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Christmas Market
The west front and three spires of Lichfield Cathedral

Lichfield / Christmas 2026

Lichfield Christmas Fayre

Street stalls and indoor venues give Lichfield a clear shopping circuit.

Sunday 15 November 2026 · Check the organiser’s latest entry arrangements before travelling; purchases and refreshments cost extra.

By The Off to the… team · Updated 24 October 2026

See the 2026 dates

Archive 2006. Photo: Tony Grist / Public domain

At a glance

2026 dates
Sunday 15 November 2026
Opening hours
10am–4pm
Entry
Check the organiser’s latest entry arrangements before travelling; purchases and refreshments cost extra.
Rail / nearest useful station
Lichfield City
Best time to go
Daylight first, then return for the lights (our planning suggestion)
Setting
Market Square, Conduit Street, Dam Street, Market Street and Bore Street; indoor stalls at the Guildhall and The Hub at St Mary’s

Parking: See parking and park-and-ride

Dogs: Compare the published pet policies

Our verdict

Go if…

You want outdoor browsing with Guildhall and St Mary’s stops.

Skip if…

You want one access arrangement for every indoor and outdoor venue.

Best day to go

Use the published 10am–4pm session as the centre of your day.

Our top tip

Plan both indoor entrances as well as the street route.

How we choose and check our guides

The market

Give Lichfield a whole Sunday rather than treating it as a quick shopping stop. The Christmas Fayre fills Market Square and several surrounding streets, with indoor stalls in the Guildhall and The Hub at St Mary’s. Start with an unhurried circuit outside, noticing the gifts that catch your eye, then use the indoor venues as a welcome change of pace. A small shopping list helps, but leave room for the unexpected present you would never have found online.

The occasion has a distinctly local heart. Lichfield Chamber of Trade and Commerce runs the annual fayre as a volunteer-led event: local businesses, charities and Scouts help make it happen. Pitch fees cover practical costs such as security and running the event. That community effort is part of its character, alongside choirs, bands, Morris dancers and festive characters. Pause for the music when you hear it; those moments can be just as memorable as the shopping.

Plan lunch around the outdoor stalls. The organiser keeps hot food, hot drinks and bars outside, so the Guildhall and St Mary’s are places to browse rather than destinations for a hot meal. Choose from the menus on the day, ask about ingredients before ordering and carry something warm for the pauses between venues. Let the menus on the day guide you, and keep room for a treat to take home.

With a 4pm finish, there is no need to save everything for an evening circuit. Arrive in the morning, shop at an easy pace and leave your final hour for returning to favourites. This guide covers the Chamber’s November fayre; Lichfield’s separate Victorian market should not be assumed to share its dates or programme.

More about the market ↗

Eat and drink

2025 favourites — check the 2026 line-up; Nearby labels mark permanent food stops.

Organiser-confirmed category

Outdoor hot food

Browse the outdoor menus for lunch; the organiser permits hot food outside, rather than in the indoor venues.

Official food categoryOrganiser food guide ↗
Organiser-confirmed category

Hot drinks

A warming stop belongs on the outdoor route: hot drinks are restricted to outside stalls.

Official food categoryOrganiser food guide ↗
Organiser-confirmed category

Local brews

The organiser highlights local brews among the fayre’s treats. Ask the stallholder what is being poured.

Official food categoryOrganiser food guide ↗
Food type: churros with dark chocolate sauce from the Chocolatería San Churro.Churros with Chocolate Sauce - Choclateria San Churro
Food photograph. Photo: Alpha from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia / CC BY-SA 2.0
Chocolate Treats

Chocolate Treats

2025 taste: chocolates featured by the organiser for the previous fayre. Check the 2026 line-up and ask directly about ingredients and allergens.

2025 favourite2025 market listing ↗
Poms Lichfield

Nearby: Poms brunch

Make a warm indoor brunch stop on Bird Street. The current official menu includes Turkish eggs, mushrooms on toast and pancakes; check the seasonal menu before visiting.

Nearby food stopFood stop information ↗
Faro Lounge

Nearby: Faro Lounge

Choose a sit-down meal on Market Street. Faro’s Autumn/Winter 2026 page highlights a French Dip Toastie and apple-and-blackberry crumble; menus can change.

Nearby food stopFood stop information ↗

Last year’s favourites

2025 favourites — check the 2026 line-up.

  • Bramble Berry Fairies

    Decoupaged homewares and gifts. Featured by the organiser in 2025; check the current line-up before making a special trip.

    2025 favourite2025 market listing ↗
  • At The Cedars

    Gifts, jewellery and bags. Featured by the organiser in 2025; check the current line-up before making a special trip.

    2025 favourite2025 market listing ↗
  • Chi Chis

    Handmade gifts. Featured by the organiser in 2025; check the current line-up before making a special trip.

    2025 favourite2025 market listing ↗
  • The Creative Cupboard

    Hand-sewn stockings, bunting, bags and hot-water-bottle covers. Featured by the organiser in 2025; check the current line-up before making a special trip.

    2025 favourite2025 market listing ↗
  • Crown Jewels

    Animal sculptures made with recycled metal. Featured by the organiser in 2025; check the current line-up before making a special trip.

    2025 favourite2025 market listing ↗
  • Chocolate Treats

    Chocolates for a sweet gift. Featured by the organiser in 2025; check the current line-up before making a special trip.

    2025 favourite2025 market listing ↗

Where we’d stay

Bird Street and the centre

An easy base for returning to the central streets with shopping.

