Leeds Christmas Market opens on Thursday 19 November 2026 and runs to 23 December, free to enter, with a new operator, two new bars and about 200 Christmas trees in City Square.
Most people know the Leeds Christmas market as the German one: wooden chalets, glühwein, bratwurst and a queue for the carousel. For years the council ran it with Frankfurt as a partner, and in 2015 it was in its 14th year.
This year the city has changed the formula. The City Square market now has a new operator, Fabler and Co, the team behind THOR’s Tipi bars, with a local focus that puts Yorkshire traders front and centre. The German-style cabins and the ice rink sit a short walk away, so a single trip now covers three separate Christmas sites.
Start with the part most visitors skip: the older trading ground, a few streets east, where Leeds has been selling to crowds since 1822.
Region: West Yorkshire, Leeds city centre (City Square, Millennium Square, Victoria Gardens)
Best for: Christmas shopping, street food, ice skating, Victorian architecture
Getting there: Leeds station opens onto City Square; the market is a few steps from the platforms
Time needed: A half day for the markets, a full day if you add Kirkgate Market and a pub
Leeds Christmas Market 2026: What Is New
The Yorkshire Evening Post lists the City Square and Victoria Gardens market as opening on 19 November 2026 and closing on 23 December, with free entry. Visit Leeds gives the same dates.
The new operator is Fabler and Co, the team behind THOR’s Tipi bars. THOR’s director Amanda Monaghan called it the company’s eleventh year in Leeds. The Yorkshire Evening Post reports about 60 local traders and food vendors selling Yorkshire produce, two new bar areas, around 200 Christmas trees and a new Elf Hunt trail for children.
There are weekly live acts, from local solo performers to brass bands and choirs. Pop-up cabins run by Real Markets Yorkshire sell artisan crafts and seasonal gifts.
The September announcement named traders including La Grassa Leeds, The Savvy Baker and Stump Cross Caverns, promised free live music and singalongs from Green Room, and listed Cabaret Thursdays from Bibi’s Restaurant. An official correspondent, Jimmy Chews, shares behind-the-scenes updates and trader spotlights ahead of opening.
The council’s executive member for economy, Councillor Salma Arif, said the market returns with a new look.
Where to Stay: The Queens Hotel, City Square, LS1 1PJ. A Grade II listed Art Deco hotel that opened in 1937, on the square the market fills.
Worth Knowing: Visit Leeds describes the City Square site as an Evergreen Winter Wonderland, themed with Christmas trees.
Thor’s Tipi and the Bars
Visit Leeds describes THOR’s Tipi Bar as a Viking-inspired canvas tent with faux-fur throws, log fires and fairy lights. It serves draught craft beers, mulled cider and spiced hot chocolate.
Two other venues sit beside it. THOR’s Highland Lodge is a new festive party venue featuring Highland-inspired cocktails, winter games, live music, and food from Little Bao Boy. The Folié Après Ski Bar offers winter cocktails and seasonal music in a ski-lodge setting.
Visit Leeds lists the Highland Lodge and Ski Bar hours as 11am to 9pm Sunday to Tuesday, and 11am to 11pm Wednesday to Saturday.
The tipi is built around log fires and fairy lights, so it suits the hour after dark.
Where to Stay: The Queens Hotel, City Square, LS1 1PJ. Its Queens Bar serves afternoon tea and cocktails, which makes a quieter alternative to the tipi.
Worth Knowing: Late opening is Wednesday to Saturday only. The bars close at 9pm Sunday to Tuesday.
Stalls and Street Food
The stalls and Leeds Street Food open seven days a week. Visit Leeds gives the hours as 10:30am to 7pm Sunday to Thursday, and 10:30am to 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
Named food and drink vendors include Little Bao Boy, Stuzzi, La Grassa, The Cut and Craft, Farsley Fire and Smoke, The Savvy Baker, Beth Bakes Cakes, Crumble Pots, Hot Churros, House of Trembling Madness, Storymaker Mead, Street Kings Bratwurst, Gander Coffee and Hot Chocolates. Shopping chalets feature the Yorkshire Print Company, Paper Starlights, Magees Bespoke Woodwork, Beauty Scents, Pure Pet Food and Real Markets Yorkshire.
Eat first, then buy gifts, so you don’t have to carry bags through the food queues.
Where to Stay: The Queens Hotel, City Square, LS1 1PJ. Breakfast options include full English, vegan, and gluten-free options, according to the listing.
Worth Knowing: Visit Leeds lists House of Trembling Madness as the craft beer vendor.
Millennium Square and Victoria Gardens
A short walk from City Square, Millennium Square and Victoria Gardens hold the German-style side of the Leeds Christmas market. Visit Leeds describes Bavarian-style cabins selling currywurst, sweet treats and glühwein, plus a traditional carousel and the Big Wheel.
Ice Cube at Christmas opens on 19 November and runs to 31 December, according to the Yorkshire Evening Post. The rink covers 400 square metres under a transparent marquee, so it runs in all weather. There are daily sessions, and weekend Penguin Club sessions for skaters under nine. The Golden Gallopers carousel is on Cookridge Street, and a 30-metre Starflyer stands in Millennium Square.
