Leeds at Christmas: THOR'S Winter Village, Ice Cube Rink and the New Market

This guide gives you the dates, the hours, the honestly labelled rink prices and a one-day plan. If you are comparing cities, our guide to the best Christmas markets in the UK covers six more markets by train. Two things are still unsettled: Thursday late closing and the rink prices, and both are flagged where they matter.

Leeds Christmas Market 2026 at a glance

Leeds Christmas Market 2026 runs from Thursday 19 November to Wednesday 23 December, with free entry to the main market in City Square. The Ice Cube rink and selected attractions at Millennium Square and Victoria Gardens run longer, to Thursday 31 December. Everything sits within about ten minutes' walk in the city centre.

Table 1 (at-a-glance dates):

The main market closes on Wednesday 23 December, so Christmas week in Leeds is not a market week in City Square. The festive programme carries on after that date at Millennium Square, Victoria Gardens and Cookridge Street, where the rink, the rides and selected stalls run to New Year's Eve. If you are travelling between Christmas and New Year, plan around the rink and the rides, not the City Square stalls.

Early December is the best window for most visitors: the market is fully open, the lights are on, and the crowds are lighter than in the final week. Saturdays are the busiest day at the rink in particular, so a weekday visit, or a Saturday with the skating booked in advance, is the calmer choice.

What changed in 2026: the old German market is gone

The biggest change for 2026 is the operator and the focus. Fabler and Co, the team behind THOR'S Tipi, now run the City Square market as THOR'S Winter Village, built around Yorkshire makers and local food. The old Frankfurt-partnered German market on Millennium Square no longer runs in that form.

Until 2019, the Leeds Christmas market on Millennium Square was organised with Frankfurt City Council and stocked largely by German traders. That partnership has ended, and the 2026 programme is deliberately local: more than 60 retailers and food vendors from Yorkshire and the wider region, wooden chalets from independent makers, and food from Leeds restaurants and regional producers. The change was announced by Leeds City Council on 24 September 2026.

The German flavour has not vanished entirely. Millennium Square keeps Bavarian-inspired market cabins, with German currywurst, festive sweet treats and gluhwein bars, alongside the rink and the rides. What has gone is the old format itself: a German-organised market as the main event. Most competing guides still describe the old format, or list the three sites without explaining that the centre of gravity has moved. If you read one thing before you go, read this: the main market is in City Square, by the station, and it is a Yorkshire market now.

THOR'S Winter Village in City Square

THOR'S Winter Village is the new main market in City Square, directly outside Leeds station. About 60 wooden chalets sell gifts from Yorkshire makers and independent businesses, with street food stalls alongside, all set among about 200 Christmas trees. Entry is free, seven days a week.

City Square is a pedestrianised public space, and the market fills it completely. The traders are the point of the place: independent makers and small businesses from Leeds and Yorkshire, rather than the national chains you find on any high street. Named makers on the official Visit Leeds list include Yorkshire Print Company, Paper Starlights, Magees Bespoke Woodwork, Beauty Scents, Pure Pet Food and Real Markets Yorkshire. Expect handmade decorations, homeware, prints, candles and stocking fillers, with stock changing as traders rotate.

Food runs through the whole market. Little Bao Boy serve steamed baos at THOR'S Highland Lodge, while the square holds Stuzzi and La Grassa for Italian-inspired food, The Cut and Craft for steak and premium cuts, Farsley Fire and Smoke for barbecue, Street Kings Bratwurst for German-style sausages, and sweet stalls including The Savvy Baker, Beth Bakes Cakes, Crumble Pots and Hot Churros. House of Trembling Madness pours craft beer, Storymaker Mead offers locally produced mead, and Gander Coffee keeps the early browsers warm. The organiser directory adds Chocolate Circus, Misu Tiramisu, Irish Spice Bag and Pure Yojo.

The market is not only stalls. Free live entertainment runs through the season, with performances on Sundays, seasonal DJ sessions and Santa visits, and a new Elf Hunt trail for children winds through City Square. The square is step-free, dogs are welcome on leads, and the bars are cashless, so bring a card for drinks.

The three sites and how to walk between them

Leeds at Christmas runs across three sites in the city centre, about ten minutes' walk apart. City Square holds the main market, Millennium Square holds the Ice Cube rink and family rides, and Victoria Gardens holds cabins, the Wheel of Light and the returning THOR'S Tipi. Cookridge Street adds the carousel.