Beacon Street

Stay on the cathedral side of the centre and allow time for the walk back.

Stafford Road and the outskirts

Compare the longer walk with taxi or bus plans before booking.

See all stays in Lichfield ↗

We 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 Market 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.

Market streetsRail & coachParking & park and ridePlaces to stayAccessible 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.

Open in Google Maps ↗

All map places, as a list
  • Market Square — Main market destination; the route may span neighbouring streets.
  • Lichfield bus station — Check your dated arrival and return services.
  • The George Hotel — A Bird Street base for browsing the centre, with a lounge bar for a warm pause.
  • The Cathedral Hotel — A family-run Beacon Street hotel. Its official access statement says there are entrance steps, no lift and no ground-floor bedrooms.
  • The Hedgehog by Innkeeper’s Collection — A pub stay on Stafford Road, beyond the central streets. Plan the longer return walk or arrange transport.
  • Holiday Inn Express Lichfield — An out-of-centre Wall Island base. Choose it with a clear transport plan rather than expecting a quick walk.
  • Bus station public toilets — Council lists two unisex toilets, one with disabled access and baby-change facilities. Pin marks bus station; check detailed access guide.
  • Bus Station car park — Council-operated surface parking beside the bus station. Check current charges and access before visiting.
  • St Johns House — An individually styled room in a Georgian house on St John Street; check room access directly.

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

  1. 10am

    Begin in Market Square

    Start with a gentle look around the outdoor stalls before choosing which streets to explore next.

  2. Late morning

    Step inside for gifts

    Browse the Guildhall and The Hub at St Mary’s, giving yourself time to chat rather than rushing from table to table.

  3. Lunch

    Choose a warm pause

    Read the outdoor food menus, or make a separate sit-down stop at Poms on Bird Street or Faro Lounge on Market Street.

  4. Afternoon

    Let the music set the pace

    Pause for the choirs, bands or dancers when you find them, then return to the stalls that caught your eye.

  5. Before 4pm

    Pick up your favourites

    Finish your gift shopping before the fayre’s 4pm close. Save a comfortable margin for your Sunday train or bus.

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.

@lichfieldchristmasfayre

2025 archive: Bramble Berry Fairies’ decoupaged homewares and gifts, shared by the fayre.

Open this post on Instagram ↗

@lichfieldchristmasfayre

2025 archive: a previous-season gift introduction to At The Cedars, from jewellery to bags.

Open this post on Instagram ↗

@lichfieldchristmasfayre

2025 archive: handmade gift inspiration from Chi Chis, shared by the fayre.

Open this post on Instagram ↗

@lichfieldchristmasfayre

2025 archive: hand-sewn festive makes from The Creative Cupboard.

Open this post on Instagram ↗

Instagram is off until you choose to load it.

Practical information

Getting there and back

Arrive at Lichfield City railway station or the nearby bus station and make the short approach into the centre part of your day. The fayre spans several streets as well as the Guildhall and The Hub at St Mary’s, so choose Market Square as a simple meeting point. Check your dated Sunday return before setting out.

Compare Christmas market trips by train from five UK cities

Parking and park-and-ride

Park at Bird Street or Sandford Street for a short city-centre visit, or use The Friary multi-storey or Birmingham Road for a longer stay.

Park-and-ride

City-centre car parks

Pre-booking

  • Bird Street is pay-and-display and The Friary is pay-on-exit. Advance space reservation is not stated in the information checked on these council pages. Official pre-booking source · checked 24 October 2026.

Blue Badge parking

  • The Friary council page allows displayed Blue Badges to park free in disabled bays, or another bay when those bays are full. Its ANPR arrangements require Blue Badge registration; use the council registration instructions. Official blue badge parking source · checked 24 October 2026.

Christmas services and changes

On the day

Keep this one relaxed: start outside, weave the two indoor venues into your browsing and stop when you hear music. The fayre finishes at 4pm, so leave the final hour for collecting favourite finds rather than postponing your shopping until evening.

Before and after

Check the official programme, weather forecast and your dated journey before leaving. Bring a warm waterproof layer and ask individual traders about ingredients before buying food.

Accessibility

Ask the organiser about access at both indoor venues and the outdoor route before travelling. Lichfield District Council lists accessible public toilets at the bus station, plus Changing Places facilities at Swan Road and The Friary. Check opening hours and RADAR-key arrangements on its detailed listings; the council says city-centre toilets normally open at least 7.30am–4.30pm unless closed early.

Frequently asked questions

Questions before you go

When is Lichfield Christmas market in 2026?

Sunday 15 November 2026

Official market information →

What are the opening hours?

10am–4pm

Check the organiser’s hours →

Do I need an entry ticket?

Check the organiser’s latest entry arrangements before travelling; purchases and refreshments cost extra.

Official entry information →

How can I arrive by train?

Lichfield City

Check the full guide and sources

Can I bring my dog?

Check the organiser’s current pet-dog rules before travelling. Assistance-dog arrangements are separate; use the accessibility guide for the published information.

Check the full guide and sources →

What access information should I check?

Ask the organiser about access at both indoor venues and the outdoor route before travelling. Lichfield District Council lists accessible public toilets at the bus station, plus Changing Places facilities at Swan Road and The Friary. Check opening hours and RADAR-key arrangements on its detailed listings; the council says city-centre toilets normally open at least 7.30am–4.30pm unless closed early.

Check the full guide and sources

Official links

Keep exploring

More market trips

Back to the full market calendar

How it compares: see our top 15 UK Christmas markets.

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