Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Leeds Christmas Market
Under a new operator for 2026, with City Square turned over to Yorkshire makers rather than imported German stalls.
- Dates
- 19 Nov – 23 Dec 2026
- Admission
- Free entry
- Address
- City Square and Millennium Square, Leeds
Dates last checked 22 September 2026 · source · Always confirm with the organiser before travelling.
Leeds is worth understanding before you go, because it is not the market it used to be and a lot of guides have not caught up. Until 2019 this was a genuine Christkindelmarkt, organised with Frankfurt City Council and stocked with German traders. Rising travel and visa costs ended that arrangement, and what has run since is a British-operated event with a different character — more bars, more rides, fewer imported wooden nutcrackers.
For 2026 it changes again: there is a new operator, THOR’s Tipi, and City Square becomes an “Evergreen Winter Wonderland” built around Christmas trees, Yorkshire makers, independent businesses and local food and drink. If you turn up expecting Nuremberg, you will be disappointed. If you turn up expecting a Yorkshire producers’ market with a bar in it, you will have a good time.
What to expect
The emphasis in 2026 is explicitly local: regional food and drink producers and independent retailers rather than the standard European market circuit. That is a genuine point of difference — most big-city markets sell broadly the same goods, and a market weighted to Yorkshire makers is a better bet for buying something you cannot get at home.
Millennium Square carries the fairground end of things, with the Ice Cube rink, the Starflyer and the North Pole Funhouse. The two squares are about five minutes’ walk apart, with Leeds Town Hall between them.
Getting there
City Square is directly outside Leeds railway station — you walk out of the concourse and into it. That makes this one of the most convenient markets in the country for a day trip from York, Manchester or Sheffield.
When to go
Leeds city centre is busy with shoppers throughout December regardless of the market, so weekday evenings are much more pleasant than Saturdays. It closes on 23 December.
Worth knowing
Because the operator has changed for 2026, details like stall numbers and opening hours may shift from what previous years’ guides say. We will update this listing as the operator publishes them — check the official page before travelling.
