Anna Bonet

Christmas markets are one of the most magical joys of the festive season. You’d have to be a defiant Grinch to be able to go to a top-tier festive fair and not feel some sense of seasonal inner warmth, whether that’s from the sight of glittering fairy lights, the sound of Christmassy tunes, or the thick smell of wafts of cinnamon and glühwein. Sure, mainland European spots like Nuremberg and Vienna might often top lists of the best Christmas markets around, but here in Britain we know a thing or two about the festive spirit. If you’re after magical places to eat, drink and shop Christmas, the best UK festive markets offer all of that and so much more. Alas, not all Christmas markets are created equal – and some certainly glimmer brighter than others. Here are all the best ones to visit in the UK for the 2025 festive season. Where is the most Christmassy place in the UK? Sprawling, sparkling major cities like Edinburgh, London and Birmingham house some of the best Christmas markets in the UK, however there are also quaint little towns and villages up and down the country which are filled with century-old pubs and fairy-lit lanes where the festive markets also have a more saturated glow. Handily, we’ve got a list of the UK’s most Christmassy towns, which you can read here. What is the oldest Christmas market in the UK? The oldest Christmas market in the UK was Lincoln, which dated back in 1982. The county town’s event, which included a funfair and Ferris wheel, was among the bi

It’s time to say goodbye to the summer sun – but we promise that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Sure, it might be too chilly to lounge around in the park all weekend, but nothing beats a brisk autumn walk – perhaps on a day trip to one of the many lovely pumpkin patches around the city – before curling up next to a roaring fire in a cosy London pub, or finding a cosy nook in your favourite reading room.  Autumn, after all, is all about cosy comfort. Think infinitely squishy sofas, blankets and fairy lights aplenty, plus an excuse to warm your cockles with hot chocolate, delicious soups or hot toddies. Missing the summer sun now? We didn’t think so. RECOMMENDED: London’s most cosy pubs

If Cambridge were a person, they’d be worldly, spirited and always ready to hop on a bike. Far more than just a prestigious, world-famous university, the city (Cambridge is small but it’s been a city since 1951) is packed with everything from pop-up food markets to old-as-time pubs. Sitting on the River Cam and with a walkable, vibrant and quite frankly gorgeous centre, this city is as charming as they come. RECOMMENDED: Visit nearby Lavenham, Norwich and Dedham

Friendly and full of life, Cardiff is unlike anywhere else in the UK. Close to the coast, near former coal-mining communities and within day-tripping distance of the breathtakingly beautiful Brecon Beacons, the Welsh capital is a destination in its own right. You might find that the huge arts scene, the lively waterfront or the gloriously cheap booze are the reasons why.   RECOMMENDED: The 10 best Airbnbs in Cardiff

Fancy a change from your local fireworks display? We can’t deny that London’s got a lot going for it around November 5, but don’t forget there’s a whole country out there with raging, crackling and totally banging Bonfire Night celebrations too. From funfairs to flaming barrels of tar (yes, really) here are six of the best celebrations around the country that are only a short train ride away from London. RECOMMENDED: The best Bonfire Night fireworks displays in London

Exeter is small, but it’s kinda mighty. It sits on the River Exe, near the sleepy Devon countryside and pretty coastline – and it’s been there since before the Roman era. A city of juxtapositions, it’s home to both ancient and uber-modern architecture, lively students and established locals, contemporary bars and olde-worlde pubs. But it’s a bit like sweet and sour sauce in that way. It shouldn’t work, but it absolutely does.

Here’s a fact for you: it’s impossible for a shopping district that’s born out of what was once a Victorian coal depot to be anything other than ultra cool and trendy. Worlds away from your standard Westfield (much as we love the multiplex), the list of stores, bars and restaurants in Coal Drops Yard is pretty alternative. Of the shops, some, you may know – Aesop, Cos, Paul Smith – but most will be completely new (and also your new obsession), such as LA label Twiin and menswear boutique Universal Works. On the food and drink front you’ll find a new outpost for the trusty tapas restaurant Barrafina nestled among edgy new eateries and concept bars. Check out Casa Pastor for tacos and Coal Office for delicious mezze fare.

If a little bit of the Cotswolds was going to come to anywhere in London, South Kensington is probably its best bet. Bamford’s new Brompton Cross outpost (there’s already a store in Mayfair and a spa in the Berkley Hotel) is a spa, yoga studio and wellness store all in one. It’s suitably South Ken (luxe) but retains touches of its original countryside surroundings (there’s actual tree bark on the wall). Staff drift between the three floors, each of which is named and inspired by one of their three pillars of philosophy. -1 is ‘Heal’, home to tranquil treatment rooms and restorative facials and massages. ‘Move’, on the first floor, is a studio that hosts yoga, pilates, meditation and sound healing sessions beneath a skylight. On the ground floor, we have ‘Breathe’, selling Bamford skincare, bath and body products and clothing, complete with a fireplace and a herbal tea infusions bar. Sceptical? It may all sound like wellness BS but reserve your judgement - not long in this little haven and you’ll remember what calmness feels like.

Thought we had a while to go till Christmas? Thought wrong. Sure, it’s more than two months away, and we haven’t even sorted our Halloween costumes yet, but today Selfridges well and truly heralded the festive season by unveiling its all-out Christmas window and in-store displays. Perhaps unsurprisingly (we’re still in October after all), it’s the first department store in the world to do so. But if Selfridges is getting into the Christmas spirit, so are we. This year’s theme is Selfridges Rocks Christmas, in which Santa intersects with Elvis. In the window displays Mr and Mrs Claus swap their same-old-same-old attire for leather, tassels and sunnies. Rock ’n’ roll.           It’s only taken a team of 500 and one whole year to get here, plus 100 staffers working shifts around the clock for the last eight days to have everything ready for the big reveal. Sounds like a lot of manpower, but when you take into account they’ve worked with 85,000 baubles, 65,000 pieces of paper confetti, 200 Christmas trees and 15,000 metres of LED lights, it makes perfect sense. Go hard or go home, yeah? Feeling prematurely festive? Check out our guide to Christmas in London.  Already doing your Christmas shopping? You’ll want to see our pick of the best shops in London, the best Christmas shops in London and the best Christmas markets in the city. Phew.