It’s official… Manchester Christmas Markets have been named the best in the UK, according to a new analysis for 2023.
Of course, us Mancs already knew this, but it’s always nice to have it confirmed, right?
In case you hadn’t heard, Manchester‘s flagship festive event has officially returned to spread some cheer right across the city centre for another year, as the annual Christmas Markets opened to the public on Friday 10 November.
The iconic annual event is an absolute staple in Manchester’s festive events calendar, and always draws in thousands of visitors from all across the globe each year.
More than 225 stalls have now popped up across nine sites throughout the city centre, with iconic ski chalet-style market stalls having taken over Piccadilly Gardens – which has once again been transformed into the ‘Winter Gardens’ – as well as Market Street, Cathedral Gardens, Exchange Street, New Cathedral Street, St Ann’s Square, Exchange Square, The Corn Exchange, and King Street.
ADVERTISEMENT
The little wooden huts lining our streets give visitors the chance to tuck into a wide range of festive foods and drinks, and shop for Christmas gifts from countless independent traders.
Manchester Christmas Markets have been named the best in the UK for 2023 / Credit: Flickr
It’s not uncommon for Manchester Christmas Markets to regular feature among the conversation when it comes to naming the country’s best Christmas markets, but this year, a new analysis by online car-buying platform, cinch, has seen our city’s annual festive event come out on top as the absolute best the UK has to offer.
ADVERTISEMENT
The team over at cinch looked at looked at TikTok popularity, average hotel costs, predicted days of snowfall, and the duration of 35 different market events to come up with a top 10 list that determines the best Christmas markets to visit for a festive road trip this year.
Manchester has taken the top spot on the list, and is closely followed by the Scottish capital of Edinburgh, and fellow North West neighbours Liverpool.
It’s according to a new analysis by cinch of 35 Christmas Markets nationwide / Credit: Manchester City Council
#ManchesterChristmasMarket is the most viewed hashtag on TikTok, with a whopping 13.3 million views, while the analysis found that the average cost of an overnight weekend stay is £246.84 during December.
ADVERTISEMENT
Due to Manchester’s average of 1.3 days of snowfall in December, there’s only a 0.042% chance of snowfall at the markets.
Manchester markets last 42 days, making it the 13th longest of the markets in the study.
Top 10 best Christmas Markets in the UK for 2023
Manchester
Edinburgh
Liverpool
Glasgow
Aberdeen
Birmingham
Hyde Park (Winter Wonderland)
Leicester
Belfast
Canterbury
Glasgow, Birmingham, Belfast, Canterbury, and London’s iconic ‘Winter Wonderland’ in Hyde Park are some of the other cities to claim top 10 spots.
Speaking on the findings of the new analysis, Sam Sheehan – who is the Motoring Editor at cinch – said Manchester is “the place to be” for anyone looking for “the ultimate Christmas market experience” in the country this year.
He explained: “According to our findings, Manchester is home to the best Christmas market in the UK.
“Receiving a whopping 13,300,000 views on TikTok, as well as offering festive food and fun for 42 days, it’s no surprise that Manchester’s Christmas market stands at the top of our merry list.”
Featured Image – Manchester City Council
Trending
All-girl K-pop powerhouse aespa book MASSIVE Manchester arena show
Danny Jones
All-girl K-pop group, ‘aespa’, are coming to Manchester for some of their largest performances to date as part of a new global tour.
If you know anything about the K-pop scene, you’ll know that most acts are even bigger than you could ever imagine.
Manchester has gained a steady supply of gigs from artists within the genre over the past year or so, and now aespa are the latest to book the AO Arena for a headline show.
Rest assured, these tickets will fly…
aespa SYNK : COMPLæXITY
Catch the LIVE TOUR in Manchester at @AOArena on Thu 14th January 2027!
Register by [Wed 29 Apr at 6AM PT / 8PM CT / 9AM ET] for access to the artist presale: https://t.co/JuWFFMCE8Q
Dubbed the ‘SYNK : Complæxity World Tour’, this follows on from their last live iteration, ‘æXIS LINE’ shows, which began back in August 2025 and, technically, have only just ended this April.
