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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.”
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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
Manchester pub chain providing lifeline for dementia sufferers with vital support sessions
Danny Jones
A regional pub chain is being rightly praised for providing regular and vital support sessions to those suffering from dementia at two beloved Manchester locations.
The brand in question is Joseph Holt Brewery, which was founded behind an old pub on Oak Street in the Northern Quarter back in 1849, and has gone on to become an instantly recognisable British name.
Serving patrons for the best part of two centuries, their watering holes have always served as important meeting places and community hubs, but one of their current local initiatives is one of the most heartwarming we’ve come across of late.
Dubbed the ‘Get Together Group’, these dementia support sessions, which are now being pioneered at two of their Greater Manchester pubs, are truly setting an example for the kind of grassroots work and outreach that publicans do.
Put simply, the Get Together Group hold sessions for those diagnosed with dementia, and indeed, members of families affected by the disease to meet, discuss and support one another.
Currently being hosted at The Goat’s Gate in Whitefield and The Woodthorpe in Prestwich – both beloved Joseph Holt boozers – the idea was started by Sonia Schofield, 53, who now runs the sessions with a band of dedicated volunteers.
“People just seem to love the warm atmosphere and general sense of community,” says Sonia. “There’s free tea, coffee, and biscuits, along with bingo, a raffle, and some fabulous singers who come along to entertain the group.
“Word has spread that this is such a lively and welcoming space that even people without a direct connection to dementia regularly come along – which is so lovely. It also adds to a sense of community, helps break down stigma around dementia and makes the group feel warm, inclusive, and caring.”
Having worked as part of the brewery for more than three and a half decades since joining as an 18-year-old, this became a passion project of hers after her beloved grandmother, Pam, who had raised her from the age of six, developed dementia in her late sixties.
As is sadly the case for many, it soon became clear that support for those struggling with dementia is unfortunately rather limited, with Royal Voluntary Service figures stating that more than a third of people even just caring for loved ones with dementia receive little or no support following diagnosis.
Goat’s GateThe WoodthorpeHere’s hoping it comes to more pubsWith 125 other establishments, this could be the start of something special. (Credit: CAMRA/Joseph Holt/The Manc Group)
Believed to be the first sessions of their kind held in a pub, the reception to the regular work done by Get Together has meant that it isn’t just people living with the condition directly that now attend: people throughout the local areas are turning to the bi-weekly meet-ups for connection and social interaction.
Sonia goes on to note that because “the atmosphere in a pub is far less formal than, say, a healthcare or community centre setting, this helps reduce anxiety and makes interaction feel more natural.
“Holding a support group in an everyday community venue also shows that people living with dementia are valued members of the community, not defined only by their diagnosis. Just seeing this group of people together is so uplifting.”
Joseph Holt‘s director of pubs, Mark Norbury, said of the scheme: “We are a family business with very strong roots in the communities where our pubs are located. The Get Together Club perfectly reflects Joseph Holt’s values – our pubs are about much more than simply serving drinks. They are welcoming spaces where people can come together, socialise, build friendships, and support one another.
“We are incredibly proud of what Sonia and her fellow volunteers have achieved: creating a vital source of support for those who need it, while also providing a warm, uplifting environment where everyone feels welcome.” Hear, hear.
Joseph Holt continues to extend that homegrown, family-run and community-driven ethos across their pubs, and we sincerely hope we get to more stuff like this popping up at their various wonderful sites across the boroughs.
Featured Images — Supplied (via Joseph Holt Brewery)/The Manc
What's On
WWE is returning to Manchester for first-ever box office televised event
Danny Jones
The WWE is coming back to Manchester for what looks set to be one of their biggest overseas event yet, let alone just here in 0161.
Following spectacles such as WWE Live and the ‘Road to Clash in Paris’ last summer, WWE is bringing proper SmackDown scenes to the UK and Europe early next year.
Announcing the blockbuster booking on Monday, 10 August, WWE has chosen the Co-op Live arena to host an unprecedented first televised edition outside of the US this coming January.
Confirming an all-star cast of competitors for one of the franchise’s biggest promotions, this one is a must-not-miss for Manc wrestling fans.
As per the caption of the announcement: “WWE brings the 2027 Road to Royal Rumble European Tour to Co-op Live, the first ever WWE televised event.
“Fans will see their favourite WWE Superstars in action including Undisputed WWE Champion CM Punk, Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan, ‘The American Nightmare’ Cody Rhodes, Seth ‘Freakin’ Rollins, World Tag Team Champions The Vision and many more.”
Last time the world-famous sports entertainment company came to our city, we got to see the likes of Jey Uso, Rhea Ripley, GUNTHER, Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair and more.
Safe to say that we have been fortunate enough to see many of their most famous faces grace the canvas already.
Manchester, of course, isn’t the only domestic/European ‘Road to Royal Rumble’ date on the calendar in 2027 either.
For anyone looking to grab tickets for the next Manchester WWE show at Co-op Live, you can sign up to find out all the details at the first opportunity right HERE.
Once again, official Co-op members get early access via the venue’s exclusive pre-sale window, and you can expect general admission to sell out fast, so keep your eyes peeled…
Daisy Jackson -
11th November 2021 