Table 2 (three sites):

The walk between the sites is part of the visit. From City Square, a short festive stroll up through the city centre leads to Millennium Square, where the rink sits under its transparent marquee and the Starflyer rises beside it. Victoria Gardens is a further short walk on, with the Wheel of Light and the returning THOR'S Tipi. Cookridge Street, between the two, holds the traditional Golden Gallopers carousel.

Each site has a different purpose. City Square is for shopping, eating and the evening bars. Millennium Square is for skating and family rides. Victoria Gardens is for the big wheel, the Tipi and a slower drink. Treat them as three linked stops, and the walks between them are the breather that makes a full day work.

Leeds Christmas market opening times

The market stalls run from 10:30am every day, with bars staying open later in the evening. The market hours in this guide follow the official Visit Leeds page, but one evening is disputed, so read the note on Thursdays before you plan around them.

Table 3 (opening times):

One hour needs care: Thursday evening. Visit Leeds, the official tourist board, says the stalls close at 7pm on Thursdays and stay open to 8pm only on Fridays and Saturdays. But THOR'S own website, and several guides that follow it, say the stalls close at 7pm Sunday to Wednesday and 8pm Thursday to Saturday. This guide follows Visit Leeds, and the table above uses its hours. If you are planning a Thursday evening visit, treat 7pm as the closing time and check the official page before you travel. The bars are not affected: both sources agree they run to 11pm Wednesday to Saturday.

The rink keeps its own timetable, separate from the market stalls. The daily hours in the table come from the published Ice Cube schedule, which matches the hours used in previous years, but individual sessions are timed separately, so check the session you want on the booking site. The stalls open earlier than the rink on most days, at 10:30am, while the rink opens at noon on weekdays and 11am at weekends.

Ice Cube rink at Millennium Square

The Ice Cube is Leeds' covered outdoor ice rink on Millennium Square, running from Thursday 19 November to Thursday 31 December 2026. Sessions last 45 minutes with skate hire included, and you book through icecubeleeds.co.uk. The prices below are reported, not confirmed, so check them before you pay.

Table 4 (Ice Cube prices, two reported sets):

The table above is the honest position: the two published 2026 price sets disagree, and neither could be confirmed on the official booking site, which showed no prices when it was opened on 10 November 2026. TravelAndTourWorld says its figures are published by Visit Leeds, but the Visit Leeds page read for this article lists no rink prices at all. Check icecubeleeds.co.uk before you book, and treat any price in this guide as reported, not guaranteed. The booking phone line is 0113 376 0318.

The rink is a 400-square-metre covered outdoor real-ice rink under a transparent marquee, so skating goes ahead in any weather. The rink opens at noon on weekdays and 11am at weekends. Book ahead for Saturdays, the busiest day at the rink.

Two things need a check rather than a statement. First, the Christmas Day and Boxing Day position for 2026 is not confirmed: in past years the rink closed on both days, per council releases, but no 2026 source confirms the same, so check the booking site before planning a skate on 25 or 26 December. Second, accessible sessions and Penguin Club times for 2026 are not fully published. Penguin Club sessions for under-nines run at weekends, with skating aids to help younger children build confidence, and one-to-one lessons run at weekends at £27.50 per person, including 30 minutes of tuition inside a 45-minute public session.

Rides and attractions at Millennium Square and Victoria Gardens

The rides and attractions are split between Millennium Square and Victoria Gardens, with the Golden Gallopers carousel on Cookridge Street between them. They run to 31 December, a week after the main market closes, so they are the reason to return between Christmas and New Year.

The Starflyer is the headline ride at Millennium Square, a tall swing ride that lifts riders high above the square beside the rink, and the afternoon is the time for it. Victoria Gardens holds the 110-foot Wheel of Light, with a view across the city centre, and the returning THOR'S Tipi, which makes the gardens the slower, warmer stop. Cookridge Street holds the traditional Golden Gallopers carousel, the gentlest ride in the programme and the natural first ride for younger children.

No ride prices are published for 2026, so this guide gives none. The rides are ticketed separately from the rink: the market is free to enter, the rink is ticketed, and the rides are charged on top, so budget for the wheel and the Starflyer as the two bigger tickets if you plan to ride both. The Bavarian-style cabins at Millennium Square sit alongside the rides, with German currywurst, festive sweet treats and gluhwein bars. If you are visiting with children, the carousel and the rink are the two anchors; the Starflyer suits older children and adults who do not mind heights.

Food and drink at Leeds Christmas market

Leeds Christmas Market 2026 puts local food at the centre of the new format, with Leeds restaurants and Yorkshire producers in the chalets and at THOR'S Highland Lodge. The names below come from the official Visit Leeds list and the organiser directory.

