Bristol runs three separate Christmas markets each year rather than one big official one: Broadmead's market runs 6 November to 23 December 2026, St Nick's Christmas Market runs 20 November to 24 December, and a smaller Harbourside market sets up on Millennium Square on winter weekends. All three are free to walk around, with money spent on food, drink and stalls rather than an entry charge.
Broadmead Christmas Market
The Broadmead market, in the main shopping area, is Bristol's biggest, running from 6 November to 23 December 2026 with more than 40 craft and gift stalls. Market stalls are generally open 10am to 7pm, with food and drink stalls staying open later, until around 10pm, and shorter hours on Christmas Eve. It's the easiest of the three to combine with a day of shopping, since it sits right among the main high street stores.
St Nick's Christmas Market
St Nicholas Market, Bristol's historic covered and outdoor market near the Old City, runs an outdoor Christmas market from 20 November to 24 December. It keeps closer to normal market hours than Broadmead: Monday to Friday 9:30am to 5pm, Saturday 9:30am to 6pm, and Sunday 10am to 4pm. It's the pick if you want a more local, less purely festive-shopping feel, since St Nick's runs as a working market the rest of the year too.
Harbourside Christmas Market
A smaller market sets up on Millennium Square and around the Harbourside on winter weekends from late November until around 20 December, with a main market area open 11am to 5pm and food stalls on Millennium Square running later, to around 6:30pm on weekend days. It's the most scenic of the three, set against the water and the M Shed; see our things to do in Bristol guide for what else is nearby.
Which one should you go to?
If you want the biggest choice of stalls and don't mind crowds, Broadmead is the obvious pick and works well tacked onto a shopping trip. If you'd rather browse somewhere with more local character, St Nick's is quieter and keeps its everyday-market feel even with festive stalls added. The Harbourside market is the smallest but the nicest setting, and it only really runs at weekends, so it needs a bit more planning around opening days.
Bristol's Christmas markets 2026 compared
| Market | Dates 2026 | Hours | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broadmead | 6 Nov - 23 Dec | Stalls 10am-7pm, food to ~10pm | Biggest choice, easy with shopping |
| St Nick's | 20 Nov - 24 Dec | Mon-Fri 9:30-5, Sat 9:30-6, Sun 10-4 | A quieter, local-feel market |
| Harbourside | Late Nov - ~20 Dec, weekends | Market 11am-5pm, food to ~6:30pm weekends | Scenic waterside setting |
When to visit to avoid the crowds
Weekday afternoons are noticeably quieter than weekends, especially at Broadmead, which draws Christmas shopping crowds on top of market visitors. If you want to browse without a crowd around every stall, an early weekday visit works best across all three markets. Evenings get busier everywhere thanks to the food and drink stalls, so if you're mainly there for gifts rather than mulled wine, come earlier in the day.
Getting there and parking
All three markets sit within a short walk of each other in the city centre and harbourside, so it's easy to visit more than one on the same trip. Given how busy the centre gets in December, park and ride or public transport is usually less hassle than driving in directly; our Bristol park and ride guide and parking guide cover your options.