The German market has history here. A Leeds City Council release from 2015 said the market, organised in partnership with Frankfurt City Council, was in its 14th year, with about 750,000 visitors expected over five weeks. That makes the earliest version roughly the early 2000s, though the release does not give a start year.
Where to Stay: The Queens Hotel, City Square, LS1 1PJ. Leeds Art Gallery and the Victoria Quarter are listed nearby.
Worth Knowing: Entry to the Ice Cube venue is free; the rink and skating lessons need advance tickets.
Kirkgate Market
Walk east to Vicar Lane, and you find the older market. Kirkgate Market opened as an open-air market in 1822, according to Wikipedia. The hall you see from the street opened in 1904 and cost £116,700, well above its £80,000 budget. It is Flemish Art Nouveau in style, designed by Joseph and John Leeming of London.
Marks and Spencer began here in 1884 as a penny bazaar. A fire on 13 December 1975 destroyed most of the market hall roof, though the 1904 hall survived. Historic England first listed the 1904 hall in 1973, and the complex was later upgraded to Grade I.
It is one of the largest covered markets in Europe, with about 800 stalls, according to Wikipedia. It is a place to buy food for the week, not a gift.
Where to Stay: The Queens Hotel, City Square, LS1 1PJ. Kirkgate is a short walk across the city centre.
Worth Knowing: The market clock in the 1904 hall was unveiled in 1984 to mark the Marks and Spencer centenary.
Whitelock’s Ale House
Whitelock’s sits in Turk’s Head Yard off Briggate and opened in 1715 as the Turk’s Head, serving merchants and market traders on busy Tuesdays and Saturdays. The yard still carries the name.
The licence was passed to John Lupton Whitelock in 1867, and a refurbishment in 1886 created the interior that survives: a marble- and copper-topped bar, a tiled front, etched brewery mirrors, and a cast-iron fireplace. In 1897, the pub installed electricity, reportedly the first building in Leeds with electric lighting and an electric clock. John Betjeman called it “the very heart of Leeds” in 1968.
The pub received Grade II listed status in 1963, according to its own history page. Visit between markets, when the bar is quieter, and sit under the mirrors.
Where to Stay: The Queens Hotel, City Square, LS1 1PJ.
Worth Knowing: Whitelock’s received the 100th blue plaque awarded in Leeds by the Leeds Civic Trust, in 2008.
The Hotel on the Square
The building that frames City Square deserves a look before the lights go on. The Queens Hotel opened on 12 November 1937, formally opened by the Princess Royal and Lord Harewood, according to Wikipedia. The first railway hotel on the site opened in 1863 for the Midland Railway. The Art Deco replacement was designed by W. H. Hamlyn, with interiors by William Curtis Green.
Historic England lists it at Grade II. Wikipedia gives 232 rooms and 3 suites; the Welcome to Yorkshire listing says the hotel is linked to the station.
Stand outside the front and look back at the market. The square is small, and the Art Deco frontage frames the trees.
Where to Stay: The Queens Hotel, City Square, LS1 1PJ. The listing gives the nearest airport as Leeds Bradford, about 12 miles away.
Worth Knowing: QHotels acquired the hotel in 2003 and carried out a £10 million makeover, according to Wikipedia.
Practical Tips
- Arrive by train. Leeds station opens onto City Square.
- Check the stall hours: 10:30am to 7pm Sunday to Thursday, 10:30am to 8pm Friday and Saturday.
- Book Ice Cube tickets in advance; the rink and lessons are ticketed.
- Use the AllTrails app to navigate between City Square, Millennium Square and Kirkgate Market.
- Wear flat shoes with grip. The squares are paved and wet in winter.
Responsible Visiting
Use the bins and the recycling points. Buy from the local traders, since the 2026 market is built around them. Keep dogs on leads in the crowd.
Reader Q&A
When does Leeds Christmas Market open in 2026?
Thursday 19 November 2026, and it runs until 23 December.
Is Leeds Christmas Market free?
Yes. Entry is free, according to the Yorkshire Evening Post. The ice rink needs a ticket.
Where is Thor’s Tipi?
Visit Leeds places THOR’s Tipi Bar, the Highland Lodge and the Folié Après Ski Bar in City Square.
Who runs the market this year?
Fabler and Co, the team behind THOR’s Tipi bars.
Is the German market still there?
Millennium Square and Victoria Gardens have Bavarian-style cabins, glühwein bars, a carousel and the Big Wheel, according to Visit Leeds.
How late is the market open?
Stalls close at 7pm Sunday to Thursday and 8pm Friday and Saturday.
Where to Stay
The Queens Hotel, Leeds. City Square, LS1 1PJ. A Grade II-listed Art Deco hotel opened in 1937, with a bar, restaurant, on-site parking, and rooms ranging from standard doubles to suites.
When the last stall shutters come down, the trees stay lit across City Square and the cabins stand shuttered until morning.
More Yorkshire Christmas guides: Yorkshire Christmas Markets 2026 | Christmas Events Yorkshire 2026 | Grassington Christmas Market 2026
