Manchester City Council

12/15/2023 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 12/15/2023 08:31

Vintage mugs only now on Manchester Christmas Markets as iconic mugs sell out for second year running!

Vintage mugs only now on Manchester Christmas Markets

Fans of all things vintage and retro are in for a treat if they head down to Manchester's Christmas Markets before they close next week to grab a hot drink - as chances are it will be served in a vintage mug from Manchester Christmases past after this year's mugs all sold out.

25 years on and Manchester's best-in-the-world Christmas Markets are proving even more popular than ever with last weekend seeing market bosses forced to start bringing out the vintage mugs from previous years, in order to meet phenomenal customer demand.

This is the second year in a row that demand for the highly prized and collectible Christmas mugs has outstripped supply - despite tens of thousands more mugs being ordered in this year than last.

Visitors to Manchester's best-in-the-world Christmas Market have got through a staggering 170,000 of the much-loved specially produced mugs this year - that's 30,000 more mugs than were produced for last year's Christmas markets.

This year's limited edition much-loved mugs

Designed by the city council's inhouse design studio, this year's edition of the much-coveted mugs features festive Nutcracker designs with a distinctive and on-trend Scandi feel.

Despite ordering in thousands more mugs this year in a bid to help make sure visitors to Manchester's Christmas markets could get their hands on one of the special edition mugs whenever they chose to visit, it has been pretty much vintage mugs only on stalls across the market since last weekend.

Whilst there are still some of this year's Gluhwein mugs in circulation, they're few and far between and are set to sell out before the market ends next week.

Councillor Pat Karney, Christmas spokesperson for Manchester City Council said: "The love that is out there for Manchester's Christmas Markets and for our iconic Christmas mugs is just off the scale right now. 25 years on and people still can't get enough of them, it's incredible.

"Whilst this year's fabulous Nutcracker inspired mugs are now few and far between on the markets, we've been bringing out the vintage mugs from Christmases past since last weekend to re-stock the stalls that have run out of this year's.

"And what a hit they're proving to be with shoppers who are just loving the nostalgia of it all!

"So come on down and grab a bit of merry Manchester memorabilia while you still can - when the vintage stock goes it's going to be jingle bells and recyclable paper cups all the way 'til the markets close."

Manchester's Christmas markets close on Thursday 21 December.

They are open daily until then at the following times:

All craft stalls 10 am - 8 pm

All bars and food stalls 11 am - 9 pm

The food and drink stalls in Cathedral Gardens alongside the skate rink will remain open until 31 December.