Worcester's Victorian Fayre fills the city with 200-plus stalls from 3 to 6 December. Spetchley's artisan market is 14-15 November. Dates, hours, what is TBC.

Worcester’s Christmas market is the Victorian Christmas Fayre, from Thursday 3 to Sunday 6 December 2026. Worcester City Council, which organises it, says more than 200 stalls will line the city’s streets, with the funfair and the Victorian carousel in Cornmarket. Before that, Spetchley Park holds a smaller artisan Christmas market just east of the city on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 November.

The quick answer

  • Victorian Christmas Fayre: Thursday 3 to Sunday 6 December, city centre, free to walk round. The market opens at 12 noon on the Thursday and closes at 5pm on the Sunday.
  • Spetchley Artisan Christmas Market: Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 November, Spetchley Park, WR5 1RS. Free entry; car parking is £7 and has to be booked.
  • The Hive Christmas Fayre: an annual one-day craft market at the library. Last year it was on Sunday 30 November; the 2026 date has not been published.
  • Not yet published: the Fayre’s trader list, its opening ceremony details and its road closures, and Spetchley’s opening times.

The Victorian Christmas Fayre, 3 to 6 December

The council confirmed the dates on 25 September and says the Fayre will draw “over 150,000 visitors across the four days” and is worth £7.3 million a year to the local economy (Worcester City Council, 25 September 2026). The Fayre’s own information page gives a lower figure, “over 125,000 visitors” (Victorian Fayre: info). The market is run for the council by Cotswold Markets, which says this is its sixth year in a row as operator (Cotswold Markets).

Opening times day by day

From the Fayre’s own site (Victorian Fayre: at the Fayre):

Day Market Funfair
Thursday 3 December 12 noon to 9pm 12 noon to 10.30pm
Friday 4 December 11am to 9pm 11am to 10.30pm
Saturday 5 December 10am to 8pm 10am to 10.30pm
Sunday 6 December 11am to 5pm 11am to 5pm

The Mayor of Worcester opens the Fayre on the Thursday, the council says. The Fayre’s entertainment page says details of this year’s opening ceremony “will be published on this page shortly” (Victorian Fayre: entertainment). In 2025 the Christmas tree lights in Cathedral Square went on as part of that opening evening; our Christmas lights page has the detail.

What is on besides the stalls

  • Three community stages: the Great Stage in Cathedral Square, the Chapel Bandstand in Chapel Walk and the Chorister’s Nook in Copenhagen Street. School and community choirs and local bands play; applications to perform close on 16 October.
  • Gin Lane: the Clik Clik Collective’s Victorian alleyway between New Street and The Shambles, back on the Friday and Saturday evenings.
  • The Cardinal’s Hat stage on Friar Street, with local music.
  • Stilt walkers, street magicians and buskers around the streets, and the funfair and carousel in Cornmarket.

Who is trading is not yet known. The Fayre’s market page says “a list of this year’s traders will be provided when available” (Victorian Fayre: street market).

Roads, parking and coaches

The council says road closures are kept to a minimum by the hostile vehicle barriers and run only during opening hours and while stallholders set up and pack away. It will publish the closures on its website “nearer the time” (Victorian Fayre: info). On 6 October the council’s list of approved event road closures had no orders on it.

Coach parties must book a slot through the Fayre’s coach page. Our page on parking in Worcester lists every council car park and its tariff, and Worcester roadworks and travel has the latest closures. The Fayre’s full guide, with the coach rates and last year’s park and ride, is on our Victorian Christmas Fayre page.

Spetchley Artisan Christmas Market, 14 and 15 November

Spetchley Park Estate is holding its third artisan Christmas market with Two Can Do Markets, on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 November. Most stalls are indoors, with some outside: handmade gifts, homewares, textiles, art and local food. Entry to the market and the gardens is free, but car parking costs £7 and has to be booked. The estate says parking is limited, tickets “will be available soon”, and it has not published opening times. There is wheelchair access to the gardens and the market; only assistance dogs are allowed (Spetchley Park Estate).

The Hive Christmas Fayre: 2026 date to come

The Hive, the county library on Sawmill Walk, holds what Worcestershire County Council calls a “popular annual fayre”, most of its stalls selling things made in the county. In 2025 it ran on Sunday 30 November from 10am to 3pm. Entry was free and needed no booking, with Father Christmas telling stories, crafts and a treasure hunt for children (Worcestershire County Council: Hive Christmas Fayre). That page still shows the 2025 date. We will add the 2026 one when the county publishes it.

The regular markets in December

  • Worcester weekly market: every Thursday and Saturday, 9am to 4pm, in the Corn Market, run by Bluebell Events since September (Worcester City Council).
  • High Street Arts and Crafts Market: the second Saturday of every month, 9am to 5pm, which makes it Saturday 14 November and Saturday 12 December (Cotswold Markets).
  • High Street Fine Food and Craft Market: the first Saturday of every month. In December that is 5 December, in the middle of the Fayre, and Cotswold Markets has not said whether it runs separately that day (Cotswold Markets).

More Christmas in Worcester

The Cathedral’s Christmas Tree Festival and services, the Santa’s grottos, the pantomime, the Webbs light trail, and Christmas at Croome and Hanbury Hall all have their own pages. For November dates, see what’s on in Worcester this month.

This page is updated as organisers publish details. Check the links before you travel.

Sources