Magical Bath Christmas Market opens to the public

Eighteen days of the chance to explore a wonderful Christmas world and make magical memories have begun today with the launch of Bath Christmas Market.

Residents were treated to a special preview yesterday evening which was a bustling event and a huge success for the stallholders.

Bath Christmas Market runs from today (24 November) until 11 December, and is an international Christmas shopping destination, ranked in the top ten European festive markets.

More than 170 stalls offering exciting and unique festive gifts, food, and drink are now open for this 20th anniversary of the fantastic event which is expected to attract 400,000 visitors over the 18 days. In 2019, the estimated spend in the city was £32.5 million.

Stallholders are offering discounts from Mondays to Fridays for any local resident holding a Discovery Card. Details can be found under each individual trader’s listing on the Bath Christmas Market website.

Councillor Kevin Guy, Leader of Bath & North East Somerset Council, said: “So many people came to our special residents’ preview evening last night which was a huge success. It was fantastic after two years of not being able to have the full Christmas Market to see the city positively buzzing with festive cheer. It’s great for both the stallholders and local retailers who will benefit from the increased trade that this popular and much-loved event has got off to a brilliant start already."

“There’s so much for people to discover and I can’t think of a better way for people to get into the Christmas spirit. No doubt the first weekend will be very busy, but don’t forget you have until December 11 to join in the fun with plenty of opportunities to visit midweek if you’re looking for a quieter experience.”

This year sees the addition of new pop-up Christmas Carts which will be open from 25 November. Twenty local micro-businesses will be at the hugely popular market for three or four days at time and for many traders it is a chance to launch their fledgling businesses.

The council is advising residents and visitors to the market to plan their journeys in advance and where they can access live information about public transport, including three different Park and Ride services, and car parking. Motorists are asked to note that Royal Avenue will be closed to public traffic during the event.

Variable message signs will be in place for the duration of the market to let motorists know how full car parks are on approach. Live occupancy levels are available at most car parks and can be checked online here. 

Extra staff will also be on hand with ticket machines at Park & Ride sites to speed up boarding. Buses will be running for longer hours into the evening throughout the market. Parking at the Park and Ride sites is free if taking the service into or out of the city.

Useful links to help people plan their journeys include: 

• All the on and off-street parking in Bath
• First Bus’s journey planner
• Information on Park & Ride sites  
• GWR ticket booking tool to visit Bath by train

For more information, including opening hours and travel instructions, please visit bathchristmasmarket.co.uk.