Birmingham Christmas Market 2026: What you need to know
Here's the lowdown on this year's Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market as it opens on Thursday.
Birmingham Christmas Market 2026: What you need to know
Birmingham’s annual Frankfurt Christmas Market draws millions of visitors to the city every year. The Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market opens on Thursday, marking the beginning of the festive season in the city centre.
Dozens of stalls will be selling traditional food and drink, including schnitzel and bratwurst, along with handcrafted gifts, decorations and jewellery.
Here is a summary of the key information to help you plan your visit and understand what to expect from this year’s market.
Dozens of stalls offering food, drink and gifts will once again line the city centre.
Because of its scale, the market is hard to miss in Birmingham city centre, with stalls and entertainment in Victoria Square and New Street, between Corporation Street and the Bullring.
There is a change to the layout this year, with no stalls between Nando’s and the Apple store on New Street because of roadworks on Bennetts Hill and Temple Street.
It opens on Thursday, and visitors and shoppers can enjoy the busy market for the next seven weeks, until it closes on Christmas Eve.
The free event is the largest authentic market of its kind outside Germany or Austria, and it will be open seven days a week.
Opening hours are 11:00-21:00 GMT from Mondays to Thursdays, 11:00-21:30 on Fridays, 10:00-21:30 on Saturdays, and 10:00-21:00 on Sundays.
On Remembrance Sunday, the market will open at 13:00.
The market opens on Thursday and runs until Christmas Eve.
There will be entertainment from musicians from Germany and the Birmingham area at lunchtimes and in the evenings from Monday to Friday, and all day at weekends.
The German house band will perform a mix of Christmas and family favourites, according to organisers.
On Monday evenings there will be a new talent slot for up-and-coming musicians, with the best two acts getting the chance to perform in a primetime December slot.
Birmingham City Council has confirmed that the big wheel and ice rink attractions will operate in Centenary Square from Thursday until 3 January.
Shoppers can browse the stalls while the German house band performs.
The three city centre stations - Snow Hill, New Street and Moor Street - are within walking distance of the market stalls, and the market can also be reached via Metro tram stops and bus services.
There are several car parks in and around the city centre, and drivers are advised to plan ahead before travelling by car, as the market is located within Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone.
People can also hire Lime bikes and e-scooters from various docking stations in the city.