Christmas has come early as the design for this year’s Manchester Christmas Market mug has been revealed. With the markets now just over a fortnight away, it’s not long before visitors can get their hands on a mug, which this year features a colourful, playful nod to city centre landmarks and to the city’s annual festive markets.
The new Manchester Christmas Market mug design for 2025
Depicting a busy, highly patterned, and brightly coloured toy town Manchester, this year’s iconic mugs are full of festive fun and give a real sense of the bustling city centre and Christmas markets in Manchester – both by day and by night.
Spot the Town Hall clocktower, see Manchester’s festive windmill – which has been a fixture of the Christmas Markets in the city pretty much since they first began – and look out for the walk-through shining star light installation from St Peter’s Square, as well as the Christmas tree, and rows of market stalls selling bratwurst and of course, mugs of hot chocolate.
How to get a Manchester Christmas Market mug
The unique souvenir mugs that help spell the start of the festive season will be available at each of the ten market locations in the city from the opening day of the markets on Friday 7th November, while stocks last. As ever, anyone wanting to bag a mug for themselves is advised to get down to the markets sooner rather than later and not leave their visit to the last minute.
The advice comes off the back of the last three years, which have seen record sales of each year’s edition of the highly coveted mugs, with mugs selling out completely and market traders having to bring out vintage mugs from previous years to keep up with the demand from Christmas shoppers.
As always Manchester’s special edition Christmas mugs can either be bought outright by Christmas shoppers or ‘rented’ when they purchase a hot drink at one of the Christmas Market stalls across Winter Gardens, Market Street, Cathedral Gardens, Exchange Street, New Cathedral Street, St Ann’s Square, Exchange Square, The Corn Exchange and King Street – and now Albert Square, too. Customers will be asked to pay a deposit of £3.50 for their mug when they purchase a hot drink and can then either choose to return their mug to the stall afterwards to get their deposit back, or keep the mug and take it home with them as a souvenir of their visit to the markets.
When do the Christmas markets open?
Manchester’s Christmas Markets will open at ten locations across the city on Friday 7 November and close on Monday 22 December, except for A Taste of Christmas on Albert Square and the stalls at Cathedral Gardens, which will remain open throughout the Christmas period until 4 January 2026.
Christmas in Manchester will also see the Skate Manchester Ice Rink in Cathedral Gardens open for Christmas skaters from Friday 7 November until Sunday 4 January, and the magical Manchester Christmas Parade, which will take place on Sunday 7 December.