Victoria Square after dark
Make this your evening pause: the Council House is a handsome backdrop to the stalls and festive lights.
Victoria Square after dark — thebfcm.co.uk
Birmingham / Christmas 2026
Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market
German-market food beneath Victoria Square’s lights.
5 November–24 December 2026 · Free entry; no ticket needed. Food, drinks and separate attractions cost extra.
See the 2026 dates
At a glance
- 2026 dates
- 5 November–24 December 2026
- Opening hours
- Monday–Thursday 11am–9pm; Friday 11am–9.30pm; Saturday 10am–9.30pm; Sunday 10am–9pm. Remembrance Sunday, 8 November: opens 1pm.
- Entry
- Free entry; no ticket needed. Food, drinks and separate attractions cost extra.
- Rail / nearest useful station
- Compare New Street, Moor Street and Snow Hill for your journey.
- Best time to go
- Weekday daylight visit (our planning suggestion)
- Setting
- Victoria Square and New Street
Parking: See parking and park-and-ride
Our verdict
Go if…
You want German food and a compact route along New Street.
Skip if…
You want the separate Cathedral Square makers to be part of the same market.
Best day to go
Choose a weekday opening, with time for Victoria Square after dark.
Our top tip
Use New Street and Victoria Square as the core route; Cathedral Square is a separate visit.
The market
Start in Victoria Square, then follow the stalls along New Street: Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas Market is a city-centre promenade rather than an enclosed attraction. Give yourself time to browse before choosing something warm to eat, and come back towards dusk for another circuit among the decorated stalls. Victoria Square is also the place to pause for the live music programme, so your shopping can happily turn into an evening out.
The Frankfurt connection is the market’s defining feature. It grew from the relationship between the two partner cities, bringing German Christmas-market traditions to Birmingham. A small ten-stall event took place in 1997; the market returned in 2001 with 24 stalls and became an annual fixture. For a sense of its later scale, the council described 60 decorated stalls at the 2025 edition. That is a historical figure rather than a promised 2026 total.
Look for wooden decorations, glass baubles and star lights alongside the food and drink. Pretzels, bratwurst and roasted almonds give you an easy grazing route; glühwein, wheat beer and hot chocolate offer different ways to stop and chat. You do not need to buy a ticket to browse. A lovely way to enjoy it is to make one slow gift-shopping pass, take a food or music break, then return to the stalls that caught your eye. If you prefer a little more room, the organiser recommends weekdays or Sunday evenings over the busiest Friday and Saturday evenings. Choose the stall you want to return to before taking your food break, and leave enough time for the walk along New Street back to your chosen departure point.
About the market ↗ · About the market ↗ · About the market ↗ · Market history ↗
A little live music
The Victoria Square stage brings free music to your market wander. Check the programme before choosing your arrival time.
A little live music — thebfcm.co.ukA warming German-market lunch
Try something savoury first, then come back for a sweet treat and a hot drink.
A warming German-market lunch — thebfcm.co.ukEat and drink
Market food stalls
Bratwurst
A classic savoury stop before another circuit of the stalls.
2026 line-up2026 market listing ↗Market food stalls
Weissbier
A wheat-beer stop for adults who fancy a cold drink with their market lunch.
2026 line-up2026 market listing ↗Market food stalls
Roasted almonds
A sweet, warming snack to pick up between gift stops.
2026 line-up2026 market listing ↗
Market food stalls
Glühwein
Take a pause over the market’s traditional warming wine.
2026 line-up2026 market listing ↗Market food stalls
Hot chocolate
A cosy alcohol-free stop during your wander.
2026 line-up2026 market listing ↗Last year’s favourites
2025 favourites — check the 2026 line-up; 2025 makers are from the separate Christmas in Cathedral Square market.
- Senne Home
Listed in the official Christmas in Cathedral Square 2025 vendor roster for 17–23 November 2025.
2025 favourite2025 market listing ↗ - The Lucky Duck Candle Co.
Listed in the official Christmas in Cathedral Square 2025 vendor roster for 8–24 December 2025.
2025 favourite2025 market listing ↗ - Jewelnique Treasures
Listed in the official Christmas in Cathedral Square 2025 vendor roster for 7 November–14 December 2025.
2025 favourite2025 market listing ↗ - Summer & Silver
Listed in the official Christmas in Cathedral Square 2025 vendor roster for 7 November–24 December 2025.
2025 favourite2025 market listing ↗ - Juju Candles
Listed in the official Christmas in Cathedral Square 2025 vendor roster for 1–7 December 2025.
2025 favourite2025 market listing ↗ - Funny Brummie Pictures
Listed in the official Christmas in Cathedral Square 2025 vendor roster for 7 November–24 December 2025.
2025 favourite2025 market listing ↗
Where we’d stay
City centre
Stay close to New Street and Victoria Square for a short return to your room between market visits.
Westside
A useful base if you want to add a canal-side stroll or an indoor meal to the market day.
Jewellery Quarter
Consider this side of the centre for an independent-shopping day alongside the festive stalls.
