Bath Christmas Market 2024: Opening times, stallholders and map of UK's best Market

The countdown is on to Christmas - and we are only days away from Bath's annual Christmas market. Bath Christmas Market will welcome 230 traders to the city between Thursday, November 28 and Sunday, December 15.

Bath Christmas Market offers some of the best independent food, drink and gifts in the South West over the 18 days of the event with 85 per cent of traders based in the region. And it has recently been named as the best Christmas Market in the UK.

Topping the Which? list is Bath Christmas Market, which wins in the favourite "medium-sized city" category. Boasting one of the UK's largest and most established Christmas markets, the historic city of Bath provides a stunningly festive backdrop.

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The market will open on Thursday, November 28 and run for 18 days until Sunday, December 15. Residents will be invited to a special preview evening from 5pm to 7pm on November 27.

When is Bath Christmas Market 2024?

This year, the festive event will take place from Thursday 28th November to Sunday 15th December 2024. From Monday to Wednesday, the market will be open from 10am to 7pm – and from Thursday to Saturday it’ll run from 10am to 8pm. Opening hours on Sundays, however, will be from 10 am to 6pm.

WHAT TO EXPECT?

From Thursday 28th November to Sunday 15th December 2024, the picturesque streets of Bath are transformed into a magical, festive experience.

Meander through the streets of Bath adorned with over 170 twinkling chalets and discover some of the best independent businesses that the South West and beyond has to offer. With stylish homeware, handmade jewellery, personalised presents and more, bathe in the sights and smells of Christmas whilst ticking everything off your shopping list.

STALLHOLDERS AND A MAP

Bath Christmas Market will welcome 230 traders to the city between Thursday, November 28 and Sunday, December 15. You can see a full list of the tradesmen taking part online.

Below is a map of the Christmas Market

How to get to Bath Christmas Market

Event organisers recommend getting to Bath by train, as the city has direct transport links to many major cities including Reading, Southampton, Cardiff, London, and Bristol. For those wanting to come by car, the city’s Park and Ride services run throughout the winter event – with a bus stop conveniently located outside the market itself.

Cllr Paul Roper, cabinet member for Economic and Cultural Sustainable Development, said: “Bath Christmas Market is the highlight of our Christmas calendar and creates such a buzz in the city, having been visited by more than 450,000 people last year.

“It’s fantastic news for the city’s economy that we have a record number of local traders signed up, as the market encourages repeat custom all year round. As well as the significant extra footfall to support business, the market is a magical community event that has something for everyone. I’m looking forward to seeing it sparkle once more!”

And this year, Bath & North East Somerset Council is provides two charity chalets for the Christmas Market which are located at the Guildhall and Milsom Street, close to wagamama on neighbouring George Street.

Pan Asian restaurant wagamama has sponsored the market’s two community chalets which will offer 36 organisations the opportunity to use it for one day for fundraising. Local charities including Genesis Trust, SWALLOW and Bath Cats and Dogs Home will occupy the chalet alongside 230 other traders at the Christmas Market, which runs from November 28 to December 15.

Cllr Roper added: “We are excited to be working with wagamama to offer local charities and community groups a spotlight at the prestigious Christmas Market. The council is committed to supporting local causes and this partnership will make a difference to the fundraising and excellent work our community organisations do."

A Wagamama spokesperson said: “Here at wagamama, we have an ‘all on one bench’ philosophy and are committed to supporting local charities that truly make a difference to our communities. We are proud to be supporting the 36 charities who are part of this year’s Bath's Christmas Market charity chalets and thank all of them for all of the important work they do

Supporting local businesses is a top priority for the market: of the hundreds of sellers, 85% are based in the South West and there is a record number of local businesses participating. Some Bath-based "microbusinesses" have even been given a "Christmas cart" to sell their wares at a discounted rate.

Community groups have also been given free stalls in Milsom Street and the Guildhall. For the foodies, there are 20 catering stalls.

Bath Christmas Market in numbers

• 450,000+: estimated number of visitors in 2023

• 230: number of traders

• £47 million: estimated boost to the economy in additional spending in 2023

• 80: the number of new traders joining the market this year

• 20: the number of food stalls

Bath Christmas Market will be taking place from Thursday, November 28 to Sunday, December 15.