The air above many of the UK’s historic cities is already thick with the smell of festive spices, as Christmas markets – selling everything from gluhwein and bratwurst to candles and baubles – have officially opened their doors for yuletide trading in recent days.

Manchester remains the biggest seasonal shopping spot, with than 270 stalls sitting cheek-by-jowl in the city’s Albert Square – and an estimated nine million visiting.

Other major pop-up temples to Christmas consumerism? EdinburghYork, London and Bath are also considered big hitters.

The past decade has seen Christmas markets suffer something of an image problem, with shoppers airing their disappointment over both high prices and poor quality.

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Winter Wonderland, the annual festive extravaganza that takes place every year in Hyde Park – and is already in full swing, has faced particular heat over its ‘eye-watering’ costs.

The attraction, which has both fairground rides, ice skating and festive food and drink, costs £7.50 to visit in peak-time hours, such as weekends and evenings – but is free during off peak hours.

However, it’s the costs once you step through the Winter Wonderland gates that quickly add up – with individual attractions starting from around £5 for smaller rides rising to £17.50 for an adult ice skating ticket.

Buying a snack or a Christmas drink from one of the many stalls can further ramp up prices, with a glass of wine costing £9.50 and a Baileys hot chocolate coming in at £11.50. Food? A basic hot dog is around £8 while churros are £11 a portion.

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While it would be easy to assume traders are making a quick festive buck by marking up price tags, the cost they pay to rent a stall – or in some cases an Alpine themed chalet – can take a big chunk out of their profits.

Here, the Daily Mail looks at just how much small businesses can expect to pay to access major festive footfall at markets across the country…

LONDON

Hyde Park (Winter Wonderland)

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ESTIMATED FESTIVE FOOTFALL:3.5 MILLION

It’s one of the most well-known Christmas markets in the capital, attracting a whopping estimated 3 million visitors each year, including tourists and locals alike.

While no information is publicly available on what vendors can be expected to cough up, social media discussions saw one jewellery trader allege that he was quoted a staggering £16,000 (plus 10 per cent of total sales) to sell from Nov 14 to January 1. This would work out to a wince worthy £333 a day – at least. This year, it’s running from 14 November 2025 to 1 January 2026.

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Southbank Winter Market

ESTIMATED FESTIVE FOOTFALL:470,770

Running from November 3rd to January 4th 2026, the Southbank Winter Market remains a popular London option. How much do traders pay for their stalls? The most recent public information when it comes to pitch fees are from 2019.

The cost of a stall depends on what the vendor is selling, with the those selling desserts, non-alcoholic drinks and gifts charged £8,250 + VAT, those selling both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks paying £9,250 + VAT, and those selling hot food charged a staggering £14,500 + VAT.

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That year, the market ran for 58 days (as opposed to 62 days for this year’s event). The prices therefore broke down to £142.24 + VAT daily for desserts, drinks (non-alcoholic) and gifts, £159.48 + VAT per day for stalls selling alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, and £250 + VAT per day for those selling hot food.

Greenwich

ESTIMATED FESTIVE FOOTFALL:UNAVAILABLE

According to Greenwich’s borough siteif you want to have a Christmas hut in the area (between 24 November and 24 December 2025) the price list is; Monday to Thursday from £45 per day, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from £55 per day.

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MANCHESTER

ESTIMATED FESTIVE FOOTFALL:9 MILLION

Manchester Christmas Market is the biggest in the UK, with than 270 stalls spread across nine locations throughout the city and running from November 7 until December 22. Manchester City Council, which organises the market, does not share rental prices online but a former trader revealed in 2021 that they were charged around £87 per day.

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BIRMINGHAM

ESTIMATED FESTIVE FOOTFALL:3 MILLION

Brum’s answer to a German Christmas is there Frankfurt Christmas Market which sees a plethora of wooden chalets covered in Bavarian-style decorations and offering beerhalls and bratwursts. Stall holders can set up shop from as early as November 1 until Christmas Eve but it comes with a cost.

Bars owners will have to fork out £13,500 and food vendors, £9,100. Gifting and craft stalls get off much easier and for the six week festive period will have to front £170 per week making their total six week stint a reasonable £1,020.

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EDINBURGH

ESTIMATED FESTIVE FOOTFALL:2.5 MILLION

Running from now until January 4th on the city’s East Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh’s Christmas Market remains one of the UK’s most popular places to shop. How much is a stall? Rental prices aren’t published online but previous stallholders have suggested traders are charged around £500 a day.

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YORK

ESTIMATED FESTIVE FOOTFALL:1.2 MILLION

York Christmas Market will take place from November 13 to December 21, 2025. It is usually located across Parliament Street and St Sampson’s Square, but a report suggests that it may be extended to include St Helen’s Square this year, making it bigger than ever.

While the city’s tourism board Make It York, which organises the market, does not publish rental figures, YorkLive reported that stallholders expect to pay between £160 to £385 per day.

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EXETER CATHEDRAL CHRISTMAS MARKET

ESTIMATED FESTIVE FOOTFALL:600,000

The Christmas market at Exeter Cathedral runs from November 20 to December 19 – this year promising to be ‘bigger, brighter and magical than ever’. While this year’s figures are yet to be released, in 2024, vendors were charged up to £18,480 for a large catering chalet for the duration of the market. On the other end of the scale, small retail chalets were priced at £4,200 and £5,760 for a small alcohol chalet.

CAMBRIDGE

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ESTIMATED FESTIVE FOOTFALL:500,000

Starting the festive period on November 13 and lasting until December 31, Cambridge’s Christmas Market sprawls across Parker’s Piece and includes an ice rink, Ferris wheel and an array for cuisines. But a stall can set you back as much as £4,000 for the whole period and that’s before laying down the £1,000 refundable trading deposit.

WINCHESTER

ESTIMATED FESTIVE FOOTFALL:400,000

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Winchester partners with its iconic and ancient cathedral to put on its festive market. the historic city offers visitors and locals alike the opportunity to wind through stalls, sipping on mulled wine and nibbling on churros from November 21 to Dec 22.

While the market was once just a local hot spot, since it blew up on social media, the fair is now a Christmas staple for many. Prices for traders vary with retail chalets for the whole period costing between £6,488 and £12,738.50. Catering stalls also vary and can cost as much as £13,190.50 to hire out for the whole month with an additional surcharge of £50 ( not including VAT) per day if you want to serve alcohol as well.

BATH

ESTIMATED FESTIVE FOOTFALL:440,000

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This year, Bath Christmas Market celebrates 25 years of festive cheer. The event is spread across the city centre, from Abbeygate Street to Bath Street and up to Milsom Street, and will run for only 18 days, from November 27 to December 14, 2025. According to figures provided by the Bath and North East Somerset Council, rates for stallholders vary according to where they are located but prices start from around £129 to £272 per day, before VAT.

DURHAM

ESTIMATED FESTIVE FOOTFALL:Specific visitor numbers for the Durham Christmas Festival are not publicly available but than 100,000 attended in 2023

The quaint town near the Scottish border, just outside Newcastle upon Tyne, runs it’s Christmas fair for just one weekend (between Dec 5 and Dec 7) making it a hidden gem of a festive treat. There are than 120 stalls and each one must cough up £120 per chalet to take part.

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CARDIFF

ESTIMATED FESTIVE FOOTFALL:UNAVAILABLE

From November 13 to December 23, 2025, Cardiff Christmas Market will take over Cardiff City Centre. The market is now 30 years old, according to Visit Cardiff, and prioritises artisan stallholders who sell handmade gifts. A 2022 report suggested that it costs £120 per day to rent a stall, but rental rates can vary depending on different factors.