By Terence Walsh | TWDA Design | Hexham web design
Reading time: ~5 minutes | Category: Local Info
Hexham Christmas Market is back on Saturday 12 December 2026, filling the Market Place and the grounds of Hexham Abbey with well over a hundred stalls of food, drink and gifts from local makers. It’s free, it’s one of the busiest days of the year in the town, and it’s a cracking day out – so here’s everything we know so far: dates and times, what’s on, where to park, and what else is happening in Hexham over the festive season.
We’re based just up the road and have been building websites for Tynedale businesses since 1999, so there’s also a short section for local business owners on making the most of the footfall.
“The Abbey doesn’t run a ticket system for the Christmas Market, so everybody is let in at the same time and it can get very packed – claustrophobic, even. I’d get there early. And I wouldn’t try going through the Abbey with a pushchair or a wheelchair when it’s busy, as it can be quite tricky. Best of luck!”
The big one. Hexham Christmas Market takes over the historic Market Place and the grounds of Hexham Abbey for a single Saturday in December, and it is one of the best-attended days in the town’s calendar. Last year’s market brought together more than 130 makers and producers, with stalls spread across the Market Place, the Abbey’s Cloisters Lawn and Refectory Garden, and indoors in the Abbey and its Priory Buildings. The market spreads right across the town centre too: as well as the Market Place and the Abbey, there are stalls and vendors inside the Queen’s Hall on Beaumont Street, so don’t stop at the first row of gazebos. Expect festive food and drink, handmade gifts, local produce, carols and a lot of people in bobble hats.
The market is a joint effort between Hexham Farmers’ Market, Hexham Abbey and Hexham Community Partnership. At the time of writing (September) the organisers hadn’t published the full 2026 programme, but both the Abbey and the Farmers’ Market have listed Saturday 12 December in their 2026 calendars. Last year’s market ran 9am to 3.30pm, so plan around similar hours and check back nearer the time.
Running as part of the same day, the Abbey’s own Christmas Fair fills the building with artisan stalls selling handmade gifts, crafts and local produce. There are seasonal refreshments (hot chocolate and mince pies), live music and carol singing, and festive crafts for children. It’s a fundraiser for the Abbey, and it’s worth stepping inside for the setting alone – there aren’t many Christmas fairs held in a building with a 1,300-year history. Stall pitches for 2026 have already sold out, which tells you something about the footfall.
If one Saturday in December isn’t enough, the regular Hexham Farmers’ Market is the place to stock up beforehand. It runs in the Market Place on the second and fourth Saturday of every month, with local meat, cheese, bread, preserves, plants and more from local producers. The two November markets are a calmer way to get your Christmas food orders in, and the 12 December market forms part of the Christmas Market itself, with extended hours.
Hexham town centre is compact and the Christmas Market is busy from the moment it opens, so a bit of planning pays off.
Once you’ve done your lap of the stalls, our recommendation is to head for The Beaumont Hotel on Beaumont Street, directly opposite the Abbey. They do fantastic lunches, and the venue and the atmosphere are lovely at Christmas. It will be busy on market day, so book a table ahead if you can. (Full disclosure: The Beaumont is a TWDA client – but we’d send you there anyway.)
The Christmas Market is the centrepiece, but Hexham does the whole season well. Last year’s programme included the Christmas lights switch-on in late November, Father Christmas at Hexham Old Gaol, the Sankta Lucia service at the Abbey, a Christmas gifts trail through the town’s shop windows, and the Queen’s Hall pantomime. The 2026 dates hadn’t all been announced when we wrote this, so keep an eye on Visit Hexham and Queen’s Hall Arts Centre through October and November. We’ll update this post as dates are confirmed.
For everything else going on in town this year, see our Hexham What’s On 2026 guide.
Christmas Market day brings thousands of extra people into the town centre, many of them visiting Hexham for the first time and searching on their phones for somewhere to eat, drink or warm up. A few ten-minute jobs will help them find you:
If your site needs more than a quick tidy-up before the festive season, have a look at our web design in Hexham and local SEO services.
Go early or go late: the Market Place is at its busiest between about 11am and 2pm. Wrap up – most of the stalls are outdoors and Hexham in December is not warm. Bring a card and some cash, as mobile signal for card readers can struggle when the town is full. And because the full 2026 programme hadn’t been published when this was written, do check the organisers’ pages before you travel – dates and times can change.
Feel free to reach out, and we can have a straightforward conversation about how we can assist you—perhaps over a cup of tea and a cheeky Jaffa Cake.
