Manchester Christmas Market mug design revealed for 2023 – how to get one and how much it costs

The designs for this year’s Manchester Christmas Market mugs have been revealed – but you will have to move fast if you want to get your hands on one. 

Opening on Friday 10 November, the Christmas Market is one of the most anticipated events of the year, attracting thousands of visitors from near and far. Regulars to the markets will know that these mugs are the ultimate in festive collectibles and souvenirs. 

They will be available throughout the Christmas Markets season, while stocks last. Last year, the 140,000 sold out just before the last week of the markets. Traders had to bring out spare mugs from previous years to keep up with the demand. 

Based on the success of last year’s mugs, 170,000 have been ordered this year to help make sure no one leaves the markets disappointed this year. The four designs have been designed by Manchester City Council’s in-house design team and feature different nutcrackers in a festive Scandi style.

Councillor Pat Karney, the council’s Christmas spokesperson, said: "Our iconic Christmas mugs are the must-have accessory of the festive season and absolutely no social media feed should be without one! 

"With different designs every year the collectible mugs are highly sought after and even have Santa's seal of approval.  Don't leave it too late to come and get yours! No-one does Christmas quite like Manchester and we can't wait to welcome everyone to Santa's favourite city and to our world-beating Christmas Markets again this year!"

How to get one

The mugs are available at all Christmas Market locations in the city centre. You can either purchase one outright, or ‘rented’ with a £3.50 deposit when you buy a hot drink, which means you can either return it when you’re done and get your money back, or keep it. 

When are the Christmas Markets?

The Christmas Markets will open on Friday 10 November and close on Thursday 21 December. 

The craft stall will be open 10am-8pm daily, and the food and drink stalls will be open 11am-9pm.

The Christmas ice rink at Cathedral Gardens is open from Thursday 2 November to Tuesday 2 January, with the Christmas Market stalls in that area also staying open until then. 

The weekly Festive Sundays will also be returning this year, as well as the Christmas Parade, which is scheduled for Sunday 3 December. 

And yes, the giant Father Christmas will be back, resuming his usual position atop the Central Library after Remembrance Sunday.