The Best Christmas Markets in Kent 2026
Kent's historic cities, seaside towns and market squares come alive throughout November and December with Christmas markets, festive food and independent traders.
From more than 120 stalls beneath Rochester Castle to Folkestone Harbour's colourful Festive Marketplace and the wooden chalets of The Pantiles, there are Christmas markets across Kent for everything from artisan gifts and local food to mulled wine and family entertainment.
Whether you are planning a festive shopping trip, looking for a Christmas market near you or simply want somewhere atmospheric to spend a December afternoon, here is our guide to the best Christmas markets in Kent in 2026.
2026 update: Many of Kent's biggest markets have already announced their dates. A small number, including Canterbury and Faversham, are confirmed to return but have not yet published their complete 2026 visitor timetable. We will continue updating this guide as Christmas approaches.
1. Folkestone Festive Marketplace
Address: Folkestone Harbour Arm, Harbour Approach Road, Folkestone, Kent CT20 1QH
Dates: 13 November to 24 December 2026
Opening times: Fridays and Saturdays 11am to 7pm; Sundays 11am to 6pm; 21 to 24 December 11am to 6pm
Christmas lights launch: Friday 13 November, 4pm to 8pm, with the switch-on at 7pm
Market type: Independent makers, festive food, gifts and entertainment
Booking: General marketplace visits do not require timed attraction booking
Best for: Our favourite all-round Christmas market atmosphere in Kent
Why visit: Folkestone Harbour's Festive Marketplace remains one of Kent's most distinctive Christmas destinations.
The Marketplace returns for its sixth year in 2026, bringing independent traders into the Harbour's fisherman-style market huts alongside street food, festive entertainment and events around the Goods Yard. The season begins with the Christmas lights switch-on on Friday 13 November before continuing every weekend until Christmas.
Unlike a conventional town-centre Christmas market, Folkestone's wider Harbour setting is a major part of the experience. Visitors can browse independent traders, stop for food and drinks and enjoy views across the harbour before exploring the Old High Street and Creative Quarter.
The market then opens daily from 21 to 24 December for last-minute Christmas shopping.
Visit Kent Guide tip: Go in the late afternoon. You can explore the harbour before dark, stay for the lights and food, then walk into Folkestone for dinner. If you are visiting from outside Kent, this is also one of the markets worth turning into an overnight coastal break.
A wonderful Christmas time: Folkestone’s Festive Marketplace
2. Canterbury Christmas Market
Location: Whitefriars Shopping Centre & St George’s Street, Canterbury
2026 dates: November to December 2026 - exact dates still to be announced
Market type: Large city-centre Christmas market
Admission: 2026 visitor details to be confirmed
Best for: Christmas shopping combined with a day in Canterbury
Why visit: Canterbury has developed one of the largest and most atmospheric Christmas markets in Kent.
The festive market spreads through the historic city centre, combining independent Christmas stalls with Canterbury's permanent shops, restaurants and historic attractions.
VisitEngland has already confirmed the return of Canterbury Christmas Market for November and December 2026, although the organiser has not yet released the final 2026 dates and opening timetable.
The market expanded considerably in 2025, including trading areas around Whitefriars and the Cathedral Precincts, creating a much larger festive route through the city.
Its central setting is one of Canterbury's biggest advantages. You can combine Christmas shopping with the Cathedral, independent shops around the King's Mile and food and drink throughout the city centre.
Visit Kent Guide tip: I would keep Canterbury high in this guide despite the dates still being TBC. It is one of the major Kent markets and the 2026 season is confirmed. Update this listing as soon as the organiser publishes its final November and December timetable.
Canterbury Christmas Market
3. Rochester Dickensian Christmas Festival & Market
Location: Moat Cottage, 7 Castle Hill, Rochester ME1 1QQ
Dates: 27 November to 13 December 2026, across three weekends
Opening times: Fridays 12pm to 9pm; Saturdays 10am to 9pm; Sundays 10am to 6pm
Admission: Free
Stalls: More than 120
Dickensian Christmas Festival: 5 and 6 December 2026
Best for: The biggest traditional Christmas market experience in Kent
Why visit: Rochester Christmas Market is one of Kent's headline festive events.
More than 120 stalls fill Rochester Castle Gardens over three weekends, selling artisan products, gifts, clothing, homeware and food beneath the Norman castle.
The market attracts around 250,000 visitors and is described by Visit Medway as Kent's largest free-to-enter public Christmas market. A funfair, live bandstand entertainment and festive food and drink add to the atmosphere.
The biggest weekend is 5 and 6 December, when the market coincides with the Rochester Dickensian Christmas Festival. Costumed characters, parades, street entertainment, performances and guaranteed snow transform the wider historic centre.
