BELFAST CHRISTMAS MARKET OPENS

BELFAST CHRISTMAS MARKET GETS OFF TO A GREAT START WITH MORE THAN 50,000 VISITORS ON THE OPENING WEEKEND.

The popular Belfast Christmas Market opened its gates to the public on Saturday the 19th Nov at 12noon, attracting thousands including those who queued to be the first through the gates. Back for its 17th year, the Christmas Market shows no signs of dwindling in popularity as footfall figures hit a remarkable 50,000 during the first two days of trading.

Andy Pidgeon, Market Manager said: ‘’So much work goes into organising and setting up the Christmas Market, so it’s absolutely fantastic to see all the hard work paying off, with visitors and traders soaking up the vibrant, festive atmosphere that the Market provides.’’

The lucky visitors at the top of the queue on opening day  Dolores Ryan and granddaughter Anna-Rose Ryan, who traveled all the way from Dublin especially for the highly anticipated opening, were treated to vouchers to spend.

Belfast Christmas Market, which has just been named the UK’s Best Christmas Market by Conde Nast, attracts visitors from across Europe and the UK and has become a significant contributor to the local economy. Regularly attracting over one million visitors it contributes an annual economic impact to the city of in and around £75m. Research shows that visitors arriving from the Republic of Ireland is increasing year on year and now makes up just over 25% of total visitors.

Opening hours are:

Monday – Wednesday 10am – 8pm

Thursday – Saturday 10am – 10pm

Sunday 12noon – 6pm