Christmas Markets UKThe 2026 season, market by market

Southampton Christmas Market

Thursday 12 November – Sunday 27 December 2026 Opens in 33 days

Closed Christmas Day

Mon–Wed 11am–10pm (Guildhall Square rides and stalls to 9pm); Thu–Sat 10am–10pm; Sun 11am–7pm; bars to 11pm Fri–Sat; Christmas Eve 10am–7pm; closed Christmas Day (2026; individual stalls may close earlier)

Above Bar Street (by the Bargate) and Guildhall Square, Southampton, Hampshire · South East England

Big cityContinentalFood & drinkFunfairLight trailSanta’s grottoLate night Free entry, some paid attractions

Official website Add to calendar Stay near Southampton Ad
A large carved wooden bratwurst stall decorated with garlands on Above Bar Street, with shoppers walking past in winter sunshine
Southampton Christmas Market on Above Bar Street (photo 2019) — Photo: Hugh Venables, CC BY-SA 2.0

A city-centre Christmas market of wooden chalets, bars and fairground rides along Above Bar Street and Guildhall Square, with a laser show on the medieval Bargate.

Southampton's Christmas market stretches along Above Bar Street from the medieval Bargate to Guildhall Square. Traditional wooden chalets sell crafts, gifts and festive food, and there are two big bars, the Moose Bar and the Alpine Bar, serving mulled wine, hot chocolate and German beer.

The market leans towards family entertainment, with a ferris wheel, thrill rides, a fun house, an ice slide and gentler rides for small children, plus a Santa's grotto. In the evenings a laser light show is projected onto the Bargate every 30 minutes from 5pm.

Entry is free, with rides and the grotto paid for separately. Southampton runs a park and ride service during the market.

Dates by season

SeasonDatesStatus
2026–27 Thu 12 Nov – Sun 27 Dec 2026Closed Christmas Day Coming up
Add to calendar (Thu 12 Nov – Sun 27 Dec 2026)
2025–26 Thu 13 Nov 2025 – Sun 4 Jan 2026Closed Christmas Day and New Year's Day Held

Dates are taken from the market’s own website or official announcements and were last checked on 6 October 2026. Plans can change, so please check with the organiser before you travel. Spotted a change? Tell us.

Visitors’ reviews

No reviews yet. If you’ve been, yours could be the first.

Review Southampton Christmas Market

Been to this market? Tell others what it was really like — the atmosphere, the stalls, the food and drink, the crowds. Reviews must be your own first-hand experience, and you mustn’t be connected with the market or its stallholders — see our review policy. Every review is checked by a person before it appears.

Overall, how was it? Required — this makes up the market’s rating.
Atmosphere The setting, the lights, the feel of the place · optional, 1 = poor, 5 = excellent
Stalls & gifts The stalls and what’s for sale · optional, 1 = poor, 5 = excellent
Food & drink Food, mulled wine and other drinks · optional, 1 = poor, 5 = excellent
Add photos (optional)
Photos

Up to 4 photos (JPEG, PNG, WebP, up to 8 MB each) of the stalls, the lights and the setting. No close-ups of people, please. Location data and other hidden information are removed, and every photo is checked by a person before it appears.

We store your review, display name, ratings and the date, plus a scrambled (hashed) version of your IP address to stop abuse, which we delete after 30 days. See our privacy notice.

Comments

No comments yet — questions, tips and plans are all welcome.

Add a comment

Ask a question, share a tip (parking, the quietest time to go, dogs, accessibility…) or say what you’re looking forward to. Comments are checked by a person before they appear. Please don’t post personal details.

We store your comment, display name and the date, plus a scrambled (hashed) version of your IP address to stop abuse, deleted after 30 days. See our privacy notice.

Also in South East England this season

Canterbury Christmas Market

When: Thu 12 Nov – Thu 24 Dec 2026 Opens in 33 days

Daily for 43 days; closes 4pm on Christmas Eve

Canterbury, Kent

Big cityMakersFood & drink

Blenheim Palace Christmas Market

When: Fri 13 Nov – Sun 20 Dec 2026 Opens in 34 days

Wider Christmas at Blenheim season runs 13 Nov 2026 – 3 Jan 2027

Woodstock, Oxfordshire

MakersFood & drinkCastle & estate

Folkestone Festive Marketplace

When: Fri 13 Nov – Thu 24 Dec 2026 Opens in 34 days

Fri–Sun only until 20 Dec (opening night 13 Nov 4–8pm), then daily 21–24 Dec

Folkestone, Kent

MakersFood & drinkLight trail Free entry

The Pantiles Boutique Christmas Market

When: Fri 13 Nov – Thu 24 Dec 2026 Opens in 34 days

Fri–Sun only on 13–15, 20–22, 27–29 Nov and 4–6, 11–13 Dec; then daily 18–24 Dec

Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent

MakersFood & drinkLight trail Free entry