Start with the Leeds names, because they are the reason the 2026 market is different. The Cut and Craft brings steak and premium cuts to the heart of the market, and Farsley Fire and Smoke brings smoky barbecue from Yorkshire. Little Bao Boy, serving at THOR'S Highland Lodge, brings fluffy steamed baos, festive specials and their Salt and Pepper spice bags. Stuzzi and La Grassa bring Italian-inspired flavours, and Street Kings Bratwurst keeps the German classic on the menu. Irish Spice Bag adds crispy chicken, chunky chips, peppers, onions and chilli seasoning with Irish curry sauce.

Sweet stalls are as strong as the savoury ones. The Savvy Baker brings indulgent brownies, Beth Bakes Cakes brings freshly baked cakes and cookies, Crumble Pots serves warming fruit crumble with custard, and Hot Churros does the market classic, freshly cooked and best eaten hot as you wander. Chocolate Circus adds chocolate-based treats, and Misu Tiramisu offers handmade Italian desserts in classic, pistachio, chocolate and Biscoff flavours. For drinks, House of Trembling Madness pours craft beer, Storymaker Mead offers locally produced mead, Gander Coffee brews speciality coffee, and Pure Yojo serves matcha and herbal teas.

THOR'S bars: Highland Lodge, Folie Ski Bar and the Tipi

Three THOR'S bars share the market's evening hours, and two of them are brand new for 2026. The Highland Lodge is the bigger new bar, a Scottish Highlands venue with room for up to 280 guests indoors and another 100 outside, and the Folie Ski Bar recreates an Alpine ski chalet on Quebec Street.

THOR'S Highland Lodge is the bigger of the two, a brand-new festive party venue with room for up to 280 guests indoors and another 100 outside. The theme is Scottish Highlands: tartan interiors, roaring fires, Highland-inspired cocktails, winter games and live music. The drinks list covers Scottish beers and ales, whisky, Irn-Bru, mulled wine, hot chocolate and Kirkstall Brewery beers, with low-alcohol and alcohol-free choices. Food comes from Little Bao Boy, so the lodge works as a dinner stop as well as a drinking stop.

The Folie Ski Bar, also called the Folie Apres Ski Bar, sits on Quebec Street and recreates an Alpine ski chalet with rustic timber, decorative lighting, soft furnishings and warm fires. It holds 180 guests indoors and 50 outdoors, and its feature is the bookable snow globe domes, which take groups of two to ten people. Winter cocktails and seasonal tunes set the tone, and it is the livelier of the two new bars.

The returning THOR'S Tipi Bar is the third winter retreat, a Viking-inspired canvas tent with faux-fur throws, log fires and fairy lights, serving draught craft beers, mulled cider and spiced hot chocolates. All three bars are cashless and welcome families, with under-18s accompanied by an adult. They open at 11am and close at 9pm Sunday to Tuesday and 11pm Wednesday to Saturday.

A one-day Leeds Christmas market plan

A one-day Leeds Christmas plan works best as a single walk through the three sites, with the rink session booked first and the rest of the day left loose. The walk between the sites takes about ten minutes, so the plan below fits a 10:30am arrival and an evening finish.

Start at 10:30am, when the stalls open, and step straight from Leeds station into City Square. The first hour is the quietest of the day, so use it for the makers' chalets, before the crowds build. By late morning the street food stalls are in full swing, so take lunch in the square rather than leaving to eat.

In the early afternoon, walk up to Millennium Square for your pre-booked Ice Cube session. The rink opens at noon on weekdays, so a mid-afternoon skate fits neatly after lunch. After skating, stay in the square for the Starflyer and the Bavarian cabins, with a gluhwein or a hot chocolate to warm up. Then walk on to Victoria Gardens and Cookridge Street for the Wheel of Light and the Golden Gallopers carousel.

Finish back in City Square for the evening. The stalls close at 7pm or 8pm depending on the day, but the bars run later: Highland Lodge and the Folie Ski Bar stay open to 9pm on Sunday to Tuesday and to 11pm Wednesday to Saturday, and the Tipi Bar runs through the evening too. A Saturday plan works best with the latest hours; on a Sunday, expect a 9pm finish. If you are visiting on a Thursday, remember the stall hours are disputed that evening, so check before you count on an 8pm browse. Book the rink session before anything else.

Leeds at Christmas with children

Leeds at Christmas works well for families, with the Ice Cube rink and the Penguin Club sessions as the centrepiece. The market is free to enter, the rides are split across the three sites, and the family programme runs through the season.

