Pig this year, alongside the familiar Mill Exchange bar with its massive chimney.
New Cathedral Street – This small section of markets is home to a giant sausage sculpture with the Witchouse food stall, joined by loads of market stalls selling gifts and clothes.
How much is beer and wine at the Christmas Markets?
The Witch House at New Cathedral Street. Credit: The Manc
Piccadilly Gardens Hot Roast Pork Rolls – £4.50 mulled wine or cider Off Piste Bar – £5 piste lager, £5.50 Alpine ale or Weissebier, £5 wine, £4.50 mulled wine or plum cider, £5 spirit and mixer
Cathedral Gardens Well Spruce bar – £5 mulled wine or spiced cider
Exchange Square Elsie May’s Cookie Dough – £5.50 boozy hot chocolates, £5 wine, £6 prosecco (extra 50p for shimmering prosecco) The Mill Exchange – £5 warm drinks, including caramel cider, and mulled wine flavours of raspberry, strawberry and amaretto, and blackberry and apple
New Cathedral Street Witch House – £5.50 lager, £10 Bavarian Maß, £5.50 hot boozy drinks, £5.50 with hot chocolate with alcohol,
St Ann’s Square Mamma Mia! – £5 pint Peroni, £6 prosecco, £4.50 wine or mulled wine Munchen Bar – £5 gluhwein (£7 for special gluhwein), £3.50 hot chocolate (£5 with alcohol), £6 pint of lager or wheat beer
King Street Bistrot Le Petit Paris – £4 mulled wine (£5 with brandy or amaretto), £5 sparkling wine, £10 champagne, £4.50 pint lager, £4.50 wine. Best Sausage – £4.50 pint of lager.
What about Covid?
This year’s Christmas Markets in Manchester. Credit: The Manc
Manchester City Council has said that there’ll be measures in place at the Christmas markets this year to limit the possible spread of Covid-19.
That includes a one-way system and limited visitor numbers at the main hub at Piccadilly Gardens.
Cllr Pat Karney, Manchester’s Christmas spokesperson, said: “We’re making up for lost time this year and I can’t wait to see the transformation in the city centre into the festive wonderland we know and love.
“Of course, all of our attractions have public health at their heart and the safety of our visitors will be paramount.
“Covid remains a real concern and we will have strict maximum numbers in some areas like the Winter Gardens to make sure people can maintain their distance – and security will be helping us manage crowds.”
Where’s the Giant Santa this year?
Manchester’s new Giant Santa, who has replaced the much-loved Zippy. Credit: Manchester City Council
Sadly there’ll be no sightings of Zippy, Manchester’s famous blue-eyed festive mascot, this year, as he headed into retirement in 2019.
A new (less heavy) model was unveiled that same year, and he’ll be back to keep an eye over the festivities this year.
The newer Santa, complete with his twirly moustache and giant present perch, won’t be at the Christmas Markets themselves, but will instead be built in St Peter’s Square.
He’s expected to arrive next week.
Don’t miss out on any of Manchester’s Christmas celebrations! Keep up with what’s on here.
Featured image – Flickr
What's On
A mobile Manc cocktail bar is rolling into a thriving new Greater Manchester neighbourhood
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester has plenty of up-and-coming areas both here in the city centre and out in the boroughs, and one of those – Middlewood Locks over in Salford – is about to be treated to its own mobile cocktail bar.
You’ve got to love a Manc-born and bred independent business.
The canalside New Makers Yards apartments on Middlewood Locks are some of the most desirable new homes and flats you’ll find on the outskirts of the city, but with their on-site Seven Brothers pub sadly closing earlier this year, it is lacking one key thing: somewhere to drink.
However, with Cocktail Cartel MCR rolling into town for National Rum Day, residents can get a taste of, hopefully, what’s more to come.
Cocktail Cartel is a brand new, completely independent mobile bar that’s already starting to take the events industry by storm.
Serving unique and innovative creations (including plenty involving Captain Jack’s go-to tipple), they’ll be slinging cocktails to the New Makers Yards natives along the stunning and ever-thriving Middlewood Locks this month.
Created by Katie and Erik, who have been working in Manchester’s hospitality scene for nearly 20 years combined, these two have a passion for supporting fellow local indies and bringing amazing drinks to the table wherever the opportunity presents itself.
From their ‘Grown Up Coke Float’, which has all the punch of a classic Long Island Iced Tea only with a scoop of toffee ice cream, chocolate sauce and sprinkles thrown in there, to a Pedro Pascal-inspired tequila numbers (yes, really), they have a lot of fun behind that bar.
Better still, most of their spirits are coming from local legends, Spirit of Manchester, and for this particular upcoming event, it wouldn’t be right to host National Rum Day in 0161’s second city without a gorgeous bit of Salford Rum.
But it doesn’t stop at just cocktails; the Cartel will also be pouring pints from nearby Track Brewery among various other regional favourites.
Once again, they’ll be popping up at New Makers Yard on Saturday, 16 August from noon onwards, promising rum, cocktails, beer, wine, cider and softies – so let’s just hope we get plenty of sun for it.
Keep an eye on their socials for how you might be able to grab some freebies also…
If you visited the most recent edition of Middlewood Locks Fest, you know this place is buzzing when the weather hits just right and the drinks are flowing. See you there.
Featured Images — Cocktail Cartel MCR/Karen Wright Photography (supplied)
What's On
You can stay in an aircraft, old school bus, or even a helicopter at this glamping pod near Manchester
Thomas Melia
There’s a glamping retreat near Manchester offering extraordinary stays in an aircraft, helicopter, old school bus and more.
Over in Blackpool at Manor House Glamping, there is a range of static vehicles that you can have an overnight stay or two in, and according to the pictures on its website, there’s even a resident emu.
You can stay in various modes of transport, such as an aircraft, an iconic yellow school bus, a campervan or a military green truck.
Each has its own perks ranging from a hot tub, outdoor bath, fire pit, sandpit and more. Whatever type of getaway or retreat you’re looking for, you’ll find everything you need right here.
The most eye-catching of the company’s stays is certainly the aircraft, which has kept its original cockpit features, although it’s safe to say the interior has definitely had a makeover.
There’s no such thing as a bad in-flight experience with this guest house, as you can get cocktails delivered to the cockpit after taking a dip in your own personal hot tub – not too shabby, eh?
With the bright and unmissable yellow school bus, there are plenty of decorations that help continue this theme in the form of various American road signs, one of which acts as your headboard for the night.
If you’re after a more toned-down chance to unwind, you can step into a pale-white camper van with cosy cushions and a snug haystack-turned-sofa adorned with some gorgeous blankets.
And if you’re looking at going all out, then your Manor House Glamping accommodation of choice has to be the chopper, which was once used by the Royal Navy.
Worried this option might be a tad nippy? Fear not, because this helicopter is fully kitted out to suit your glamping needs with two fluffy-lined cushions on each seat of this vintage heli.
Anyone who experiences cabin fever, fear not, because all the aircraft and vehicles are static and aren’t planning on making a long-haul journey anytime soon, you’ll still be able to keep your feet firmly on the ground.
Manor House Glamping has a variety of vehicle-themed guest houses, both old and new, for you to stay in overnight and if you’re interested or after any further information.
If you fancy staying within the boundaries of Greater Manchester but still fancy getting the feel for a cockpit, though, there’s a very fun day out over at Barton’s City Airport.
Daisy Jackson -
11th November 2021 
