Street food traders who had to leave Piccadilly Gardens for the square's redevelopment are due to start trading again on Friday 6 November, at Lincoln Square during the Manchester Christmas Markets. What happens to them after 22 December has still not been confirmed.

The street food market in Piccadilly Gardens was scheduled to close on 22 October so that Manchester City Council's revamp of the Gardens can go ahead. Traders including Falafel King, which the Manchester Evening News says has traded there for a decade, were offered pitches at Lincoln Square, the square between Albert Square and Deansgate, for the Christmas Markets.

Who is trading at Lincoln Square

The Manchester Evening News list of Christmas Market traders puts these businesses at Lincoln Square: Dozo Sushi, Falafel King, Festival Loaded, Miss Lasagne Manchester, Rita's Reign, Bombay Street Food Simply Delicious (with two concepts), Chillionrice, Little Piece of Bahia and Yeong & Co Events. The menus listed include dim sum, falafel wraps, loaded fries and gyros, lasagne, jerk chicken and curry goat, Indian street food, Thai curries, Brazilian dishes and Korean hotdogs.

Most Christmas Market locations, Lincoln Square included, are open daily from 10am to 9pm from 6 November to 22 December, closing at 6pm on the final day. That is longer than the Piccadilly Gardens market, which opened six days a week until 6pm. Lincoln Square last hosted Christmas Market stalls in 2017.

What happens after Christmas

Traders told the Manchester Evening News they did not know when, or where, they would reopen in 2027. One said March, another mid-February, and others were not sure they would return to Lincoln Square at all. Some fear the new site will be quieter than Piccadilly Gardens, which gets passing trade from nearby bus, tram and train stations. Leya, of Rita's Reign, told I Love Manchester that the new stall measures two metres by three, compared with six by two at Piccadilly Gardens.

A Manchester City Council spokesperson told the Manchester Evening News: "We can't do the work required with the Piccadilly Gardens market traders in place and they have known for more than a year that they would need to move." The council said it had promised the traders "a suitable new location in the longer term" and added: "We understand their uncertainty until we are able to confirm detailed future arrangements in full, but will keep them posted directly and remain committed to supporting their long-term future."

According to I Love Manchester, the council's planning officer's report on the redevelopment noted that the stalls did not have planning permission, and gave the harm to the traders "very limited weight" when assessing the plans.

The Piccadilly Gardens works

Planning permission for the redesign was granted in September, and contractor Galliford Try was lined up to start the main works in November, Place North West reported. The plans include a children's play area more than double the size of the current one, 49 new trees, 32 benches, better lighting and CCTV, and the removal of the low concrete wall and raised planters near the Queen Victoria statue. Council leader Garry Bridges has said the aim is to have the Gardens finished and ready for the public next year.

Sources: Manchester Evening News (including the Manchester City Council statement); Manchester Evening News, Christmas Markets 2026 traders list; Manchester Evening News, Christmas Markets 2026 dates and opening times; I Love Manchester; BBC News; Place North West, 25 September 2026. This article was produced with the help of AI tools and checked by an editor against the sources above.