Winchester’s traditional German Christmas market has returned for another year. 

The Christmas Market is open from 17th November to 21st December 2023 (10 am-6 pm on Sunday-Thursday and Friday-Saturday 10 am-8 pm) in the Abbey Gardens of Winchester Cathedral and has 118 traders selling a variety of items including food and drinks (2 cheese stalls, mulled wine and cider etc), ornaments, decorations and homeware, paintings and clothing produced locally in wooden chalets with garlands and lights. The event is free to enter and no booking is required and dogs are welcome, provided they are on a lead. This year a community stage can be found at the heart of the market – the schedule can be found here: https://www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk/christmas/stage-performances/.

First opened in 2006, the Winchester Christmas Market saw over 400,000 visitors last year and The Times recognised it as the best Christmas market in England in 2023.

One of the security professionals said that ‘Monday and Tuesday are when it’s quietest’ and one of the businesses said that on Saturday it had been ‘hectic from about 11 [am]’. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday the market was packed with so many people that it was not easy to walk without stepping on someone/a dog.

A visitor, who went to the market in 2022 and 2023, said ‘It’s stunning with the German-styled huts and I bought loads of unique Christmas gifts for my friends and family last year. I love supporting small and local businesses. But this year, I went in the evening to see the lights but it was packed with people, dogs and pushchairs – we barely got the opportunity to look at the stalls because people were in the way! It’s far too small of an area for so many people’. Many say there were too many dogs and pushchairs, which got in the way and ‘ruined the experience’.

Another visitor who travelled from Reading for the event said ‘The atmosphere is incredible and the mulled wine was outstanding – the best I have ever had. It was worth the travel and trouble! It feels as though Christmas has come early’ and added ‘I recommend anyone to visit’.

In conclusion, it’s worth going to experience the atmosphere and great opportunity to discover/support small businesses but be mindful of the amount of people, pushchairs, small children, dogs and others.