Rochester station is approximately a five-minute walk from the Castle Gardens, and organisers actively encourage visitors to use public transport because central parking is limited.
Visit Kent Guide tip: Choose the Dickensian weekend for the biggest spectacle, but choose one of the other weekends if your priority is actually browsing the Christmas stalls. The Dickensian Festival attracts particularly large crowds.
The Dickensian Parade at the Christmas festival in Rochester
4. The Pantiles Boutique Christmas Market
Address: The Pantiles, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent
Dates: Selected dates from 13 November to 24 December 2026
Opening times: 11am to 8pm on market days; Christmas Eve closes at 6pm
Market type: Boutique wooden chalets, artisan gifts and festive food
Best for: Boutique gifts and an evening Christmas market
Why visit: The Pantiles is one of the most attractive Christmas-market settings in West Kent.
Its Georgian colonnade transforms with decorated wooden chalets, independent retailers, festive food and drink, live entertainment and family attractions.
The 2026 Boutique Christmas Market begins on Friday 13 November and runs every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through to 20 December, before opening daily from 21 to 24 December. Most market days run from 11am to 8pm.
The market is deliberately curated rather than enormous, with The Pantiles focusing on independent retailers, artisan products and distinctive gifts.
The surrounding restaurants, cafés, pubs and shops make it particularly good for an evening visit rather than a standalone daytime shopping trip.
Visit Kent Guide tip: Arrive around 3pm or 4pm. Browse while there is still some daylight, stay as the lights come on and book somewhere around The Pantiles for dinner afterwards.
5. Tenterden Christmas Market
Address: High Street, Tenterden, Kent TN30 6BN
Dates: Thursday 19 to Sunday 22 November 2026
Opening times: Final daily opening times still to be announced
Market type: Street food, artisan produce, crafts and Christmas gifts
Best for: A traditional small-town Christmas atmosphere
Why visit: Tenterden's wide High Street provides an ideal setting for a traditional festive market.
The 2026 Christmas Market takes place over four days from 19 to 22 November, with traders selling international street food, artisan groceries, handmade arts and crafts, clothing, jewellery, accessories and Christmas gifts.
Local musicians and community groups provide festive entertainment, while Tenterden's permanent independent shops and cafés stay part of the experience.
The town's Christmas lights provide an additional festive backdrop once darkness falls.
Tenterden is particularly good for visitors who prefer traditional market-town surroundings to a large commercial shopping centre.
Visit Kent Guide tip: Combine the market with the rest of Tenterden High Street rather than concentrating solely on the temporary stalls. It is one of Kent's strongest towns for independent shopping throughout the year.
6. Broadditch Authentic Christmas Market
Address: Broadditch Farm Shop, Manor Farm, New Barn Road, Southfleet, Kent DA13 9PU
Dates: Friday 13 to Sunday 15 November 2026
Opening times: Friday 3pm to 9pm; Saturday and Sunday 10am to 5pm
Admission: Free
Parking: £3 per vehicle, supporting local charities
Stalls: More than 70
Best for: Getting Christmas shopping started early
Why visit: Broadditch Farm offers one of Kent's biggest early-season Christmas markets.
More than 70 stallholders take over two decorated barns, selling artisan food and drink, Christmas decorations, artwork and gifts. Outside, local singers perform around the entertainment area alongside hot-food traders, drinks and licensed bars.
General admission is free, while parking costs £3 per vehicle with proceeds supporting local charities.
Broadditch's permanent Christmas Shop and Festive Food Hall remain open after the market weekend through to Christmas Eve, meaning the farm continues to work as a festive-shopping destination even after the main event finishes.
Dogs are permitted in the outdoor areas but not inside the market barns, except assistance dogs.
Visit Kent Guide tip: Friday evening is the most atmospheric option, while Saturday or Sunday may be better if you want time to properly browse the stalls. Wear suitable shoes because parking and outdoor areas are on a working farm.
7. Kent Festive Gift & Food Show
Address: Kent Showground, Detling, Maidstone, Kent ME14 3JF
Dates: Friday 20 to Sunday 22 November 2026
Opening times: 10am to 4pm; premium ticket holders can enter from 9.30am
Tickets: From £9 online for adults, with several ticket options available
Parking: Free
Market type: Large indoor and outdoor festive shopping show
Best for: Christmas shopping whatever the weather
Why visit: The Kent Festive Gift & Food Show is less of a traditional wooden-chalet market and more of an enormous Christmas shopping event.
Returning to the Kent Showground from 20 to 22 November 2026, the show combines two exhibition halls with outdoor traders, Christmas cabins, festive food and drink, entertainment and seasonal activities.
The 2026 programme includes a dedicated Festive Food & Drink Hall, Christmas cabins, live entertainment, wreath-making demonstrations, a giant snow globe and reindeer on the Saturday and Sunday.
