One of the UK’s largest Christmas markets and known for being ‘the best “Weihnachtsmärkte” outside of Germany’ has been slammed by visitors after they left the market disappointed
One of the UK’s largest Christmas markets is being slammed as a ‘disappointment’ with many families leaving before they initially planned to.
Via Tripadvisor, many families and visitors have called out the market as ‘overpriced’, urging those who intend to visit in the future, may as well go elsewhere. One visitor, Jason, wrote: “Utter rubbish only stalls selling food or drink. Next to nothing in the way of gifts, definitely save your money and go elsewhere.”
Another review added: “This is the perfect place to go if you’ve recently come into a large inheritance and it’s burning a hole in your pocket. Either that or you’ve re-mortgaged your house. Everything is overpriced most things you could buy on Temu for a fraction of the price. Walk down the awful market street where your greeted with religious wailing as you navigate the pickpockets and stalls.
“The icing on the cake is an area in spice gardens where you can sit at filthy tables drinking watered down mulled wine you’ve paid for with your first born. My advice would be to go to Chester or York much nicer.”
The market coming in for such flack was Manchester, which is one of the most high profile and largest in the UK – sprawling across much of the city centre as it does. Many reviews claim that the market isn’t very Christmassy, with “no songs, no lights”. Instead, it appears “just like a massive outdoor food hall with a few stalls selling small gifts,” according to another visitor, Fiona, who reviewed the market.
“Manchester needs to step up or give up. There are so many better Christmas markets to go to,” she added. One visitor shared how they had last been to the market 20 years ago, and how since then, it has “really gone downhill”.
“The main section has moved from around the town hall to the Piccadilly gardens, the town hall is still blocked off and under redevelopment,” they explained. “The Piccadilly Garden section was almost funny, especially the plastic interlocking slabs on the ground which it sits on. It was so wobbly and creaking, I felt drunk walking over it, I hadn’t had a drop of any alcohol.”
It was just people who had visited before who left disappointed — first-time visitor Lee, stated in his review: “I was expecting great things. Sadly Manchester didn’t fulfil. There were wooden huts mainly serving overpriced food and drink, didn’t see much Xmas things for sale, no Christmas music and hardly any festive decorations around the place. My advice would be don’t bother going.”
Other visitors also channeled their inner-Grinch, complaining that the market is busy, with “limited seating and limited covering”. Darren, who visited for a long weekend to get into the Christmas spirit but then ending up leaving early, said: “I could not fault the food stalls and the other stalls not to bad, but that’s it no music no entertainment — just nothing.”
Paul, who visited the market last year and swore not to come back, returned to give it a second chance. However, he was left thinking it was, yet again, a waste of time: “No Christmas atmosphere at all, just 90 per cent food and drink at very high prices. Gone are the majority of Christmas stalls selling nutcracker men and Christmas trees and the normally Christmas stuff like it was five or six years ago.
“We have seen a decline every year but this year was the worst, one single line in one location instead of two, again food and drink at high prices, money and greed have taken over yet again. Well won’t be going again. Go elsewhere and save your money. Manchester Christmas Ripoff Markets.”
Manchester City Council has been contacted for comment.