York’s Christmas Market opens on Thursday, November 12, running to December 21 with stalls lining Parliament Street and St Sampson’s Square, and a new rule for 2026: the market now closes every Tuesday. The opening kicks off a three-week wave of festive markets across Britain, with Edinburgh following on Saturday, November 14 and Bath opening on Thursday, November 26.
Edinburgh’s Christmas runs for 51 days, from November 14 to January 3, 2027, spread across East and West Princes Street Gardens and George Street beneath the castle, with entry to the market itself free and rides and attractions ticketed separately. It is closed on Christmas Day. Bath’s market is the shortest of the major events at just 18 days, from November 26 to December 13, with more than 200 chalets set among the Georgian streets around Bath Abbey and the Roman Baths, and entry free.
Already open elsewhere
Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas Market has been running since November 5, and Manchester’s markets opened on November 6, with a new site at Lincoln Square this year alongside Albert Square, Cathedral Gardens and the Skate MCR ice rink. London’s Winter by the River opened on November 10.
Plan before you travel
Bath closes almost two weeks before Christmas, so it cannot be a Christmas-week trip, and Edinburgh’s long season makes it the easiest to fit around other plans. Check the organiser’s website before travelling, as opening hours can change around bank holidays and Christmas Eve.
Cardiff joins the opening wave too, with its Christmas market opening on Thursday, November 12, the same day as York, according to Rich Travel Magazine’s roundup of organiser dates. The magazine notes that some dates have changed this year: York now closes every Tuesday, Manchester has a new site at Lincoln Square, and Bath runs for just 18 days. The guide’s dates come from organisers and official city tourism boards, and the advice is consistent across every market: check the organiser’s website before you travel, as opening hours can change around bank holidays and Christmas Eve, and some attractions are ticketed separately.