Online adult tickets currently start from £9 for afternoon admission, with standard, premium and multi-day ticket options also available. Parking is free.
Unlike many town-centre markets, Kent Showground is not conveniently served by public transport, so this is one event where driving is the practical option.
Visit Kent Guide tip: Choose this one if the weather forecast is terrible. Much of the shopping takes place inside the exhibition halls, making it one of the safest options for a wet November weekend.
8. Faversham Christmas Markets
Address: Market Place and Court Street, Faversham, Kent ME13 7AG
2026 dates: Christmas Market Weekend confirmed, with final dates still to be published
Market type: Charter Market, artisan market, antiques and local produce
Admission: Traditionally free
Best for: Local produce and genuinely independent Christmas shopping
Why visit: Christmas markets feel particularly appropriate in Faversham, where markets have formed part of the town's identity for centuries.
The town operates three regular markets: Faversham Charter Market, Best of Faversham and the Antiques & Vintage Market.
Faversham Market's current 2026 calendar confirms that all three markets will also trade during the town's Christmas Markets Weekend, although the dedicated 2026 Christmas weekend timetable has not yet been published.
Expect local produce, artisan food and drink, crafts, jewellery, homeware, vintage finds and Christmas gifts across the historic town centre.
Visit Kent Guide tip: This is another listing to update as soon as the final December programme appears. I would keep it in the article now because Faversham has a dedicated official Christmas Market Weekend and strong year-round market credentials.
9. Broadstairs Christmas Market
Address: Pierremont Hall, Broadstairs, Kent
Date: Saturday 28 November 2026
Opening times: 11am to 5pm
Market type: Crafts, artisan traders, gifts and festive food
Best for: Combining Christmas shopping with the Kent coast
Why visit: Broadstairs joins Kent's 2026 Christmas market calendar with a dedicated one-day event at historic Pierremont Hall.
The Christmas Market runs from 11am to 5pm on Saturday 28 November, with artisan traders, food vendors, live music and festive shopping.
Its location in the centre of Broadstairs makes it easy to combine with the town's independent shops, cafés and seafront.
Unlike Rochester or Canterbury, this is a compact one-day market, making it better suited to visitors who want Christmas shopping as part of a broader coastal day out.
Visit Kent Guide tip: Start at the market, walk down through Broadstairs towards Viking Bay afterwards and finish with food or drinks in town.
10. Westgate Hall Christmas Market, Canterbury
Address: Westgate Hall, Westgate Hall Road, Canterbury, Kent CT1 2BT
Dates: Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 December 2026
Admission: Free
Market type: Indoor Kent makers and producers market
Best for: Last-minute locally made Christmas gifts
Why visit: Westgate Hall provides a useful alternative to Canterbury's larger city-centre Christmas Market.
Its December market runs on 19 and 20 December 2026 and brings together Kent makers, artists, craftspeople and producers under one roof.
Visitors can browse dozens of stalls containing locally made crafts, homeware, jewellery, gifts and Kent produce, with general entry free.
Its position immediately before Christmas makes it particularly useful for last-minute gifts, while the indoor setting provides useful protection from December weather.
Visit Kent Guide tip: Combine it with Canterbury's wider Christmas shopping. Westgate Hall is close enough to the city centre that there is no need to choose between the artisan market and Canterbury's main festive areas.
Frequently asked questions
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Some of the strongest Christmas markets in Kent include Folkestone Festive Marketplace, Canterbury Christmas Market, Rochester Christmas Market, The Pantiles Boutique Christmas Market, Tenterden Christmas Market, Broadditch Christmas Market and Faversham Christmas Markets.
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Rochester Christmas Market describes itself as Kent's largest free-to-enter public Christmas market, with more than 120 stalls and around 250,000 visitors.
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Rochester Christmas Market runs across three weekends from 27 November to 13 December 2026. The Dickensian Christmas Festival takes place on 5 and 6 December.
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Folkestone Festive Marketplace begins on Friday 13 November and continues on selected days until Christmas Eve, 24 December 2026.
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Tenterden Christmas Market takes place from Thursday 19 to Sunday 22 November 2026.
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Many are. Rochester and Broadditch are both free to enter, while Westgate Hall's December market in Canterbury also has free admission. Other attractions, rides and ticketed festive shows may charge separately.
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The Pantiles focuses on curated independent traders and artisan products, while Faversham is particularly strong for locally made crafts, produce, vintage items and independent businesses.
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Rochester is one of the strongest options because the market includes a funfair and entertainment, while visiting during the Dickensian Christmas Festival adds characters, parades and street performances.
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Policies vary. Rochester welcomes dogs on leads, although organisers warn that busy periods may not suit every animal. Broadditch allows well-behaved dogs in its outdoor areas but not inside the market barns, except assistance dogs.
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