Splurge
Hyatt Regency Birmingham
A city-centre base for a festive break. Check the hotel’s own information and your chosen room before booking.
10-minute mapped walk to Victoria Square · Hotel information
Check pricesPets allowed · Property information · checked 24 October 2026
Our pick
Holiday Inn Express Birmingham City Centre
A city-centre base for a festive break. Check the hotel’s own information and your chosen room before booking.
9-minute mapped walk to Victoria Square · Hotel information
Check prices
Best value
ibis Birmingham New Street Station
A city-centre base for a festive break. Check the hotel’s own information and your chosen room before booking.
11-minute mapped walk to Victoria Square · Hotel information
Check prices
Also good
Holiday Inn Express Birmingham Snow Hill
A city-centre base for a festive break. Check the hotel’s own information and your chosen room before booking.
11-minute mapped walk to Victoria Square · Hotel information
Check prices
Also good
The Grand Hotel Birmingham
A Church Street landmark beside the cathedral quarter, for a stay that feels like part of the occasion.
6-minute mapped walk to Victoria Square · Hotel information
Check pricesWe may earn a commission if you book through our links, at no extra cost to you. Affiliate disclosure.
Book early for weekends. The walking times are measured routes to Victoria Square; give yourself a little longer for a relaxed stroll through the market.
Map
Find the market streets, arrival points, parking and places to stay. The map loads as you approach this section; mouse-wheel scrolling stays with the page.
Map waiting to load. The places list below works without it.
MMarket streetsTRail & coachPParking & park and rideHPlaces to stayWCAccessible toilets
Choose Explore the map to pan and pinch to zoom; choose Finish exploring or press Escape to return to page scrolling. Pins show places, not the precise position of individual stalls.
All map places, as a list
- Victoria Square — Mapped location; check the operator for current access and availability.
- New Street — Mapped location; check the operator for current access and availability.
- Birmingham New Street station — Mapped location; check the operator for current access and availability.
- Birmingham Moor Street station — Mapped location; check the operator for current access and availability.
- Birmingham Snow Hill station — Mapped location; check the operator for current access and availability.
- Birmingham Coach Station — Mapped location; check the operator for current access and availability.
- B4 Car Park — Mapped location; check the operator for current access and availability.
- Snow Hill car park — Mapped location; check the operator for current access and availability.
- Hyatt Regency Birmingham — Mapped location; check the operator for current access and availability.
- Holiday Inn Express Birmingham City Centre — Mapped location; check the operator for current access and availability.
- ibis Birmingham New Street Station — Mapped location; check the operator for current access and availability.
- Holiday Inn Express Birmingham Snow Hill — Mapped location; check the operator for current access and availability.
- Longbridge railway station — Mapped location; check the operator for current access and availability.
- Centenary Square — Mapped location; check the operator for current access and availability.
- Birmingham Museum Art Gallery — Mapped location; check the operator for current access and availability.
- The Grand Hotel Birmingham — A Church Street landmark beside the cathedral quarter, for a stay that feels like part of the occasion.
Coordinates: OpenStreetMap contributors. Organiser toilet and access information. Temporary toilet locations use the named street/site as a navigation point; ask staff for the exact unit.
A perfect day
- Late morning
Arrive and get your bearings
Leave room for the journey from the station, then start with a gentle circuit of the stalls.
- Lunch
Choose hot food or drink
Pick a savoury stop, take a proper pause and save a little room for later.
- Afternoon
Browse beyond your first square
Build in an indoor break before returning to the festive streets.
- After dark
Come back for the lights
Make the evening your slowest circuit, with time for a hot drink.
- Homeward
Leave a comfortable margin
A date-specific last train has not been confirmed for this guide. Check your operator’s published timetable and live departures before the trip; Christmas engineering work can change the journey.
- Last-train example
Birmingham New Street → Lichfield City
For Friday 27 November 2026, WMR’s published timetable lists the last direct New Street–Lichfield City train at 11.07pm, arriving 11.47pm. The later 11.38pm northbound train stops short at Four Oaks, so avoid assuming every late Cross City service reaches Lichfield. Published timetable example, checked 23 October 2026. Recheck your exact date before travelling: engineering work and short-notice alterations can override the baseline timetable. Onward connections are not established.
Check the details ↗
On Instagram
A little festive inspiration from organisers, makers and visitors. Tap any tile to load all 4 Instagram posts on this page. Instagram may receive your IP address and set cookies; read the privacy note. Until then, nothing loads from Instagram.
Insta Brum × Birminghamchristmasmarket
Open this post on Instagram ↗@insta.brum1 × @birminghamchristmasmarket
Centenary Square wheel in December 2025, beside the market route. Archive scene; current attractions may differ.
Insta Brum × Birminghamchristmasmarket
Open this post on Instagram ↗@insta.brum1 × @birminghamchristmasmarket
The New Street market gateway, November 2025. Archive scene; current layout may differ.
Diary of Moment × Birminghamchristmasmarket
Open this post on Instagram ↗@_diary_of_moment × @birminghamchristmasmarket
Snow globes, star lights and other gifts in November 2025. Archive gallery; stock and traders may differ in 2026.
