Guide to Christmas Markets in East London

8th December 2021

Christmas Market Season Has Come Around

Christmas markets transform the main squares of cities across the world into winter wonderlands every holiday season. Wooden huts, twinkling lights, mulled wine, a holiday atmosphere and fabulous gifts, as Christmas carols fill the air. 

East London Christmas markets are a perfect preamble to winter holidays. They’re full of unique products with a variety so extensive you can complete your whole shopping list at one event. 

Step into a world of festive delights with some of the best Christmas markets and winter fairs. Walk through a winter wonderland of handmade treasures and be inspired for your Christmas presents or discover unique gifts for your loved ones. 

Here are some of the best markets in east London, each offering something a little different so you can choose the one that suits you best.
 

Christmas markets at Old Spitalfields Markets

Step into Christmas with character at Old Spitalfields Market this winter, where you’ll find thoughtful gifting and neighbourhood festivities all under one roof. 
Old Spitalfields Market will be holding a series of shopping events and host a fantastic array of guest markets in the run-up to Christmas. 

Open seven days a week, it is the perfect antidote to the high street. The market brings together small producers and local creatives with original independent retailers and a few well-known brands under one historic roof.

You can find Old Spitalfield Market at 16 Horner Square, London, E1 6EW.
 

Hackney Bridge Festive Fair Market

With the festive season fast approaching, Hackney Bridge will be hosting weekly markets on Thursday evenings until 23rd December. Perfect for picking up unique gifts, Christmas decorations and much more. Plus, there’ll be mulled wine available!

Get yourself into the Christmas Spirit at Units 1-28, ECHO BUILDING, East Bay Lane, London E15 2SJ.
 

Aldgate in Winter

Aldgate in Winter is returning for the fifth year! Enjoy festive food, music, performances, and activities in one of London’s most historical sites until the 17th of December. Try a wreath-making workshop or head to Aldgate Lantern Parade as it weaves through the city streets led by Barbican’s Drum Works. There will also be light installations that will illuminate windows across the area.

Aldgate in Winter is at Aldgate High Street, London, EC3N 1AF.
 

Christmas Shopping Lates at Spitalfields 

If you need an extra hand organising time to complete your Christmas shopping – you’re in luck! Visit Spitalfields Market for two nights of late-night shopping on Wednesday 15th December and Wednesday 22nd December.

Market traders and boutique stores will remain open until 9 pm, and there will be live music to keep you entertained while you make your way through your shopping list. 

Christmas Shopping Lates waits for you at Spitalfields Estate, 65 Brushfield Street, London, E1 6AA.
 

Stepney City Farm’s Annual Christmas Fair

After a year off, Stepney City Farm’s annual Christmas Fair is back on Saturday 11 December, 10 am-5 pm!

Shop local for Christmas, with 35 stalls offering delicious seasonal produce and festive crafts, and soak up the atmosphere with some mulled wine and a brass band performing sets across the day. Resident artists will be opening their studios for the day, and you’ll be able to enjoy lunch with broad offerings from both street food vendors and an onsite cafe, The Allotment Kitchen.

They can’t wait to see you there, and you’ll find them at Stepney Way, London, E1 3DG.
 

Columbia Road Christmas Wednesdays

Every Wednesday evening until 18 December, the cobbled street lined with independent shops and Victorian street lamps will open to visitors looking for a late-night shopping experience. With shops staying open until 11 pm and all brimming with unique gifts, there are few better places to stock up on Christmas presents.

It’s a chance to grab your Christmas tree, select fragrant festive greenery, enjoy carol singers and sip on mulled wine while you shop. Visit tiny houses with unique and fairy-tale shopfronts and buy hanging plants, hand-crafted gardening tools, kitchen utensils, vintage furniture, and unique home decorations. After the shopping, you can get cosy with a drink in one of the nearby pubs and London’s streets full of Christmas lights and decorations.

This excellent flower market awaits you at Columbia Road, London E2 7RG.


Nothing says Christmas like a proper Christmas market. All that mulled wine winter feasting and festive fun – what are you waiting for?