The spirit of the holiday season is arriving in Manchester city centre as excitement builds for the Manchester Christmas Markets.

Shoppers can now see the new look for this year's collectable Christmas market mugs, which Manchester City Council revealed on 27 October.

This year's design has a retro look, showing Manchester's giant Santa surrounded by presents and fir trees as snow falls over the city skyline, with the Town Hall and its clock tower to one side.

The mugs were designed by the council's in-house design studio, and there are two to collect.

Both share the same design: a taller, narrower white mug for hot chocolate and a shorter, rounder green mug for Glühwein.

The deposit is unchanged from last year: visitors pay £3.50 for a mug when buying a hot chocolate or Glühwein, and can return it to the stall for a refund or take it home as a keepsake.

The mugs have sold out in recent years, so the council advises visiting sooner rather than later. They will be available, while stocks last, at all ten market locations from opening day.

The markets open on Friday 6 November and trade daily until Tuesday 22 December.

Albert Square and Cathedral Gardens stay open for longer, until Sunday 3 January 2027.

Albert Square returns as the main hub after years of refurbishment work, and the giant Santa is back there for the first time in almost a decade.

The 50-metre Big Wheel is back on the square, and this year Santa sits on a giant cracker that doubles as a walk-through tunnel.

Meanwhile, ice skaters can glide across the covered rink at Cathedral Gardens, and the Manchester Christmas Parade is scheduled for Sunday 6 December.

The design reveal was first reported by the Manchester Evening News.

Keeping an eye on the official Manchester Christmas Markets dates will help visitors make the most of the season.

Sources: Manchester City Council, About Manchester, CityCo, Manchester Evening News. This article was produced with the help of AI tools and checked by an editor against the sources above.