Christmas Markets 2026 Near You: The Black Country, Birmingham and a Weekend in Germany

From Birmingham’s giant German market to Bilston’s brand new Christmas Village, there’s plenty of festive shopping on our doorstep this year. Here’s where to find them, when they open and what they cost, plus how to get to a real German Christmas market from Birmingham Airport, and what a weekend there costs.

Details were checked on 9 November 2026. We’ll update this page as more events are announced.

At a glance: every market in date order

1. Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market, open now until 24 December

Billed as the biggest authentic German Christmas market outside Germany and Austria, it fills Victoria Square and New Street with wooden huts, bratwurst, pretzels and mulled wine right up to Christmas Eve.

• Where: Victoria Square and New Street, Birmingham city centre, with extra craft stalls on High Street
• Opening times: Monday to Thursday 11am to 9pm. Friday 11am to 9.30pm. Saturday 10am to 9.30pm. Sunday 10am to 9pm
• Good to know: Because of building works, there are no stalls on New Street between the Apple store and Nando’s this year, but the market carries on beyond Corporation Street
• Also on: The Big Wheel and ice rink are back in Centenary Square until 3 January, 10am to 10pm daily (closed Christmas Day)
• Getting there from the Black Country: Skip the city centre car parks. Trains run direct from Wolverhampton to Birmingham New Street, which is a couple of minutes’ walk from the market, and the Metro tram from Wolverhampton, Bilston and Wednesbury runs right into the city centre
• Cost: Free to wander round

Full details: Birmingham City Council

Also nearby: Sutton Coldfield Christmas Market, Friday 11 to Sunday 13 December. Festive stalls, gifts and street food on The Parade, 10am to 7pm on Friday and Saturday and 10am to 5pm on Sunday.

2. Bilston Christmas Village, 26 to 29 November and 3 to 6 December

New for 2026, Bilston gets its own Christmas Village next to the Outdoor Bostin Bilston Market. Expect festive stalls, handmade gifts, Christmas treats, fairground rides, marshmallow toasting and free face painting.

• Where: Alongside the outdoor Bilston Market, Bilston town centre
• When: Thursday 26 to Sunday 29 November, and Thursday 3 to Sunday 6 December
• Good to know: Bilston’s lights switch-on is on Friday 27 November (4.30pm to 7pm), so you can do both in one trip
• Cost: Free to visit

3. Wednesfield Christmas Market, Thursday 26 November

Run by Hands On Wednesfield on the night of the Wednesfield lights switch-on.

• Where: High Street, Wednesfield
• When: 4.30pm to 7pm, with the lights going on at 6.30pm
• Cost: Free

4. Wolverhampton city centre markets and fairs

Black Country Christmas Artisan Fair, Saturday 28 November. Makers, bakers and designers under one roof at the Mander Centre, 9am to 5.30pm.

Bantock House Family Festive Fun, Saturday 5 December. A free day out from 11am to 4pm with local craft stalls, live music from The Bluebirds Belles and Lea Hall Brass Band, storytime, mulled wine from the Friends of Bantock House Museum and a visit from a special guest. Pre-book the café if you want afternoon tea.

Wolverhampton Christmas Shopping Market, Friday 11 to Thursday 17 December. A week of festive stalls, street food and gifts on Dudley Street, 10am to 5pm daily.

Witch Elm Market, Saturday 12 December. More than 40 independent makers, artists and crafters at the Mander Centre, 9am to 5.30pm.

Full details: City of Wolverhampton Council, Christmas in Wolverhampton

5. Christmas at Black Country Living Museum, 28 November to 3 January

If you want Christmas with a proper Black Country flavour, this is it: historic streets, open fires, carollers and seasonal treats.

• Where: Black Country Living Museum, Tipton Road, Dudley DY1 4SQ
• Glad Tidings evenings: 6.30pm to 10pm on 11, 12, 18, 19, 21, 22 and 23 December, with carols round open fires, live music and Christmas treats. Tickets are £20.95 for adults and £16.95 for ages 3 to 15, and under 3s go free. When we checked, 19 December had sold out and 12 December was nearly gone, so book soon
• Santa Hunts: The museum’s Santa Hunts (28 November to 24 December) have already sold out for this year
• Good to know: A standard museum ticket gives you free return visits for 12 months (events not included), and booking ahead saves 10%

Full details: Black Country Living Museum, Glad Tidings

6. Himley Hall: a gift fair and a Christmas light trail

Christmas Craft and Gift Fair, Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 November. Handmade gifts from local sellers, seasonal food, live music and Santa’s Sleigh, 10am to 4pm. Entry £2.50, under 16s free.

Christmas Light Trail and festive village, Thursday 3 to Thursday 24 December. Now in its third year and twice as long, the trail winds out into the parkland. There’s a festive village with food and drink, a real ice rink and Santa’s grotto.

• Times: From 4pm, with timed entry slots. The trail takes 45 minutes to an hour
• Tickets: Booked online through Skiddle. They’re non-refundable
• Parking: Must be booked ahead, and the fees go to Himley Hall. Blue Badge parking must be booked too
• Good to know: Some paths are uneven. Dogs are welcome on selected dates only

Where: Himley Hall and Park, Himley Road, Dudley DY3 4DF. Light trail tickets on Skiddle

7. Dudley town centre switch-on market, Saturday 14 November

Dudley’s Christmas lights switch-on comes with market stalls, street entertainers and live stage acts in the marketplace, 10am to 5pm, with the lights on at 5pm. Parking is free that day on six council car parks: Stafford Street, King Street, Flood Street, Tower Street, Wolverhampton Street and Pitfield Street.

