To think that most christmas markets are having us over

Of course they are. Ditto farmers markets.

We have been to a good number ,we reckon they are not worth visiting. Our first one was in Berlin about 20 years ago and it sold stuff people can buy anywhere.

If you don't want to go I wouldn't worry about letting local businesses down - most of the stalls aren't local and they're certainly not selling handmade items. As for "artisan" - get to fuck.

Church hall or school type fairs are more local oriented.

The city centre one nearest us is a nightmare to navigate. It’s rammed with influencers trying pretending to eat standing upright, always food requiring proper cutlery, from brown paper bowls, in a packed space while juggling their phone to get their Instagram shot or TikTok reel.
We were in Manchester recently and they had a hilarious display of absolutely massive , expensive, wooden animal sculptures and garden furniture. Who buys that on a whim from a street market?

I was told that each stallholder at one of the large stately home Christmas markets has to pay £9k. So that would explain the prices.

I paid £5.50 for a “luxury” hot chocolate in Cardiff. Was okay but was just hot choc, cream and 1 marshmallow…..

Edinburgh is hugely overcrowded & has a few almost aggressively pushy stallholders I find. Went a few times when kids smaller but its a big rip off. That said maybe I'm just scrooge because went to a tiny one yesterday (local village). 10 tented 'stalls' (tables with some fabric over). Gin (£50 a bottle), candles, dog bandanas, silver jewellery, all OK, a cookie stall (£4.5 each) & an artisan bread stall (single croissants £4.8 each). Nothing original or tempting at the price. So, Dd and I scooted around the local charity shops and bought two pairs of trousers (1 velvet, 1 new), a Christmas jumper, a new fair trade wooden box, Christmas decorations, 3 books, a new pottery mug, 2 velvet stockings, a build a bear outfit, a fair trade Xmas teatowel plus FT cards, wrap, tags & ribbons. We went to a local cafe & had two very fancy hot chocs for £8, & got a greggs 'too good to go' bag on the way home (4 baguettes, 4 boxed doughnuts - not 'artisan' at ALL but filling: we gave the box of doughnuts to a passing family with kids.
I spent £55 total, got lots of thi gs & had fun.
Bag, Humbug

Not specifically a Christmas market, but I was in Copenhagen last week to see Radiohead, which was cancelled very last minute so we did tourist stuff instead. We went in the Tivoli Gardens which is a year-round fun fair and garden park in the city centre and now running its Christmas version with fabulous lights and market stalls. It was about £23 just to enter, more for rides, and I wasn't convinced it would be worth it just to walk around but it was exactly as a poster described the fantasy of a market up thread "being outside, wrapped up, warm drink, festive music, atmosphere, happy people - lovely." It was busy but not overly so on a Tuesday, with lots of benches (some with cosy rugs!) and quiet corners and the Christmas fare was mainly quality Danish stuff. There were a few regular street markets around too which looked nice enough (but didn't wander through so not sure about content or quality). I didn't go to Copenhagen for a Christmas experience but got one anyway and would really recommend.

My DD went with friends to the one in their university city and (because they'd got stiffed the year before) took their own mugs of baileys hot chocolate with them in one of those screw top cups!

Which one is 'best' ? ie atmosphere, interesting stuff too look at?

The artisan market I went to the other day was packed with stuff from Temu, at four times the price.

Did the Edinburgh one yesterday. It was impossible to actually move. The prices were astronomical.

The experience of being ripped off? 🤣

Yes, it expires in March by the look of it, we generally go in June for a week so will miss going there. I had never been before for the market and a winter break, glad we did as we won't be able to go again.

We managed to book on the site a couple of weeks ago (then had to cancel the day before) but I understand the lease is about to expire and so they’re not taking further bookings.

This all sounds delicious and properly Christmassy ❄

I don't think you have to stay in but I think we've had more luck going low key for Christmas. Like waiting for the weather to be not so bad and going for a good walk then home for hot chocolate. I'm cynical about "experiences".

I just think people want them to be better or 'for the gram/Tok' and keep turning up for the staged photos.

I never make an effort or specific attempt to visit them anymore for these very reasons. It's sad and a bit 'This is why we can't have nice things' - the general 'enshittification' of everything. The idea of being outside, wrapped up, warm drink, festive music, atmosphere, happy people - lovely.
The reality can just get in the bin.

Not sad at all! Christmas lights on, good book, mince pie. Maybe some friends round for mulled wine.

‘doing Christmas activities’ usually leaves you £100 poorer, are crowded and aren’t usually very fun.

They’re not compulsory

My local Town has a regular weekend market, and they have a special Christmas market next weekend which we always enjoy going to. No wooden huts but lots of lovely stalls and not overpriced.
I always find Uk ones too crowded to enjoy - you can’t stop and look at anything and it just feels like you’re moving in a stream of people.

That's pretty sad!

Nether Edge!

I’ve realised that Christmas is actually really nice if you don’t leave the house.

There are some awful ones - overpriced, tacky, overcrowded - here in the UK, so why are they so popular? The atmosphere is never good because there’s too many people in the space and I’ve been clutching on to my phone for dear life because of the pickpockets (Manchester). Aren’t these things meant to feel fun and relaxing?

And £10 for a Yorkshire pudding - yay.