Penguin Club is the centrepiece for younger children. The weekend sessions use skating aids to support children learning to skate, in a safer and less crowded environment than the public sessions, and they are designed for children under nine. One guide lists a Penguin Club parent-and-child session at £15, but that price is reported rather than confirmed, so check it on the booking site. One-to-one lessons also run at weekends at £27.50 per person, including 30 minutes of tuition inside a 45-minute public session.

Beyond the rink, the Elf Hunt trail is new for 2026 and gives children a reason to explore City Square. The Golden Gallopers carousel on Cookridge Street is the gentlest ride in the programme, Santa visits run through the season, and creative workshops and wreath-making sessions with Basement Blooms are planned. Free live entertainment runs on Sundays, which suits a family morning. The market's accessibility information lists Quiet Hours every Thursday from 10am to 12pm, with music reduced and lighting softened and no booking required. That listing was confirmed in a guide checked in August 2026, so check it before you travel. The rink lists accessible sessions too, with times to confirm on the booking site.

Where to stay in Leeds for the Christmas market

The Queens Hotel, City Square, LS1 1PJ, is the closest hotel to the market, directly on City Square beside Leeds station. Staying in the city centre puts you within a ten-minute walk of all three market sites, and the hotel sits between the station and the stalls.

The Queens Hotel, City Square, LS1 1PJ, is the anchor for this guide for a simple reason: you can watch the market from the hotel and be among the stalls in a minute, and you can reach your train home without a taxi. No room prices are given here, because they change by date and were not verified for this guide, so compare before you book. Book early for December weekends, when the market, the rink and the bars are all at their busiest. Early December is quieter and usually better value, with the market fully open and the lights already on.

Getting to Leeds Christmas market by train and car

Leeds station is the easiest way to reach the market for most visitors, because it sits immediately beside City Square. Step off the train and you are in the market, with no bus, taxi or walk between the platform and the chalets.

The station is the whole reason Leeds works as a day trip. Step off the train and you are in City Square, among the chalets, with no bus, taxi or long walk between the platform and the market. Manchester, York and Sheffield are all an easy train ride away, and the hours suit a day trip well: stalls open at 10:30am, so a morning train gets you there for opening, and the bars run to 9pm or 11pm, so an evening train home still leaves time for a drink. No journey times are given here, because they were not verified for this guide, so check times before you travel and book ahead for Christmas weekends.

Drivers should use Park and Ride rather than the city centre. The Park and Ride sites are Stourton, Elland Road and Temple Green. City-centre parking includes Woodhouse Lane, Q-Park The Light and Q-Park Albion Street, but the centre is busy on market weekends and Cookridge Street has traffic restrictions while the carousel is in place. City Square itself is step-free, and accessible toilets and designated parking are available. If Leeds is part of a wider December trip, our guide to the best places to visit in December for UK travellers covers winter sun, Christmas markets and city breaks from the UK.

How much does Leeds at Christmas cost

Leeds at Christmas costs nothing to enter, and the spending starts at the rink and the rides. Entry to the main market and the THOR'S bars is free, the Ice Cube rink is ticketed, and the rides are charged on top.

The honest budget is a free morning and a paid afternoon. Browsing, the lights, the Elf Hunt trail and the free live entertainment cost nothing, so a wander through City Square with a coffee is a cheap outing. The spending starts at the rink and the rides: the rink is the one cost to fix in advance, because the price is reported rather than confirmed and the session needs booking, while the rides are paid per ride with no published 2026 prices. Food and drink are the flexible part: street food lunch in the square, a mulled wine or a hot chocolate, and a gift or two from the makers' chalets. The one firm figure here is the skating lesson at £27.50, published on the official Millennium Square lessons page.

Table 5 (costs summary):

Conclusion

Leeds at Christmas in 2026 is a new market in an old city, and that is the whole story. The main market has moved to City Square, the traders are Yorkshire makers and Leeds restaurants, the rink and the rides run on at Millennium Square and Victoria Gardens to New Year's Eve, and the two new bars give the evenings a proper destination. Go in late November or early December for the quietest stalls, book the rink session first, and check the two unsettled items before you travel. If you want a Christmas city break further afield, our Rome at Christmas guide covers markets, the Vatican and the Befana.

Frequently asked questions

When is Leeds Christmas Market 2026?

Leeds Christmas Market 2026 runs from Thursday 19 November to Wednesday 23 December, in City Square as THOR'S Winter Village. The Ice Cube rink and selected attractions at Millennium Square and Victoria Gardens run longer, to Thursday 31 December 2026.

Is Leeds Christmas Market free to enter?

