Southampton Christmas Market: dates, rides and food

Southampton's Christmas Market is back for another run, and this year it's bringing a bit of height with it. S&D Leisure is taking over Above Bar Street, the Bargate area and Guildhall Square again, and the headline addition is a new 38-metre Sky Booster thrill ride that's set to be the most visible thing on the skyline over the festive period. It joins the usual suspects — the Snowball Bungee Launcher, Star Flyer, AtmosFEAR and the big wheel — so there's plenty to choose from whether you're after a genuine drop or something a bit more relaxed.

Dates are the first thing to note: the market runs from Thursday 12 November right through to 27 December, closing only on Christmas Day. It kicks off with a launch party on the 12th at 4:30pm, with choirs, live music and entertainment to open things up. If you're bringing younger ones, the area near the Bargate is where the family side of things live, with more children's rides, the popular Snow Slide and Santa's Grotto, which runs until 24 December. There's also a new 15-metre walk-through illuminated Christmas tree to wander through this year, and a nightly laser show and snowfall projection that lights up the Bargate every half hour from 17:00 to 21:30 until Christmas Eve. Live music lands every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with street performers and festive surprises at weekends.

At its heart, though, it's still a market. More than 30 stalls, each in its own traditional wooden alpine chalet, are run by independent traders selling festive decorations, one-off gifts and crafts. The food and drink list is long and leans on a mix of global flavours and local treats: German bratwurst and French pastries sit alongside artisan mince pies, mulled wine, local fudge, roasted chestnuts, hot apple cider, stollen, chocolate churros, poffertjes, crêpes, ginger cookies and fish and chips, with Southampton craft beer and tea for something less sweet. There are vegetarian and vegan options across the board, and while gluten-free choices are more limited, it's worth asking the vendors and being mindful of cross-contamination. To wash it all down, the Moose Bar and Alpine Bar are back, joined this year by a new Christmas Cocktail Bar.

Opening times shift a little depending on where you are and what day it is. From Monday to Wednesday, the Bargate and Above Bar sites run 11am to 10pm, while the rides and stalls over in Guildhall Square close an hour earlier at 9pm. Thursday, Friday and Saturday are the longest days, 10am to 10pm, and Sunday pulls back to 11am to 7pm. Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve are 10am to 7pm, and the Moose and Alpine bars stay open until 11pm on Friday and Saturday. The whole thing is accessible and pet-friendly, though it's worth skipping the busiest times with animals in tow. Getting there is straightforward: buses run every four minutes from Southampton Central, and parking is available there too, so public transport is the sensible call. If you're in the area and fancy something more, the Secrets of the Titanic tour down in the port is a good nearby option.