Birmingham's Frankfurt Christmas Market

Birmingham is the pick when the priority is authentic German food and drink. Officially billed as the largest authentic German Christmas market outside Germany or Austria, it fills Victoria Square and New Street with gluhwein, bratwurst, giant pretzels and gift stalls, plus seasonal street entertainment rather than rides. It is free to enter and runs the longest of our five - 5 November right up to 24 December 2026 - and sits about a ten-minute walk from Birmingham New Street, making it the easiest big market to reach as a rail day-trip. The trade-off is format: it is essentially one long, dense strip focused on food and drink, so there are far fewer family rides or activities than Edinburgh or Manchester, and the crowds funnel along a single route.