Manchester Christmas Markets named Europe's favourite - full top 10 ranked including London and Birmingham

Manchester has been named as Europe's number one Christmas market.

Analysing 50 Christmas markets, Heald’s new index is based on the average number of visitors and stalls, overall Tripadvisor rating, global search volume, length of opening and TikTok views. And Manchester comes out on top - ahead of Vienna, in second, and Birmingham in third. This year’s markets open on Friday.

The annual festivities bring in around nine million visitors annually and Heald’s new ranking also indicates there are 13.2 million TikTok views, and an overall Tripadvisor rating of 4.5. With up to 40,500 monthly searches, it’s a hugely popular destination among families and groups of friends to get in the festive spirit.

Two more UK cities are in the top five - Birmingham, which is in third place, and Glasgow, which ranks joint fifth with the German market, Frankfurt. These festive events draw in more than six million visitors annually, offering 180 stalls in Birmingham and 50 in Glasgow.

Debbie Heald MBE says: “It’s so exciting to see that major cities across the UK are once again putting on fun, festive events for families and friends to enjoy this festive season. We loved making this new Christmas market ranking, as it's a great way to celebrate what cities are doing to entertain visitors and residents alike.”

Top 10 Christmas Markets in Europe according to Heald

1. Manchester
2. Vienna
3. Birmingham
4. Paris
5. Glasgow, Frankfurt
6. Cologne
7. Brussels
8. Bruges
9. Dresden
10. Winter Wonderland London, Nuremberg