"Too expensive" - The five big changes YEP readers want at this year's Leeds Christmas Market

While the festive season might still feel a lifetime away (and we hear some of you in the comments section), Leeds residents are already making their thoughts clear on how the city's festive centrepiece needs to change.

Following mixed reviews of the revamped, multi-site festive market layout introduced in recent years, we asked our readers what specific improvements they want to see ahead of the winter season.

From calls to completely rethink pricing strategies to demands for a return to tradition - and some calling for it to be scrapped altogether (humbug!) - hundreds of locals made their voices heard.

The feedback reveals a strong desire to fix the local festive experience, with many warning that the current format is pricing out ordinary working families.

Here are the five most requested changes Leeds residents want to see at this year's Christmas Market, according to the comments on the Yorkshire Evening Post Facebook page.

Five changes readers of the Yorkshire Evening Post want to see at this year’s Leeds Christmas Market

1. Make the event affordable for everyone

By far the most overwhelming complaint from visitors centres on the soaring cost of food, drinks, and gifts.

Readers have roundly labelled the current market setup as "too expensive" for the average family, with many calling for a strict cap on retail and food prices.

Sue Maughan summarised the widespread mood, stating the event desperately needs to be made "affordable for everyone," while others suggested that council organisers should lower rent costs for stallholders so those savings can finally be passed down to consumers.

2. Bring back the traditional German market theme

There is a massive wave of nostalgia for the original Christkindelmarkt setup that occupied Millennium Square for nearly two decades.

Many residents are demanding that organisers ditch the contemporary local craft stalls and steer the event back toward its authentic roots.

Commenters widely urged the city to "make it German again," expressing frustration over a perceived over-saturation of generic food stalls and calling for the immediate return of the iconic, indoor German Beer Hall to restore the market's classic winter magic.

3. Centralise the stalls at a single venue

The decision to spread market stalls across multiple distinct streets and squares throughout the city centre continues to divide opinion, with many branding the current layout as "too spread out and disjointed."

Instead of a sprawling trail, readers want a single, dense hub to generate a proper festive atmosphere.

Interestingly, a popular alternative destination has emerged among locals, with multiple residents suggesting the event should be relocated directly into the historic Leeds Kirkgate Market hall and its surrounding outdoor stall areas to keep everything protected and cohesive.

4. Introduce better stall variety and diversity

Shoppers are growing tired of seeing the same products overlapping across the city centre.

The feedback highlights a distinct lack of variety, with visitors noting there are "too many similar stalls" offering identical items year after year.

Residents are asking for a much more diverse selection of independent traders and unique gift options, alongside a conscious reduction in the sheer number of duplicate fast-food outlets that currently dominate the walkways.

5. Provide live entertainment and warm indoor seating

Going to the market used to be an all-evening experience, but readers feel the current setup lacks the infrastructure to keep people on-site.

Commenter Christine Thom noted that the event urgently "needs activities going on so you can sit and watch and be entertained too whilst eating."

Alongside calls for dedicated Christmas music to be played across the site, there is a loud demand for organisers to bring back large, heated indoor seating areas so families can escape the winter freeze and enjoy their food comfortably.