The Leeds Christmas Market returns to City Square from Thursday 19 November to Wednesday 23 December 2026, right outside Leeds station. It’s run by THOR’S, the team behind THOR’S on ICE in York, and mixes wooden chalets from local makers with a street food area, Alpine-style bars and free live music. A short walk north, the Ice Cube rink sets up again on Millennium Square. Below are the 2026 dates and hours, what’s where, what to eat, how to get there and where to leave your bags.
Leeds Christmas Market 2026: Key Facts
| Dates | Thursday 19 November – Wednesday 23 December 2026 |
| Stalls and street food | Sunday to Thursday 10:30–19:00; Friday and Saturday 10:30–20:00 |
| Bars (Highland Lodge, Folie ski bar) | Sunday to Tuesday 11:00–21:00; Wednesday to Saturday 11:00–23:00 |
| Main location | City Square, Leeds LS1, opposite Leeds station |
| Ice Cube rink | Millennium Square and Victoria Gardens, 19 November – 31 December (ticketed) |
| Entry | Free |
Dates and hours come from Visit Leeds. Ice Cube session times are published separately, so check them before you book.
Where the Leeds Christmas Market Is
The main market is THOR’S Winter Village in City Square, decorated with Christmas trees and lined with chalets selling prints, candles, woodwork, cards and other gifts from Yorkshire makers. It’s the first thing you see when you walk out of the station.
Millennium Square and Victoria Gardens, about 10 minutes’ walk north past the Town Hall, hold more stalls, rides and the Ice Cube, a 400 square metre covered rink. If you used to come for the old German Christkindelmarkt on Millennium Square, note that the Christmas market’s main site is now City Square.
Food, Drink and Bars
Leeds Street Food in City Square brings together local traders, with bao, Italian street food, smoked meat, bratwurst, churros, cakes, coffee and hot chocolate. Local beer and mead are on offer too. For somewhere to sit, try THOR’S Tipi Bar, THOR’S Highland Lodge or the Folie après-ski bar, which stay open later than the stalls on Wednesday to Saturday nights. THOR’S also runs Cabaret Thursdays and free live music through the season.
Getting to the Leeds Christmas Market
| From | How |
|---|---|
| Leeds station | City Square is directly outside the main entrance, one minute’s walk |
| Leeds bus station | About 15 minutes’ walk west through the city centre |
| By train | Direct trains from London King’s Cross, Manchester, York, Sheffield and Newcastle |
| Millennium Square | About 10 minutes’ walk north from City Square, past the Town Hall |
| By car | Use a city-centre car park or Park & Ride; the centre is busy on December weekends |
Tips for Visiting
- Go on a weekday before 4pm for space at the stalls. After-work hours and Saturdays are the busiest.
- Book Ice Cube sessions in advance for weekends and the school holidays.
- The market closes on 23 December, but the Ice Cube keeps going until New Year’s Eve.
- Combine the market with the Victorian arcades, Kirkgate Market and Trinity Leeds, all within 10 minutes’ walk.
Luggage Storage in Leeds
Because the Leeds Christmas Market sits right outside the station, plenty of visitors stop by between trains or on the way to a hotel. A suitcase gets in the way fast in a busy square. Radical Storage has luggage storage near Leeds station and in Trinity Leeds, so you can drop your bags and enjoy the market and the rink with free hands.
You book online in a minute with free cancellation. Every bag is protected up to €10,000, and travellers rate the service 4.8/5. With more than 16.5K locations in over 2.3K cities, Radical Storage also covers your next stop.
- Luggage storage near City Square and Leeds station
- Luggage storage near Millennium Square and the Ice Cube
Leeds Christmas Market FAQ
The Leeds Christmas Market runs from Thursday 19 November to Wednesday 23 December 2026 in City Square. The Ice Cube rink on Millennium Square stays open until 31 December.
The stalls and street food open 10:30am to 7pm Sunday to Thursday and 10:30am to 8pm on Friday and Saturday. The bars stay open until 9pm or 11pm depending on the day.
The old German Christkindelmarkt on Millennium Square no longer runs in that form. The main Christmas market is now THOR’S Winter Village in City Square, with local traders, street food and bars.
Yes. The market is free to enter. You need tickets for the Ice Cube rink and some rides.
City Square is directly outside the station entrance. Millennium Square and the Ice Cube are about 10 minutes’ walk north.
Radical Storage has luggage storage near Leeds station and in the city centre, a few minutes from City Square. Book online, drop your bags and collect them later. Each bag is protected up to €10,000.