As per an official press release, “Produced by Live Nation, the tour will bring aespa’s acclaimed live production and immersive performance experience to arenas across Asia, North America, Latin America, the UK, and Europe.”
There are actually just two shows in the entirety of Britain (the other being down in the capital), and Manchester has the good fortune of kicking off not only being the first of both, but the inaugural date of the entire European leg.
Consider us honoured.
Made up of a talented quartet – Karina, Giselle, Winter, and Ningning, the rising South Korean stars – this female-led phenomenon is arguably one of the fastest rising acts in the world of K-pop.
Having now been to a couple of these shows for ourselves, we’re starting to understand that these artists might have some of the most passionate followings on the planet.
Kicking off the latest run of performances back in their home country’s capital of Seoul, they’ll hit multiple continents before wrapping things up in Paris.
aespa EU tour dates 2027
14 January – AO Arena, Manchester
16 Jan – London
19 Jan – Amsterdam
22 Jan – Stockholm
24 Jan – Copenhagen
26 Jan – Berlin
29 Jan – Milan
31 Jan – Barcelona
2 February – Paris
If you’re a fan or are interested in throwing your hat in the ring for a first K-pop gig experience, you can register by signing up for their exclusive pre-sale window.
As for general admission, tickets to see aespa at the AO Arena in Manchester will go live at 3pm on Wednesday, 6 May; you can get ready to grab yours HERE.
Manchester United youth player James Overy praised for wholesome moment with young fan
Danny Jones
Manchester United academy player James Overy is receiving heaps of praise online after a video of a heartwarming interaction between him and a young fan went viral on social media.
The Australian-born youngster joined the club and the Carrington set-up back in the summer of 2024, and has flown somewhat under the radar to plenty of supporters, quietly going about his business and continuing his progression.
However, it’s fair to say he’s had a good month or so, as not only did he provide a crucial assist in the under-18s FA Youth Cup semis against Crystal Palace roughly a fortnight ago – with two goals proving enough to book their spot in a Manchester derby final – but now he’s being hailed off the pitch, too.
Taking the time to not just say hello and chat with the young girl after the game, but go so far in engaging with her as to gift her a pair of his boots, it wasn’t just a lovely gesture, but one that will probably stay with the wide-eyed child forever.
Love this stuff…..2 mins of his time to give that little girl a memory for a lifetime ❤️
Not the point, obviously, but there’s something very charming about him repeatedly asking, “Is that alright?” and double-checking if she’s happy with the colour.
He might not be a born and bred Manc but there’s still something very British about it.
The Aussie, only 18 years old himself, has quickly been applauded for what looked to be some very mature and admirable behaviour: spending time with Reds long after the full-time whistle and showing his own appreciation for their support.
Reactions are as you would expect: “What a lad!”, “What it’s [all] about, inspiring the younger generation. Top man”; “What a legend, hope he’s got a good career ahead of him”, and so on.
Others also noted his ‘humility’ at such a young age, with one person going on to add that “a lot of professional players could learn a lot from that young man.”
Here he is talking about his senior debut against West Ham United when he was just a boy.
Prior to a memorable night of his own in the important win at Old Trafford, Overy received his first national team call-up back in November, but is also eligible for Scotland, having already represented both at various youth levels.
He’s also worn the captain’s armband for the U18s and is one of several prospects that United fans who follow all the age groups are keeping an eye on.
Others in that same squad include the Fletcher twins (sons of former player turned coach, Darren), Chido Obi, and the increasingly promising JJ Gabriel, who is still just 15 himself.
If they all follow the example set by James on how to conduct themselves as professionals, as he did with young Imogen, they won’t go far wrong.
Highlights from Man United’s semi-final victory over Palace in the 2025/26 FA Youth Cup
Emily Sergeant -
20th November 2023 
