Manchester Christmas Markets kick off in two weeks and with it comes copious mugs full of hot chocolate and mulled wine. As much as we love its contents, the Manchester Christmas Markets mugs are a tradition in itself with Manchester City Council revealing today this year’s designs.
Known for their wonderfully creative festive graphic designs, the limited edition mugs are a firm favourite of the Christmas Markets and every year they are are snapped up in their tens of thousands with visitors to the markets eager to add to their collection. Previous years have seen kissing snowmen, mistletoe, interactive and wearable red nose reindeers, and even Santa himself.
Designed in-house by the city council’s design studio, this year’s edition of the highly collectible mugs follows the success of last year’s much sought-after Nutcracker-themed mugs which sold out across the markets in record time. Continuing the Nordic-style theme from 2023, this year’s mugs feature a brand-new family of festive characters – Father Christmas, Mother Christmas, and all the elves.
The collectible souvenir mugs that for thousands of visitors to Manchester’s Christmas markets help spell the start of the Christmas season, will be available at all of the city centre Christmas market sites from November 8 while stocks last. Anyone wanting to get their hands on one of the must-have mugs this year is advised to get themselves along to see the markets sooner rather than later and not to leave their visit to the last minute.
The advice comes off the back of the last two years which saw all of the 2022 Christmas mugs selling out completely the week before the markets closed, and every one of last year’s special edition mugs selling out even faster – despite market bosses ordering thousands more of the highly sought after mugs to meet expected demand. In both 2022 and 2023 the bumper sell-out saw market traders bringing 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. 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.
Manchester Christmas Markets will be open daily from 10am till 8pm and bars will be open 11am –9pm between November 8 and December 22 for you to snap up one their festive mugs.