It's time for Manchester to get well and truly festive, with the famous Manchester Christmas Markets about to reopen across the city centre. The annual festive extravaganza opens to the public on Thursday, November 10 with a raft of food, drink and gift stalls spread out all across the city's shopping streets.
The festive wooden huts are back out with the twinkling fairy lights, with old favourites returning as well as some quirky new treats to try. The main hub of the event will once again be back at Piccadilly Gardens this year with the launch of "Winter Gardens".
Market stalls can also be found along Market Street, New Cathedral Street, Exchange Square, St Ann's Square, Cathedral Gardens and King Street.
Read more : The new Manchester Christmas Markets mugs have a super-cute detail
The markets will officially launch on Thursday November 10, and will then be open daily until December 22. However Cathedral Gardens will be open a little longer over the festive period, until January as it is hosting the big ice skating rink, Skate Mcr.
As a general rule of thumb across the different market zones, market craft and gift stalls will be open from 10am until 8pm Monday to Sunday. Bars serving alcohol will be open from 11am to 9pm.
But of course there are loads of wonderful Manchester bars and restaurants located all around the main Christmas Markets zones for you to continue the merriment once the markets themselves close each night.
What are the dates and times for Manchester Christmas Markets 2022?
Manchester Christmas Markets will open officially to the public on Thursday, November 10 . The main market zones, like Exchange Square, St Ann's Square, King Street and Market Street, will run daily from that point until Thursday, December 22.
The general rule on opening times is that market retail stalls will open daily at 10am and close by 8pm . Food and drink stalls will open at 11am and close by 9pm.
However, Dock 53 with bars at Piccadilly Gardens will have a later closing time in the week til 10pm and weekends til 11pm (details below).
Cathedral Gardens, where you'll find the Skate MCR ice rink, will reopen after Christmas Day, with food and drink stalls serving through to December 31 . The ice rink itself is taking bookings through to January 3. Opening hours for the food and drink stalls here are 11am til 9pm .
The Christmas opening hours for Cathedral Gardens are as follows:-
22 Dec - open 11 am close at 9 pm
23 Dec - open 11 am close at 9 pm
24 Dec - open 10 am close at 5 pm
25 Dec - closed for Christmas Day
26 Dec - 31 Dec - open 10 am close at 6 pm
It has also been announced that the Dock 53 Bar at Winter Gardens (the raised platform with stage area closest to Market Street) will have extended opening hours, when the rest of the Christmas Markets have closed. The Council has confirmed this bar will open until December 24 and have a later finish time than others.
Opening times for Dock 53 at Piccadilly Gardens from 10 Nov through to December 24 are as follows:-
Mon - Wed open 11 am and close 10 pm
Thur - Sun open 11 am and close 11 pm
Dec 24 - open 11 am and close 6 pm
Guide to all the locations for 2022
Winter Gardens
Promised to be "bigger and better than ever this year", Piccadilly Gardens will once again be transformed into Winter Gardens and become the main hub of the markets for the festive season. Serving up pancakes, churros and an array of winter tipples it will be at the heart of Manchester's festive action.
Newcomers Parmageddon will join a mouth-watering line-up of food and drink that also includes vegan bratwursts, cookie dough, Amsterdam Frites, and two bars serving continental and foreign ales. There will also be dedicated weekly trial spots for new local traders as they step into winter trading and try out their wares on the Christmas market crowds.
Brand new for this year in Winter Gardens will be a giant Nordic-themed double tipi bar for over 18s. Fully heated and festooned with ambient lighting, wooden benches, fake furs and a fire pit, the new tipi promises to be a perfect meeting place for those seeking a cosy Christmas atmosphere full of festive cheer.
With entertainment throughout the week including live music and DJs, some amazing food vendors will make their temporary Christmas home next to the tipi including vegan foodies Panc and last year's smash hit, Korean hotdogs. Old favourites the Pig and Barrel will be making a welcome return to the Winter Gardens offering up their delicious pork barms and cosy seating area with entertainment on most nights.
Dock 53 bar area, with the raised platform and a live stage area, will open later in the evening than other areas of the Christmas Market (all details are above). The council is also considering keeping this section open after Christmas, with that announcement yet to be confirmed.
Winter Gardens will also be home this year to the iconic Manchester Windmill which comes in at a whopping four metres high. Accessible changing facilities, which includes an adult weighted change bed, a shower, toilet, and an adult weighted track hoist will also be available in Winter Gardens as well as, priority seating for disabled visitors.
St Ann's Square and Exchange Street
St Ann’s Square - the original site for Manchester's Christmas markets - will return with its large undercover bar providing German beers and warm cherry Gluhwein to keep Christmas revellers warm and merry throughout the winter season.
St Ann's Square and Exchange Street will also be home to local traders, and Manchester foodie favourites such as Yard and Coop with their salt and pepper chicken fries, plus fresh authentic paella and tapas, as well as Manc and Proud serving up Mancunian themed everything, plus continental chocolates, English cheeses, and art emporiums.
Market Street
Market Street will once again be home to stalls selling a wide range of gifts from some amazing crafters and producers selling everything from tweed hats, spiced rum and Christmas decorations, to candles, jewellery, and gift sets of cheese truckles.
King Street
Home to some of the best food in Manchester, the Christmas deli stalls on King Street will take foodies on a world tour of some of the best loved dishes on the planet. From Italian cannelloni and arancini, Greek gyros and halloumi fries, to French garlic mushrooms and Salford Rum, there’s something for everyone’s tastes.
New for 2022, middle eastern restaurant Habas, part of the El Gato Negro group, will be bringing their middle eastern menu and seating area to King Street for some new festive treats.
New Cathedral Street
New Cathedral Street starts with high-end gift stalls and stretches down into foodie heaven. Stalls selling fine cast ornaments, old fashioned liquorice, handmade cocktails for home, and light up Christmas decorations, lead to food stalls offering everything from vegan 5 bean chilli, to New York Bagels - swallowed down perhaps by one of cosmopolitan Bar 3's famous Instagram-worthy smoking cocktails.
The Witchouse also returns to New Cathedral Street with its traditional steins and mouth-watering currywurst.
Exchange Square
Warm up at the instantly recognisable Mill Exchange bar, with their special Mancunian mulled wine made on-site and its legends of Manchester artwork adorning its walls. 2022 also sees the return of the famous Porky Pig's Yorkshire Pudding Wrap, alongside stalls selling hot curries, mini pancakes, fresh fudge, hand-carved olivewood decorations, German kebabs, and gourmet Italian pizza.
Set between the Manchester's historic Corn Exchange building and Shambles Square, visitors can expect to find unique fairtrade hats and jackets, character themed hats and belts, as well as handmade pies, cupcakes and soaps.
Cathedral Gardens
The much-loved undercover ice rink Skate MCR is back with its biggest ever rink this year. There will be entertainment each Thursday to Sunday all the way through to New Year’s Eve.
Next to the ice rink, hot food, warm drinks, pancakes and tipples will be on offer from nearby market stalls to help warm up cold hands and feet after a skate on the ice. There's also a large Merry Christmas light up sign here - perfect for selfies!
Read next:
- Christmas family-friendly events you can start booking now
- Festive karaoke huts will return to Manchester for 2022 at Bar Hutte
- Light trails taking place across Greater Manchester for Christmas 2022
- Manchester Christmas Markets - full list of traders
- Manchester's first new city centre park in a century has opened
