Manchester Christmas Markets 2023 - full dates and times confirmed by city council ahead of festive season

The opening date of the Manchester Christmas Markets 2023 has been revealed and there’s just eight weeks to go until the big day.

Manchester City Council has confirmed that the city-wide markets will be open from 10am on Friday 10 November until 6pm on Thursday 21 December. They will be open from 10am until 9pm daily.

Precise locations of the markets and which stalls will be returning will be confirmed in the few weeks, but they will be spread across several city centre sites as in previous years.

The usual locations include Piccadilly Gardens, Exchange Square, St Anne’s Square, King Street. In the past, the main centre of the Christmas Markets was Albert Square, however large parts of this area have been closed for a number of years while extensive restoration work is carried out on the square and Town Hall.

The main attraction of the markets is usually the food and the range of cuisines on offer. Returning every year are the bratwurst and mulled wine stands, but you can also get Dutch waffles, Spanish paella and, the big hit of last year, the Yorkshire pudding roast dinner wraps.

It has also been confirmed that the ice rink at Cathedral Gardens will also be returning this year, along with a selection of food and drink stalls in the same area. The rink will be open from Thursday 26 October and close on 31 December.

Councillor Pat Karney, Manchester City Council’s Christmas spokesperson, said: "With the last rays of summer sun now fading fast, it’s time to track down the tinsel and get ready for Manchester’s favourite time of the year.

"And with only 8 weeks to go until the opening of Manchester’s world-famous Christmas markets it will be glühwein and bratwurst time before we know it. Mark it on your calendar - 10 November - Christmas starts here!"