Over 60 businesses, including some much-loved regional favourites, have signed up to play their part in this year’s newly expanded Newcastle’s Christmas Markets.
With stalls on Grainger Street, Grey Street, around Grey’s Monument, in Old Eldon Square and, new for this year, on Nelson Street, Newcastle’s Christmas Markets will launch on 15th November and run until 23rd December, offering visitors a festive blend of food, drink and high-quality local retail.
This year’s expanded market provides more retail opportunities than ever before, with a strong focus on featuring the very best of the North East.
As part of this commitment, the cultural powerhouse BALTIC will be trading during the first two weeks of the Christmas Market season, joined by high street icons LUSH, Fenwick and John Lewis.
Fenwick will be running a local bottle shop featuring drinks made exclusively in the North East, perfect for Christmas gift-giving. LUSH will bring its cruelty-free, ethically sourced and 100% vegetarian bath bombs, skin and hair care, soaps and body wash that will fill the air with amazing fragrances, and John Lewis will set up a Christmas shop offering an array of festive gifts and seasonal decorations.
Well-known local brand For the Love of the North will be an ideal addition to the markets, bringing a cornucopia of gifts celebrating everything that people love about the North East. Every item for sale has a backstory, and many are handmade by incredible Northern makers. La Casa Delicatessen, another North East gem, will bring its authentic range of Spanish wines and deli items to the markets to introduce new customers to the wonders of the brand, which trades from its permanent base in the Grainger Market.
Geordie Bangers, the sausage-making specialists, will also be returning to join the festive line-up after a hugely successful season last Christmas. Occupying two stalls, a hot food offering and their highly anticipated retail unit, they will sell festive packs of their gourmet sausages, including sausage rolls and pigs in blankets, to be enjoyed at home over the festive season.
The Brownie Bar, another market favourite, is back by popular demand with its gooey chocolate brownies and blondies in a range of flavours alongside new traders offering a range of unique festive gifts and local produce, including personalised Christmas decorations.
Many local artists and designers will also be involved throughout the six weeks, including Elemental Photography, showcasing their Newcastle and North East-themed photographic prints and Konatsu Jewellery, which is sure to become a market favourite with its beautiful collection of jewellery and accessories from necklaces and earrings to bracelets and rings. Konatsu also sells an extensive range of delicate and quirky charms that can be attached to bracelets or necklaces, a great way to build a personalised and meaningful gift for friends and family. The difficulty will be deciding which combination to buy!
Newcastle City Council and NE1 work closely together to make Newcastle a major Christmas destination and to encourage festive fun seekers from near and far. A crucial part of these celebrations, and a major draw for visitors, are the Christmas Markets.
Traders have been carefully curated to showcase the very best of the city and the North East, creating a market unique to Newcastle that complements the surrounding businesses, with over 84% of local traders within a 20-mile radius of the city.
Newcastle’s Christmas Markets continue to grow in popularity. Last year, more than 1.76 million visitors enjoyed the event, a 28% increase on the previous year, generating a £90.6 million boost to the local economy, up 60% on 2023.
The hope is to continue this improvement this year with more stalls, more traders and even more visitors from outside the region. This year, the addition of Nelson Street has added nine chalets that will be occupied by new retailers, creating more opportunities for visitors to browse and choose perfect presents or festive treats, and because it is so close to the city’s historic Grainger Market, it offers the perfect opportunity for shoppers to visit both markets.
A host of favourite traders are returning this Christmas alongside an exciting mix of new names, offering everything from handmade gifts to seasonal street food.
Ben Whitfield, Director of Communications at NE1, said: “We’ve worked hard to curate what we hope is the perfect Newcastle Christmas market, one that truly reflects what’s special about the city and the North East and helps put Newcastle on the map as a must-visit festive destination. Building on the success of last year’s event, this year’s newly expanded market has given us even more space to host new and returning traders. We encourage everyone to come and enjoy the local flavour and festive spirit that the Christmas Markets and Christmas Village create. It’s the perfect way to do your Christmas shopping and support local businesses.”
For a full list of traders, visit: https://newcastlechristmas.com
Dates: 15th November to 23rd December
Opening times: 10am – 8pm Monday to Saturday, and 10am – 5pm Sundays
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