8. More switch-ons with market stalls

Plenty of lights switch-ons have market stalls too, so you can tick off some Christmas shopping and see the lights go on in one trip. Dudley Council says all five of its switch-ons have stalls: as well as Dudley, that’s Sedgley on Sunday 15 November, Stourbridge and Halesowen on Saturday 21 November (both 10am to 5.30pm, lights on at 5pm) and Brierley Hill’s Moor Centre on Saturday 28 November. Willenhall’s switch-on on Thursday 26 November will have stalls and a funfair, and Sandwell’s switch-ons in Oldbury, Blackheath, Tipton, Wednesbury and West Bromwich all have market stalls as well.

Times, parking and the full list are in our guide to every Christmas lights switch-on.

9. Christmas at the Aquatics Centre, Smethwick, Friday 4 December

New this year from Sandwell Council: Christmas market stalls, a Santa’s Diving Elves show, live entertainment and children’s fairground rides at Sandwell Aquatics Centre, 4pm to 6.45pm. Free, with no need to book.

Fancy the real thing? A German Christmas market weekend from Birmingham Airport

You can be sipping mulled wine in Germany in under two hours from BHX. Our pick for value is Düsseldorf: Cologne is only 20 to 30 minutes away by train, so one trip gets you two of Germany’s best Christmas market cities. Return flights and three nights in a hotel for two start at about £630, and Berlin can be done for under £500.

Our pick: Düsseldorf and Cologne together

• The flight: Eurowings flies direct from Birmingham to Düsseldorf in about 1 hour 20 minutes, most days of the week. When we checked on 9 November, return flights for two from Friday 11 to Monday 14 December came to £359.96, about £180 each. That’s the basic fare with a small underseat bag each, so a cabin bag or hold bag costs extra
• Düsseldorf’s markets: 19 November to 30 December, spread through the Old Town and along Königsallee, all within walking distance. Free to get in. Open 11am to 8pm, and until 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Closed on Sunday 22 November and Christmas Day, and open until 3pm on Christmas Eve
• Then Cologne: The Cathedral market runs from 16 November to 23 December. The Old Town’s Heinzels Wintermärchen opens on 23 November, and its Heumarkt half stays open until 10 January. The Harbour market by the Chocolate Museum runs from 13 November to 3 January

Want it all sorted for you? Jet2 to Cologne

Jet2 flies direct from Birmingham to Cologne in about 1 hour 30 minutes on selected days through December. You can book flights only, or a Jet2CityBreaks package with a central hotel, a 22kg bag and 10kg hand luggage. Packages are ATOL protected and need a £60 per person deposit. When we checked on 9 November, return flights from Thursday 10 to Sunday 13 December were £230 per person, with 10kg hand luggage included.

Cheapest flights: Berlin

Ryanair and easyJet both fly direct from Birmingham to Berlin in just under two hours, and Ryanair is usually the cheapest of the three routes. In early November, Kayak was showing Ryanair returns from Birmingham for £68 per person, flying out on Sunday 13 and back on Friday 18 December. Most of Berlin’s markets open on Monday 23 November. Two favourites:

• Gendarmenmarkt: 23 November to 31 December, in one of Berlin’s grandest squares. Entry is €2 (under 12s free), and it’s free for everyone from 11am to 2pm, Monday to Friday, except on 24, 25, 26 and 31 December
• Charlottenburg Palace: 23 November to 27 December, in front of the palace. Free entry. Closed on Christmas Eve

What it costs for two adults

Example prices for return flights on basic fares (a small underseat bag each, or 10kg hand luggage with Jet2) and a budget or 3-star hotel. The flight prices are real return fares we found in early November. The hotel figures are our estimates from booking-site averages, so check your own dates.

Five ways to keep the cost down

1. Be flexible by a day or two. On Jet2’s Cologne calendar, flying out on Sunday 13 and back on Thursday 17 December was £176 return per person, against £230 for the Thursday to Sunday weekend before.
2. Go early. Late November and the first week of December are quieter than the run-up to Christmas.
3. Travel with hand luggage only. Hold bags add a lot to budget fares, so check each airline’s bag rules before you book.
4. Avoid Sunday 22 November. It’s a German day of remembrance, and the main markets in both Cologne and Düsseldorf close.
5. Keep or return your mug. Hand it back for your €3 deposit, or keep it as a cheap souvenir.

Before you go, check the latest entry rules for Germany on GOV.UK, and make sure your passport is in date.

Christmas markets: your questions answered

When is the Birmingham German Christmas market open in 2026?

It opened on Thursday 5 November and runs until Christmas Eve, Thursday 24 December.

Is there a Christmas market in Wolverhampton this year?

Yes. There’s a week-long market on Dudley Street from 11 to 17 December, two makers’ fairs at the Mander Centre, and the new Bilston Christmas Village on the edge of the city.

Is there a Christmas market in Dudley this year?

Yes. Dudley’s lights switch-on on Saturday 14 November has market stalls in the marketplace from 10am, and the Himley Hall Christmas Craft and Gift Fair is on the same weekend.

Can you fly direct from Birmingham to a German Christmas market?

Yes. Eurowings flies to Düsseldorf, Jet2 to Cologne for the Christmas season, and Ryanair and easyJet to Berlin.

Which German city is best for a short Christmas market break?

Cologne and Düsseldorf work well together because they’re 20 to 30 minutes apart by train, so one trip covers both.

Running a Christmas market or fair we’ve missed?

Email us at simon@westmidlandsmagazines.com and we’ll add it. For more festive days out, see our guide to every Christmas lights switch-on.

Dates, prices and fares change, so please check with the organiser or airline before you travel or book. Details checked on 9 November 2026. E&OE (errors and omissions excepted).