Leeds Council to begin search for new operator of Christmas Market on City Square from 2026
A search is underway to appoint a new operator of the Leeds Christmas Market on City Square.
Leeds Christmas Market was brought back by Leeds City Council in 2023 after a brief hiatus, with a market operator being awarded a three-year contract to deliver the market until 2025. As such, a procurement must be carried out to find a market operator for the next three-year contract period.
The market is delivered entirely on City Square. It is a complementary offer to the Council’s separate existing ‘Ice Cube at Christmas’ and other associated activity delivered on Millennium Square and Cookridge Street.
“The Christmas Market is an important footfall driver for the city centre at a key time of year for retail and hospitality businesses. The additional footfall and associated spend supports the city centre economy,” a council report said.
“The continuation of the Leeds Christmas Market will allow the Council to build on the previous three years, where the market has been re-established in the city centre. This is an opportunity to build on the overall quality of the Christmas Market and continue to promote Leeds as an attractive visitor destination at Christmas time, encouraging day trips as well as driving overnight stays.”
Proposal would secure the future of Leeds Christmas Market for the medium term. The contract period will run from 2026 until 2029, with an option to extend for a further period one year beyond that.
The expected value of the initial contract period is £232,000, which will be generated through a site fee and through a License to occupy City Square. The contract extension is expected to generate a further £73,000 in total.