With Piccadilly Gardens now resembling a mud bath after hosting the 2022 Manchester Christmas Markets, councillors are said to be urgently reviewing where to locate the "main hub" for 2023. Piccadilly has been used in recent years because Albert Square, the original "hub" of the Christmas Markets is currently out of action while the major Town Hall renovations continue.
Albert Square will remain out of action until 2024 - so it leaves council bosses with the conundrum of where exactly to locate the main hub of the Christmas event this year. Coun Pat Karney said this week that Piccadilly Gardens was left in such a state after all the wooden huts, beer stalls and drinking areas were put there at this year's Christmas extravaganza, that it won't go back.
That may be music to the ears of many who felt that the hectic Piccadilly Gardens was the wrong location for the event anyway. It certainly lacked the special kind of Manchester magic that Albert Square could give with the stunning Town Hall backdrop.
Read more: The two Manchester restaurants named in the Top 100 in the UK
There were plenty of moans about the 2022 Christmas Markets on the M.E.N's site, social media and TripAdvisor - as well as the usual gripes about prices - with some feeling it had "nothing to do with Christmas" about it. It's one of many issues the council is sure to be looking at for 2023.
Others felt that the markets have become "too spread out" across the city with the most recent event having the main hub at Piccadilly, and then stalls stretching along Market Street, Exchange Square, New Cathedral Street, St Ann's Square, Cathedral Gardens and King Street.
The council are very proud of the fact there were over 200 stalls at the event, making it the largest Christmas Market in the UK. But does size actually matter?
Many feel that a smaller selection of more festive stalls, perhaps spread over less zones, would make it a more easy-to-navigate event.
Either way, the markets will definitely need a "main hub" for 2023. And if Piccadilly Gardens isn't going to be used, that means somewhere else in the city centre will need to take over.
So here, having covered the markets intensively for the MEN over the past decade or so, are my thoughts on the places where it could - and should - be heading to in 2023.
And you can let us know your thoughts on the markets locations that you like - and don't like - in the comments. And what you'd like to see change for 2023.
St Peter's Square
Surely, surely the best option would be to have the 2023 Manchester Christmas Market hub around the historical landmarks of St Peter's Square? Coun Karney has also said that St Peter's Square IS one of the main contenders they're now looking at.
Big Santa gets to sit here outside Manchester Central Library - so wouldn't it make sense to have some of the food and drink stalls here for people to admire both the views of Manchester as well as the twinkling Mr Christmas? It would certainly give the picture postcard scene of Manchester to visitors coming in to the city that perhaps Piccadilly was lacking.
When we've asked about the use of St Peter's Square previously, the council has pointed to the proximity of the tram lines here, yet this has not stopped Exchange Square hosting probably the busiest food, drink and retail stalls on the current market right next to the tram stop.
I'm told there is also hesitancy as no market construction would take place here until after Remembrance Sunday as the Cenotaph is here and the focal point of the annual commemorations.
The Christmas Markets tend to start on the Thursday or Friday before Remembrance Sunday - but surely no one would mind them starting the week after? Or the rest of the city's market stalls could open the previous week before a big launch heralding their arrival on St Peter's Square.
Northern Quarter
If the council wanted to go slightly more alternative for the 2023 markets, then why not spread out into the bohemian Northern Quarter? The district has showed how successful a market format can be along Thomas Street with the monthly Makers Market.
And, if the council returned Stevenson Square to a pedestrianised quarter for the duration, it would be an obvious hot spot. But does it lack the dramatic central point that Piccadilly Gardens, for all its foibles, had?
Either way, we reckon an alternative Christmas Market of some description would be a brilliant addition to the 2023 event.
Deansgate
As the council seem intent to slowly but surely close off each section of Deansgate to motor vehicles, perhaps this could be the year we actually see some benefit of that. Yes, why not have the wooden huts lining half of Deansgate?
It's currently only one way along a big stretch of it. Although buses do need the access here so it might cause a bit of chaos.
But hey, it would look great - especially with the Christmas lights twinkling along Manchester's most famous thoroughfare.
Cathedral Gardens
This area is currently used as the more family-focussed hub and this year was dominated by the extra large, part-indoor part-outdoor, ice skating rink. There were only a handful of stalls alongside it this year, with just food and drink options.
But this part of town has been successfully used to host entire food festivals in recent years - including Manchester Food and Drink Festival and the Festa Italiana Festival. And in previous years had more gift stalls too - although some stall-holders did complain of lack of footfall here.
If the ice skating rink were to be moved to another part of the city centre - perhaps to take over one section of Piccadilly Gardens - it would allow Cathedral Gardens to become more of a hub for general market stalls. This area is close to Exchange Square's most popular food and drink stalls like Porky Pig, as well as right next to Victoria Train Station, so it could actually make sense.
And of course you would have a more pleasant historic backdrop to the Christmas Markets with Chetham's Library, Manchester Cathedral and the Corn Exchange, as well as the imposing thrust of the National Football Museum to complete the setting.
Read next:-
- 20 amazing places you need to visit across Greater Manchester in 2023
- The family restaurant that kids might love - but parents may struggle to tolerate
- The Manchester restaurant hailed among the best in the UK
- January restaurant offers, discounts and deals for 2023
- Madonna planning a "greatest hits tour" with dates in the UK
