The nights are drawing in and it's time many start making plans for a trip to the famous Manchester Christmas Markets. And the dates for the annual festive extravaganza have now been confirmed.
The good news for fans of the festive extravaganza is it's not too long to wait for your hot sausage and gluhwein fix. The annual event will once again return to a number of locations across Manchester city centre.
This year Manchester Christmas Markets will launch on Thursday, November 10 and will then be open every day until Thursday December 22. While the main markets will close on that date, there will once again be certain zones that will reopen after Christmas and into the New Year.
Read more : All the confirmed Christmas events taking place in Manchester this year
That includes the festive ice rink at Cathedral Gardens, which has confirmed that it will betaking bookings until January 3, 2023. The food and drink stalls at the Cathedral Gardens section of the Market will also reopen after Christmas, through to December 31.
The main hub of the markets last year was at the "Winter Gardens" on Piccadilly Gardens which will return again for 2022. The full list of Christmas Markets zones will once again include Market Street, King Street, Exchange Square, St Ann's Square and Cathedral Gardens.
Works are continuing to take place at Manchester Hall and on Albert Square, which for years had been the traditional hub of the German Christmas Markets, so stalls will not be able to return there this year.
Council bosses say the markets will formally open "in the daytime on Thursday, November 10" before opening fully through the festive season daily, with opening times daily from 10am.
Closing times depend on the stall, but as a rough guide, food and drink stalls last year closed at 9pm, with retail stalls slightly earlier at 8pm - although times vary depending on the market "zone".
Manchester's Christmas spokesperson, Cllr Pat Karney, is naturally already quite excited about the return of the big festive events.
He said: "With Christmas Day a mere three months away, that can only mean one thing - Manchester Christmas Markets Day is even sooner!
"In fact, there's only seven weeks left to go until you can grab a gluhwein and buddy up with a bratwurst whilst checking out the fantastic Christmas gifts and goodies on the best Christmas Market in the land. Mark it on your calendars - 10 November - they're back!"
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 .
Cathedral Gardens will already be open with food and drink stalls from October 21 to tie in with the launch of the huge festive ice rink ready for the Halloween half term. The food stalls will then stay open through to December 31.
The ice rink itself is taking bookings from October 21 through to January 3.
Stalls will open daily from November 10 at 10am - and all food and drink stalls close by 9pm. Retail stalls close by 8pm.
Will there be a Christmas Lights Switch On event this year?
Alas, Manchester Council has now confirmed there will NOT be a Christmas Lights switch-on show for 2022. They have blamed the lack of a "suitable and safe location" in the city to hold such a large-scale event, blaming the huge amount of construction underway in the city centre at present.
In past years a large, free public event was held with a special star guest officially flipping the switch, and lot of Christmas entertainment during the night. But during the successive Covid lockdowns in 2020 and 2021 the large-scale lights switch on events of previous years were cancelled.
There have been hopes of a return to some kind of launch event for 2022 but that is sadly not to be. However, there is the promise of a new festive event, with details to be "confirmed soon".
Here's more on all of the "zones" at the Christmas Markets 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.
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.
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
Opening Saturday 22 October in time for half term and Halloween, the much-loved undercover ice rink Skate MCR is back with 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.
Councillor Pat Karney, lead councillor for Christmas at Manchester City Council, said: "Christmas is looking better than ever this year in Manchester with our world-beating Christmas markets set to open in three weeks' time, and a whole host of other unmissable free festive treats also coming our way.
"Everyone knows that Manchester does Christmas better than anywhere else and I've been counting down the days to the opening of our Christmas markets again since the day they closed last year.
"We've got some fantastic new festive additions to the markets this year, as well as some other soon-to-be announced unmissable festive surprises which are set to get everyone in Manchester smiling in the run-up to Christmas. More announcements on this very soon - I can't wait!"
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