Chester Christmas Market 2026

The Chester Christmas Market returns to Northgate Street and Town Hall Square on 18 November, running through to 22 December. It's grown quite a bit since it started as a small cluster of 25 chalets between the Town Hall and the Cathedral; there are now around 80 wooden chalets arranged around a large central tree, with more than 50 traders. The setting is one of the city's most picturesque, with the black-and-white timber-framed Tudor architecture and the Gothic Town Hall as a backdrop, and the Rows — those two-tiered covered galleries unique to Chester — running alongside.

Much of the stock comes from local Cheshire makers, so you'll find handmade jewellery, ceramics and prints alongside local produce like Cheshire cheese and small-batch spirits made from foraged hedgerow plants. There's a market bar serving mulled gin, mulled wine, spiced rum and Baileys hot chocolate, plus fresh pies, fudge and gingerbread. You can get a hot drink in a collectible mug featuring the Town Hall, the market and the Eastgate Clock for a £3 deposit. This year there are new handcrafted items to look through and a charity wishing tree.

If you're coming from out of town, the city's Roman past is close by: the amphitheatre, the Roman Gardens and the circuit of city walls are all within easy reach. Admission is free, and the market is open Sunday to Wednesday 10:30am to 6:30pm, and Thursday to Saturday 10:30am to 8pm, closed on Christmas Day.