Yes. Entry to the main market in City Square is free, seven days a week, and entry to the THOR'S bars is free too. You pay for the Ice Cube rink, the rides, food and drink, but browsing the market costs nothing.

Where is Leeds Christmas Market 2026?

The main market, THOR'S Winter Village, is in City Square, directly outside Leeds station. The Ice Cube rink and the Starflyer are on Millennium Square, and the Wheel of Light and the returning THOR'S Tipi are in Victoria Gardens. The three sites are about ten minutes' walk apart, with the Golden Gallopers carousel on Cookridge Street between Millennium Square and Victoria Gardens.

What are the Leeds Christmas market opening times?

The stalls open at 10:30am every day and close at 7pm Sunday to Thursday and 8pm Friday and Saturday, following Visit Leeds. The bars run from 11am to 9pm Sunday to Tuesday and to 11pm Wednesday to Saturday. The rink opens at noon on weekdays and 11am at weekends. Thursday evening stall closing is disputed: THOR'S own site says the stalls stay open to 8pm on Thursdays, so check before a Thursday evening visit.

Is there still a German Christmas market in Leeds?

No, not in its old form. The Frankfurt-partnered German Christkindelmarkt on Millennium Square no longer runs as the main event. Millennium Square keeps Bavarian-style cabins with German currywurst, festive sweet treats and gluhwein bars, but the main market in City Square is THOR'S Winter Village, built around Yorkshire makers and local food.

How much is the Ice Cube rink in Leeds?

The Ice Cube prices for 2026 are not settled. Two published sets disagree: Yorkshire-list says £13 general, £11.50 for LeedsCard and students, and £9.50 for under 13s, while TravelAndTourWorld says £11.50, £10.50 and £9. The official booking site showed no prices on 10 November 2026, so check icecubeleeds.co.uk before you pay. Skating lessons are £27.50 per person on the official lessons page.

Can you skate at Leeds Christmas market on Christmas Day?

That is not confirmed for 2026, so check before you plan around it. In past years the rink closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, per council releases, but no 2026 source confirms the same. The rink runs from 19 November to 31 December, so check the booking site for the 25 and 26 December position.

What is THOR'S Winter Village?

THOR'S Winter Village is the new main Leeds Christmas market for 2026, in City Square. It is run by Fabler and Co, the team behind THOR'S Tipi, and holds about 60 wooden chalets with Yorkshire makers, street food stalls and about 200 Christmas trees. Entry is free.

What are the THOR'S Highland Lodge and Folie Ski Bar?

The Highland Lodge and the Folie Ski Bar are the two new THOR'S bars for 2026. The Highland Lodge is a Scottish Highlands venue with room for up to 280 guests indoors and 100 outside, and the Folie Ski Bar is an Alpine ski chalet on Quebec Street with bookable private snow globe domes for groups of two to ten. The returning THOR'S Tipi Bar is the third winter retreat.

What is there for children at Leeds Christmas market?

The Penguin Club sessions at the Ice Cube rink are designed for children under nine, with skating aids at weekends. The Elf Hunt trail is new for 2026 in City Square, the Golden Gallopers carousel is on Cookridge Street, Santa visits run through the season, and creative workshops and wreath-making sessions with Basement Blooms are planned. The market lists Quiet Hours every Thursday from 10am to 12pm, but that listing was confirmed in a guide checked in August 2026, so check it before you travel.

What is the best time to visit Leeds Christmas market?

Early December is the best time for most visitors: the market is fully open, the lights are on, and the crowds are lighter than in the final week before Christmas. Saturdays are the busiest day at the rink, so a weekday visit, or a Saturday with the skating booked in advance, is the calmer choice. The first trading session is Thursday 19 November at 10:30am.

Where should I stay for Leeds Christmas market?

The Queens Hotel, City Square, LS1 1PJ, is the closest hotel to the market, directly on City Square beside Leeds station. Staying in the city centre puts you within a ten-minute walk of all three market sites. Book early for December weekends, when the market, the rink and the bars are all at their busiest.

Can I do Leeds Christmas market as a day trip?

Yes. Leeds station sits immediately beside City Square, so you step off the train and into the market. Manchester, York and Sheffield are all an easy train ride away, and the market's hours suit a day trip: stalls open at 10:30am, and the bars run to 9pm or 11pm. No journey times are given in this guide, because they were not verified, so check times before you travel.

Is Leeds Christmas market open after Christmas?

The main market in City Square closes on Wednesday 23 December, so it is not open after Christmas. The Ice Cube rink, the rides and selected attractions at Millennium Square and Victoria Gardens run to Thursday 31 December, so you can still skate and ride between Christmas and New Year.