Halalianz × Birminghamchristmasmarket
Open this post on Instagram ↗@__halalianz__ × @birminghamchristmasmarket
A November 2025 visitor food gallery from the nearby Cathedral Square market in Pigeon Park. Historical choices, prices and dietary statements are the creator’s own, not a 2026 guarantee.
Instagram is off until you choose to load it.
Practical information
Getting there and back
New Street, Moor Street and Snow Hill all bring you into the centre for the market. Choose your arrival station around your homeward train, then use the map for a gentle approach to Victoria Square or New Street. If you drive, check the car park operator’s current opening times before setting off.
Parking and park-and-ride
Use Town Hall on Navigation Street or Snow Hill for a city-centre parking base; use Longbridge Park and Ride if you prefer to leave the car outside the centre.
Park-and-ride
- Longbridge Park and Ride is a TfWM site with Blue Badge bays. Official park-and-ride source · checked 24 October 2026.
- Four Oaks station has a Transport for West Midlands station car park. Official park-and-ride source · checked 24 October 2026.
City-centre car parks
- Town Hall multi-storey is a council car park on Navigation Street. The market organiser warns that the Navigation Street multi-storey has no lift. Official city-centre car parks source · checked 24 October 2026.
- Snow Hill multi-storey is another council city-centre car park. Official city-centre car parks source · checked 24 October 2026.
- Q-Park Mailbox is a city-centre car park at Royal Mail Street, Mailbox. Its operator advertises online prebooking. Official city-centre car parks source · checked 24 October 2026.
Pre-booking
- Q-Park Mailbox offers prebooking; availability must be selected for the intended visit. Official pre-booking source · checked 24 October 2026.
- TfWM offers Save-a-Space at Longbridge Park and Ride. Official pre-booking source · checked 24 October 2026.
Blue Badge parking
- Birmingham council says displayed Blue Badges give free parking in council car parks and on-street pay-and-display bays, without a time limit. Private operators have separate conditions. Official blue badge parking source · checked 24 October 2026.
- The organiser identifies city-centre Blue Badge parking but warns that the Navigation Street multi-storey has no lift. The market is inside the Clean Air Zone. Official blue badge parking source · checked 24 October 2026.
Christmas services and changes
- The organiser’s 2026 travel page gives the normal public-transport and parking options rather than a dedicated Christmas park-and-ride timetable. Official christmas services and changes source · checked 24 October 2026.
On the day
Follow the glow along New Street, find hot food or drink to eat and leave room for a song in Victoria Square. Birmingham’s German market makes an easy city-centre day out, with plenty of places to step indoors between visits to the stalls.
Before and after
Dress for a slow outdoor wander, bring a bag for gifts and leave a little room in the plan for a warm indoor break. Check opening hours for your chosen date and your homeward transport before you leave.
Accessibility
Step-free routes run throughout the market. Accessible toilets and baby changing are beside the Victoria Square stage, and assistance dogs are welcome. Weekdays and Sunday evenings are generally quieter than Friday and Saturday evenings.
Frequently asked questions
Questions before you go
When is Birmingham Christmas market in 2026?
5 November–24 December 2026
What are the opening hours?
Monday–Thursday 11am–9pm; Friday 11am–9.30pm; Saturday 10am–9.30pm; Sunday 10am–9pm. Remembrance Sunday, 8 November: opens 1pm.
Do I need an entry ticket?
Free entry; no ticket needed. Food, drinks and separate attractions cost extra.
How can I arrive by train?
Compare New Street, Moor Street and Snow Hill for your journey.
What access information should I check?
Step-free routes run throughout the market. Accessible toilets and baby changing are beside the Victoria Square stage, and assistance dogs are welcome. Weekdays and Sunday evenings are generally quieter than Friday and Saturday evenings.
Official links
More market trips
15 Nov–15 Nov
Lichfield
An annual Christmas fayre organised by Lichfield Chamber of Trade and Commerce, with outdoor streets and indoor gift stalls.
2026 season · see dates
28–29 Nov & 5–6 Dec
Stratford-upon-Avon
Four market days across two carefully chosen weekends.
2026 season · see dates
3 Dec–6 Dec
Worcester
Four days of gift stalls, choirs and Victorian characters in Worcester’s historic streets, with time to stop for hot food or drink.
2026 season · see dates
How it compares: see our top 15 UK Christmas markets.
More market trips in this region
Good to know
Press coverage records some regulars praising the festive atmosphere.
November 2024 coverage documents complaints about food/drink expense, repetition, crowds and buying drinks for a group; keep those observations historical.
No entry ticket; cash and cards accepted. Return an undamaged drink vessel with its green token for deposit refund at any drinks stall. Friday/Saturday evenings can be busy; weekdays and Sunday evenings quieter. Published deposit amounts are explicitly labelled 2024, so do not claim current amounts.
organiser FAQ · checked 24 October 2026
Visitors raised price and drink-purchasing complaints; council explained larger portions and Challenge 25 checks. Other regulars valued the atmosphere.
press report, 2024 · checked 24 October 2026