The giant Santa (or Zippy 2.0) is back in Albert Square for the first time in almost a decade, and he has made it onto this year’s Christmas Markets mugs. Manchester City Council has revealed the 2026 design just over a week before the markets open on Friday 6th November.
The retro-style artwork shows Santa surrounded by gift-wrapped presents and fir trees under a night sky, with snow falling over the Manchester skyline. The Town Hall and its clock tower sit to one side. The council’s in-house design studio created it, as it does for a new collectable mug every year.
Councillor Garry Bridges, Leader of Manchester City Council, said the design “really catches the mood of the moment” as the city counts down to Christmas.
Two Manchester Christmas Market mugs to collect
Both mugs share the same design but differ in colour and shape:
- The hot chocolate mug is taller and narrower, with the design on a white backdrop.
- The Glühwein mug is shorter and rounder, in a green colourway.
The deposit is £3.50, the same as last year. You pay it when you buy a hot chocolate or Glühwein at a market stall. Return the mug afterwards, and you get your deposit back, or keep it as a souvenir.
Don’t leave it to the last minute as the mugs have sold out every year since the markets returned after Covid, and the council says sales of each edition have hit record levels. They will be available while stocks last at all ten market locations from opening day.
Key dates in Manchester’s festive calendar
The markets run from Friday 6th November to Tuesday 22nd December. Albert Square and Cathedral Gardens stay open longer, until Sunday 3rd January 2027.
Other festive attractions open on the same dates as the markets:
Skate Manchester Ice Rink in Cathedral Gardens runs from Friday 6 November to Sunday 3 January.
The Giant Ferris Wheel in Albert Square runs on the same dates.
Plus, the Manchester Christmas Parade, one for families with young children, will take place on Sunday 6th December.
