Christmas Markets in North Shields

North Shields has one Christmas market, it is free, and it takes over the middle of the town for a weekend. Northumberland Square is the right shape for it: a Georgian square with the Central Library on one side, trees down the middle and enough room for a food village and a set of fairground rides without any of it feeling crammed in.

It is a genuine town-centre event rather than a tourist attraction, which is the reason it is worth going to. The stalls are largely regional, the opening involves the local churches, and half the people there know each other.

The dates for 2026

Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 December 2026, in and around Northumberland Square, North Shields town centre. Free to get in.

That is the weekend Visit North Tyneside has listed. It follows the market's usual pattern of taking the first full weekend of December, and it spreads out from the square along Howard Street.

Best for:

Best for: doing the whole of Christmas in one afternoon. Presents from the stalls, lunch from the food village, the rides to keep children occupied, and the library running free crafts a few steps away. Very little of that requires getting in a car.

What the market is actually like

North Tyneside Council has not published the 2026 programme yet, so the detail below is what last year's market looked like. Treat it as a good guide to the shape of the weekend rather than a promise about this one.

In 2025 there were around 70 stalls selling festive gifts, crafts, food and drink. Local churches and the Salvation Army opened the market at 10am on the Saturday with a short service, followed by choirs and performances from schoolchildren.

Northumberland Square held a food and drink village with regional street food traders and bars selling mulled wine, and there were fairground rides around the square. Families could meet festive characters and do free Christmas crafts and games.

The Central Library on Northumberland Square, NE30 1QU, ran its own free programme alongside the market: children's crafts, a Christmas quiz, an elf treasure hunt, letter writing to Santa, and Christmas stories read in French.

Last year's opening times were 10am to 5pm on the Saturday and 10am to 4pm on the Sunday. The 2026 times have not been confirmed.

Getting there, and the road closures

Northumberland Square is a five-minute walk from North Shields Metro station, and on a market weekend that is by far the easiest way to arrive. Buses stop on Bedford Street and Northumberland Square itself.

If you are driving, expect closures. In past years the council has closed Northumberland Place and Northumberland Square between Church Way and Upper Norfolk Street for the build-up and take-down as well as the market itself, with the diversion running via Church Way, Albion Road, Upper Norfolk Street and Norfolk Street. The 2026 traffic order has not been published yet, so check before you set off if you need to park close.

North Shields shops worth the same trip

The market is two days. The town's own food shops are there the rest of December, and they are the better bet for anything you actually have to eat on the day.

M.I. Dickson is the one people travel for, and North Shields Quality Butchers is where to place a Christmas order, which wants doing well before the week itself. Pia's Artisan Bakery and Cook and Baker cover bread and cakes, The Wooden Deli covers cheese and the rest of a grazing board, and Pansy's Florist does wreaths and table arrangements.

For presents rather than food, Northumbrian Tin Soldier is the sort of specialist shop a market stall cannot replace.

Making a weekend of it

The Fish Quay is ten minutes downhill and is the right place to end up afterwards. The Staith House, The Low Lights Tavern and Three Tanners Bank are all within a few minutes of each other, and The Exchange 1856 runs a December programme of music and comedy. The Old Low Light Heritage Centre is worth an hour on a cold afternoon and has a cafe with one of the better views on the river.

Christmas markets within reach

Newcastle Christmas Market runs Thursday 19 November to Wednesday 23 December 2026, free to browse, along Grey Street and Grainger Street and around the Monument, with over 70 traders and a Christmas Village on Old Eldon Square. Twenty-odd minutes on the Metro from North Shields.

Tynemouth Market trades every Saturday and Sunday, 9am to 3.30pm at Tynemouth Station, Station Terrace, North Shields NE30 4RE, with over 150 stalls under the restored Victorian glass roof. It runs every weekend through December, and being fully indoors is not a small thing in the middle of winter. Two stops on the Metro.

Durham Christmas Festival is Friday 4 to Sunday 6 December 2026, across Palace Green, the Cathedral Cloisters, the Market Hall and the Market Place. The craft marquee on Palace Green is ticketed with a discount for booking ahead, so sort that before travelling.

For pantomimes, light trails, Santa specials and the rest of the region's festive calendar, see Christmas in the North East.

What is not confirmed yet

As of late September, the following have not been published for 2026:

• Opening times for either day
• The stall count and the stallholder list
• The entertainment programme and the library activities
• The road closure order

Anything you see quoting 2026 times or a stall count at this stage is guessing, and listings sites in particular tend to carry last year's details over. We will update this guide as the council publishes.

Know a North Shields Christmas event we have missed? Get in touch via our contact page.