Discover Halifax at Christmas

Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor

Visit now

Discover Halifax at Christmas

23 November-24 December 2019

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Discover Halifax at Christmas
Bruce Fitzgerald
Book now

Visit the historic minster town of Halifax this Christmas for what promises to be a fun-packed selection box of yuletide delights. With special events, family-friendly activities and more decorations than you can shake a candy cane at, we think Halifax is well worth a visit this Christmas.

Home to Quality Street chocolate, Halifax’s Christmas lights will take on a chocolate theme this year. Kindly supported by Quality Street (who will be producing in excess of 10 million sweets every day in the run up to Christmas), there will be dazzling displays of Christmas lights across the town, especially on Market Street, Northgate and George Street.

With special events, family-friendly activities and more decorations than you can shake a candy cane at.

In addition to the Christmas Lights Switch On, there will be fabulous window displays, boutique shopping, festive stalls and galleries. With plenty of gift ideas and plenty of food outlets, Halifax’s Borough Market will be lively and fun.

Head to the Old Market and visit the Magical Gift-Wrapping Workshop which is completely free and open every weekend from 30 November right up until Christmas. With free gift-wrapping, competitions, entertainment, giveaways and a super animatronics elf workshop, there’s more than enough to keep those kiddies entertained.

Halifax really has got Christmas all wrapped up this year.

Christmas is the perfect time for charity and this year the market will host a special ‘Gifting Tree’ where you can leave a present for a child to open on Christmas Day. Just select a tag, buy a suitable present, wrap it up and leave it under the ‘Gifting Tree’ at Albany Arcade. And fear not, if wrapping presents isn’t your forte, the handy gang of elves based in the Old Market will gift-wrap all your presents for free. Hurrah.

With plenty for all ages in Halifax this Christmas, be sure to check out the Christmas Tree Festival; Halifax Minster will be filled with the wonderful scent of over 30 Christmas trees for this popular event. And little ones will be able to post their letters to Father Christmas into the special interactive animatronic postbox at Albany Square in Borough Market. Be sure to post your letter before 10 December for a magical reply from the big guy.

We can’t think of a better time of year to discover this Northern town. With plenty of fabulous gift ideas and a flurry of festive activity, Halifax really has got Christmas all wrapped up this year.

Where to go near Discover Halifax at Christmas

Northern Quarter
Restaurant
Sicilian NQ

Busy backstreet Sicilian restaurant in the Northern Quarter, serving up traditional dishes with well-executed vegan versions that more than match up.

Manchester
Restaurant
Maki & Ramen

Japanese sushi and ramen restaurant on High Street, Northern Quarter, founded by Teddy Lee. House-made noodles, eight-hour broths, plus sushi, donburi and vegan options.

Restaurant Orme
Manchester
Restaurant
Restaurant Örme

A hidden gem in the suburbs of Greater Manchester, serving high-level British small plates to a soundtrack of indie rock and roll.

The Abbey
Manchester
Restaurant
The Abbey

Historic Hulme pub with a very good live gig space, brought to you by the very capable team behind YES, Gorilla, Now Wave and Manchester Psych Fest.

Manchester
Bar or Pub
Pigeon Beer Wanderer

Pigeon Beer Wanderer brings wine-level ceremony to Manchester’s new “Beermuda Triangle”, courtesy of Joshua Lightfoot and his crack team of booze experts.

Image courtesy of Unitom.
Castlefield
Gallery
UNITOM Projects

The exhibition arm of Manchester indie bookshop UNITOM is a dedicated space for contemporary visual culture in the St John’s neighbourhood.

City Centre
Restaurant
Portfolio

Portfolio is a Champagne boutique on Manchester’s Bridge Street, offering a set menu of fine-dining small bites.

Manchester
Gallery
Gwafu Vegan
at Bridge 5 Mill

Cameroonian chef Ngwafu Tansie brings allotment-grown, plant-based cooking to Bridge 5 Mill’s solar-powered Ancoats venue, pairing bobolo with cabbage parcels and live vinyl.

What's on: Families

Encounter Festival 2026
FestivalsLancashire
Encounter Festival in Preston

Preston comes alive with outdoor theatre, live music, dance and family-friendly creativity in one of the North West’s most joyful festivals.

Free entry

Culture Guides

Food and Drink in the North

It's summertime, and the dining choices are easy, thanks to our expert guide to food and drink in Manchester and the North.

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre

From intimate dramas to spectacular outdoor festivals, discover the North West performances worth adding to your diary.

Exhibitions

Summer isn’t usually a high point in the exhibitions calendar, but Greater Manchester’s small galleries seem to have made a pact to change that this year.

“the ripple” artwork by Crowns & Owls courtesy of Good Machine.
Music

From post-industrial romance to experimental country, here's a hot new batch of weird gigs in small venues.

Emily Lloyd-Saini as Grace in Space and Harrie Hayes as Lieutenant Strong in Horrible Science
Family things to do in the North

Whether you’re after storybook theatre, museum wanderings or illusion-bending play spaces, there’s plenty to keep curiosity ticking through winter and beyond.

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night
Cinema in the North

There's no shortage of great films out at the moment, whether you're looking for the latest blockbuster, that hot arthouse flick fresh from Cannes or a cosy classic.