Manchester Christmas Markets are BACK: Everything we know so far about this year’s event

Last night, it was announced that the 2021 Manchester Christmas Markets will officially be going ahead.

The news was confirmed to Hits Radio Manchester by the council, who revealed that the famed markets will be open to the public from Friday November 12th through to Wednesday  December 22nd. 

The council confirmed that the markets will be set up on nine different sites across Manchester, with the ice rink returning to Cathedral Gardens in late October. There will also be a new Winter Wonderland in Piccadilly Gardens.

@mcrchristmasmarkets / Instagram

It was also confirmed that the iconic giant Father Christmas will be returning to St. Peter’s Square. 

Councillor Pat Karney, Manchester City Council’s Christmas spokesperson, said on the news: “I’m really really excited. It’s incredibly important that Manchester’s Christmas economy has this boost because tens of thousands of jobs are dependent on Manchester having a great Christmas.

“People will just want to get together in a safe way. We’ll make sure that it’s safe – and just enjoy being human again and enjoying Christmas. It’s very important for all the young people in the city that they have a Christmas to remember.

“The pictures that we’ve had of Albert Square over the years where people have been standing on top of each other – that’s a million miles from what we’ll be doing this year. Each site will have very very clear entry and exit arrangements so that we don’t take any public health issues with crowds.”

@mcrchristmasmarkets / Instagram

Last year, in what would have been the markets’ twenty-first birthday, the festivities were cancelled as a result of the pandemic, much to the dismay of Mancunians all across the region.

At the time, Councillor Pat Karney said that even the proposed smaller markets didn’t meet public health approval, adding that the council ‘could never take any risks’ with people’s wellbeing.

He said: “We’ve cancelled everything. It’s not met our commercial and public health tests, so the three markets in those locations have been cancelled, and won’t take place. It was a million miles from the traditional Christmas Markets, which obviously people would have been very anxious about.”

Further details surrounding the markets are yet to be announced.