The famous markets will not take place this year.
Following months of deliberation, the Manchester Christmas Markets have been officially cancelled, it has been announced. Confirming the news just today – just days after the government revealed the new tiered lockdown system – Councillor Pat Karney has revealed that the proposed smaller markets, which would have been more similar to those that we see year-round at Piccadilly Gardens, did not meet the public health approval.
Karney said of the news: “We’ve cancelled everything. It’s not met our commercial and public health tests, so the three markets in those locations have been cancelled, and won’t take place.
“It was a million miles from the traditional Christmas Markets, which obviously people would have been very anxious about.
“Wall-to-wall markets was never part of our planning on it, we’re not that daft. The health of all of us, we could never take any risks with that.
“It’s going to be a very unusual Christmas in Manchester but what we’re going to do is put up additional lighting through the city centre and more static lighting attractions.
“I don’t want Manchester to have a North Korean Christmas. Adults know what’s at stake in terms of health but I think kids will be bewildered about what’s happening this Christmas – I’d like to point out that Father Christmas isn’t poorly and all the kids in the city can expect him to visit us.
“We’re going to brighten up Manchester with the lights.”