It’s another bumper weekend of festive market goodness, with the whole city coming over all Christmassy. Some are boozy, some are crafty, but they’re all absolutely free to enter (leaving you more money to spend inside, hurrah). Here’s where you can get your gift on:
Our top picks
One of our favourite festive fairs, the Brighton Etsy Christmas Market, is back at Brighton Dome on Saturday (10am – 4pm). Expect over 70 stalls of indie makers, dreamy ceramics, jewellery, prints, knitwear and all the small-batch bits you definitely didn’t know you needed until you saw them. It’s peak present-hunting territory, with proper Brighton flair.
You’ll find the Silver Spur’s makers’ market at Florence Road hall from 9am on Saturday, alongside the extra-large extra-festive version of the weekly Florence Road market (9.30am – 1.30pm). Think trees, wreaths, live music, and and enough festive food and drink to power a small village.
Friday
On Friday, Kemptown Village is turning full festive after hours – late-night indie shopping, makers, music, hot desserts, a one-off pop-up from Mrs B Preloved, and a proper neighbourhood vibe. From 5pm – 8pm both nights, it’s one of the sweetest ways to support small while filling your bags (and your face).
Saturday
Artist Jim Sanders is opening up his legendary Spirit House on Saturday for a festive makers’ fair packed with one-offs, curios and gorgeous bits from some of Brighton’s most interesting makers. If you’re bored of cookie-cutter Christmas shopping, this is where you go to score something genuinely unique – and just being inside the Spirit House is worth the trip alone. 1pm – 6pm
Swing by The Actors on Saturday (midday – 6pm) for Black Brighton Market‘s Christmas/Kwanzaa celebration of Black and POC makers, beats, food and beautiful bits you won’t find in a generic garden-centre grotto. Expect art, skincare, crystals, candles, clothes, jewellery, open mic slots, a headline R&B set from Elvie, and Caribbean eats.
Not a market, but ticking all the festive fun boxes all the same, it’s Brilliant Brighton‘s Festive Afternoon on Saturday. It basically turns the city into a roaming Christmas jukebox (2pm – 6pm) with choirs, singers, a brass band, twinkly lights, roaming elves and surprise performances popping up everywhere from Bond Street to Meeting House Lane. Impossible to miss – just follow the music.
Haus of Lucy‘s glorious festive pop-up at Gallery 40 is coming to an end on Saturday. Come buy art and check out Sandra’s Grotto before it’s too late then stick around for the office Christmas party you actually want to attend. From 6pm til the booze runs out; free but get a ticket.
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Saturday and Sunday
The Open Market’s got double the festive fun this weekend with a Christmas market on Saturday from 10am with 80+ stalls (grab Fika By The Sea’s cardamom buns before they disappear) and the Hanabi Japanese Christmas market on Sunday from 11am.
And if you’re after a side of history with your art, then step into The British Engineerium this weekend for the Pepita Christmas Art Market – a two-day spree of original artworks, exclusive prints, indie makers, strong coffee and damn good food. And if it’s all getting too much, sweat it all out in the sauna in the gorgeous grounds. Sat 11am – 9pm, Sun 11am – 6pm.
Slide through to Fabrica on Saturday and/or Sunday for the ultimate seasonal mash-up – think mulled wine, handmade gifts, live DJs, cosy vibes and more. Shop the art-led stalls, smash out a wreath or bauble workshop (or cocktails, if that’s your vibe), then settle in for tunes and treats as the gallery morphs into a winter hideout. 1pm – 11pm on Sat and until 5pm on Sun.
Over in Hove, the Makers Fair is turning All Saints turns into a festive makers paradise this Saturday with 60+ brilliant designers, ceramicists, jewellers, artists and bakers under one soaring roof. Expect mulled wine, sweet treats and plenty of gifting gold. 11am – 5pm
Fiveways is throwing a big neighbourhood Christmas bash on Saturday with the shops getting involved, plus food stalls, gifts galore, a samba band and a live choir – all wrapped up in twinkly festive spirit. It’s the perfect excuse to shop local, sip something warm and soak up the cheer. 10am – 7pm
For something altogether more deliciously alternative, head over to Daltons on the seafront on Saturday for the Mart-O-Mortis market: art stalls, tarot, festive treats and a line-up designed for Brighton’s spooky-season lovers. 11am – 5pm
And don’t forget the glorious Artists Open Houses festival where you can find studios, living rooms and very chic sheds flinging open their doors across the city. Across Hove, Fiveways, Kemptown, Rottingdean and all the fun bits in between, local artists are turning their homes into mini galleries packed with ceramics, textiles, prints, jewellery and handmade gifts that actually feel thoughtful (and not last-minute-panic-buying from Mr Bezos). These are just some of the houses we’ve got on our hit list. Sat & Sun; free
Sunday
Brighton Beach House (aka Soho House) is throwing open the doors for a one-day makers’ fair on Sunday (midday – 6pm), featuring some of our favourite designers and makers in the city, including Sophie Darling and Solifore. Come for the goods, stay for the views (and the music, mulled wine and mince pies). Entry isn’t automatic, but it’s easy: just DM one of the sellers and you’re on the list.
UnBarred’s taproom is turning into a full-throttle makers market this Sunday with Brighton Hot Sauce, Brighton Gin, Edgecombe Coffee, Mud House Ceramics, and more doing their thing between pints. Shop indie, sip something cold, and call it Christmas shopping. Midday – 6pm
Got a Christmas market coming up? Let us know!
