Colchester Christmas market 2026 is Sunday 6 December: up to 80 High Street stalls 10am-5pm, 40 more in the Moot Hall. Free entry, Sunday parking £1.80.
Colchester’s Christmas market is on Sunday 6 December 2026. Two things run side by side that day: the High Street market outdoors, 10am to 5pm with up to 80 stalls, and the Moot Hall Christmas Gift Market inside Colchester Town Hall from 10am to 4pm, with 40 stalls. Both are free to walk into, and a third, smaller set of stalls in St Nicholas Square is run by young traders from Business Kids.
The same morning, the Santa Fun Run sets off at 10am from Castle Park. If you are planning to do both, that works: the run is a 2.5km or 5km circuit of the park, five minutes’ walk from the Town Hall.
The High Street market: 10am to 5pm, up to 80 stalls
The outdoor market takes over the pedestrianised stretch of the High Street and is the larger of the two. InColchester, the city centre’s own promotion body, now gives its hours and size for 2026.
| Detail | Confirmed |
|---|---|
| Date | Sunday 6 December 2026 |
| Time | 10am to 5pm |
| Where | Colchester High Street, pedestrianised area |
| Stalls | Up to 80 |
| Entry | Free |
Alongside the stalls there is street food, live music and funfair rides, which is the part the Moot Hall market indoors does not have. It also runs an hour later than the Moot Hall market, so the sensible order is gifts indoors first, then the High Street once the Town Hall stalls pack up at 4pm.
Who runs the Colchester Christmas market 2026
The outdoor market is hosted by Colchester Market and Colchester BID, the business improvement district that trades as InColchester. The Moot Hall gift market indoors is a separate event, listed and booked through the city council’s own events team (see below).
InColchester’s Christmas page, checked on 3 October, lists three parts to the day:
| Part | Where | Hours | Stalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas market | Pedestrianised High Street | 10am to 5pm | Up to 80 |
| Moot Hall Christmas Gift Market | Inside Colchester Town Hall | 10am to 4pm | 40 handpicked |
| Business Kids stalls | St Nicholas Square | Not given | Not given |
The outdoor market also promises mulled wine for the grown-ups, alongside the street food, live music and funfair rides. St Nicholas Square is a short walk from the High Street, so all three can be done in one loop.
Moot Hall Christmas Gift Market
| Detail | Confirmed |
|---|---|
| Date | Sunday 6 December 2026 |
| Time | 10am to 4pm |
| Venue | Moot Hall, Colchester Town Hall, High Street |
| Stalls | 40 |
| Entry | Free |
The council’s own event listing describes 40 handpicked gift stalls, covering handcrafted and locally sourced gifts, artisan crafts and gourmet food. It runs alongside the High Street market, which is why the whole High Street is worth doing in one trip rather than two.
Traders can apply for a stall through the form linked from the council’s event page.
One thing to check when you get there. The council’s own listing gives the date twice and gets it right once. The headline and the opening line say Sunday 6 December 2026, which is correct: 6 December 2026 is a Sunday. Further down, a line still reads “Sunday 6th December 2025”, which is left over from a previous year, because 6 December 2025 was a Saturday. Go by 2026.
Santa Fun Run, the same morning
The Santa Fun Run is in its 17th consecutive year and starts at 10am on Sunday 6 December in Castle Park, High Street, CO1 1UG. There are 2.5km and 5km routes, and you can run, jog or walk either.
| Entry | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult | £12.50 |
| Child | £7.50 |
| Under 5 | Free |
Under-16s have to be accompanied by a participating adult. The entry fee covers festive event wear, a Santa hat for under-5s, and a medal at the finish. The suggested fundraising target is £50 for adults and “as much as they can” for children.
Money goes to the Colchester and Ipswich Hospitals Charity Fund, or to one of its named appeals: the Time Garden Appeal, the Butterfly Appeal, Cancer Wellbeing or Staff Wellbeing. You choose when you sign up.
Parking
Sunday is the cheapest day of the week to drive into Colchester, and one car park in particular.
| Car park | Sunday charge |
|---|---|
| Britannia, CO2 7EF | £1.80 all day, 6am to 6pm |
| Priory Street, CO1 2QA | £4.90 for up to three hours |
| St Mary’s, CO3 3AA | £5.00 for up to three hours |
Britannia’s £1.80 flat Sunday rate is the only one of its kind on the council’s city centre car parks, and it is a 369-space long-stay car park, though 92 spaces at its western end are currently closed for archaeological investigation.
St Mary’s is the closest large car park to the Town Hall end of the High Street. Note its 2.06 metre height limit, and that its entrance lane shuts at 10pm on a Sunday.
The full tariff table is on our parking in Colchester page, and Colchester roadworks and travel has anything affecting the routes in.
What is not published yet
The High Street market’s hours and stall count have now been published: 10am to 5pm, up to 80 stalls, confirmed by InColchester and added above on 22 September. A named stall list has not appeared. No road closure order had been advertised for the day as at 3 October, and the Business Kids stalls have no published hours. The Santa Fun Run listing gives a start time but still no course map or registration cut-off.
We will update this page when each appears. On past timing, that is late November.
Also on in December
- Colchester Christmas lights switch-on, Saturday 14 November. The parade, and the Culver Square ice rink’s disputed opening date, are covered on our switch-on page.
- Jack and the Beanstalk at the Mercury Theatre, 21 November to 17 January. Full calendar on our pantomime page.
- The Wizard of Oz at Charter Hall, Saturday 12 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027. InColchester has now corrected its listing, which earlier gave the closing date as 3 January 2026.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Colchester Christmas market 2026?
Sunday 6 December 2026, one day only. The outdoor High Street market runs 10am to 5pm with up to 80 stalls, and the Moot Hall Christmas Gift Market runs 10am to 4pm inside Colchester Town Hall with 40 stalls.
How many stalls are at the Colchester Christmas market?
Up to 80 on the High Street and 40 inside the Moot Hall, so about 120 across the day, plus street food, live music and funfair rides outdoors.
How long does the Colchester Christmas market last?
It is a single Sunday, not a season. The Moot Hall stalls close at 4pm and the High Street market at 5pm. If you want something running for weeks, the Culver Square ice rink opens on Saturday 14 November and the Mercury Theatre pantomime runs from 21 November.
Is the Colchester Christmas market free?
Yes. The High Street market and the Moot Hall gift market are both free to enter.
Who organises the Colchester Christmas market?
Colchester Market and Colchester BID (InColchester) host the outdoor High Street market. The Moot Hall Christmas Gift Market inside the Town Hall is listed by the city council’s events team, and the St Nicholas Square stalls are from Business Kids.
How much is the Colchester Santa Fun Run?
Adults are £12.50 and children £7.50, with under-5s free. It starts at 10am in Castle Park on the same Sunday, over 2.5km or 5km, and raises money for the Colchester and Ipswich Hospitals Charity Fund.
Where is the cheapest parking for the Christmas market?
Britannia car park, CO2 7EF, at £1.80 all day on a Sunday. It is the only council car park in the city centre with a flat Sunday rate.
Sources
- Colchester Events, Colchester Town Hall Christmas Market
- Colchester Events, Santa Fun Run 2026
- InColchester, Christmas in Colchester for the High Street market hours, stall count, hosts, the St Nicholas Square Business Kids stalls and the Culver Square ice rink opening date, checked 3 October 2026
- Colchester City Council, Britannia car park
- Colchester City Council, St Mary’s car park
- Colchester City Council, Priory Street car park
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