Newcastle's Christmas Celebrations

In our second festive feature, Community Manager Joe tells us about his recent visit to Newcastle’s Christmas celebrations.

I have been to many Christmas markets across the UK and often find the experience feels quite repetitive, with the same stalls on a loop and a wall of people to navigate through. I am glad to say Newcastle’s Christmas experience is very different.

The layout is by far one of the best I have seen. Rather than being confined to a single street or town square, the market spreads across Grey Street, Grainger Street and Nelson Street. This makes it much easier to get around and definitely less stressful.

The streets are well paved and smooth to roll over as a wheelchair user, but look out for the small cable ramps and the crowd control barriers if you are wheeling.

At Old Eldon Square there is also an activity hub featuring an outdoor cinema, baking sessions with Mrs Claus, a grotto where you can visit Santa himself and a ferris wheel. There is an accessible portaloo nearby and for those who need a Changing Places toilet, you will find one in the Eldon Square Shopping Centre.

Old Eldon Square also has a Selfie Station made from a repurposed shipping container, which includes three different scenes for photo opportunities. However, these could be more accessible. So much effort has gone into their design, but they all lack a ramp, which would allow many more people to enjoy the activity.

The ferris wheel has a few steps to board, which is disappointing when other cities have more inclusive attractions that allow users with mobility devices to take part.

The wares on offer across the sixty plus market stalls and food trucks are exceptionally varied, with plenty available from local businesses. You will find everything from handmade jewellery and locally brewed beers and spirits to mac and cheese, hot drinks, marshmallows and so much more.

Many of the stalls are housed in wooden huts with a small lip at the entrance. If you cannot enter the huts, it is still possible to have a peek inside and the traders were happy to show me what they had and bring their card reader over to me.

Between Newcastle Central Station and Grey’s Monument there are two accessible temporary bars with fire pits and live music playing throughout the night. At the monument there is a bar called North Pole, but there are stairs leading up to it.

I was treated to an acoustic version of Mud’s classic, Lonely This Christmas, when I popped into the Moosenwirt tent on Grey Street. The smell of the fire and mulled wine and cider made the experience all the more festive.

I enjoyed my time at the market, but I hope that next year they put the work into improving accessibility. If they do, you will find me at the Moosenwirt tent in December 2026 singing along to some festive favourites.