Manchester truly comes alive at Christmas, and with our gorgeous Christmas markets and the entire city getting cosy, many will wonder: has it always been like this? In fact, Manchester has loved Christmas for years, and there’s plenty of photographic evidence to back that up. Dating back to 1932, Manchester has been photographed in all its festive glory, so we’ve complied some of the best photos of Manchester at Christmas throughout history for your viewing pleasure – enjoy!
Albert Square Christmas Tree, 1932
One of the oldest photos of Manchester at Christmas in the archives, back when the Town Hall was the heart of Manchester city centre and not covered in scaffolding.
Albert Square Christmas Tree, 1948
Manchester giving London’s Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree a run for its money…
Piccadilly Gardens Carol Singers, 1958
A wholesome gathering that we could only dream of in today’s Piccadilly Gardens.
Long live Piccadilly Gardens water features.
Albert Square Carol Singers, 1958
Yes, that’s an outdoor pulpit just for the occasion.
Market Street Christmas Lights, 1962
Petition for these incredible crowns to come back for Christmas.
King Street Christmas Decorations, 1975
Spectacular flares and cars alongside the beautiful Christmas lights… King Street hasn’t changed.
Piccadilly Gardens Christmas, 1984
Back to the wholesome, low key days of Christmas at Piccadilly Gardens.
Can we get that helter-skelter back?
It all went downhill when Woolworths closed down.
Market Street Christmas Lights, 1985
Maybe the nicest Market Street has ever looked.
Town Hall Christmas Decorations, 1986
Nice try, but these are true nightmare fuel.
Fair to say our Father Christmas has had a glow-up.
Albert Square Christmas Tree, 1992
Loving the colour in 1990s Manchester.
Albert Square Christmas Decorations, 1993
Father Christmas seems to be struggling…
Albert Square will look this magical again… one day…
There’s something so magical about these lights.
