Devon’s Christmas markets run from the first weekend of November to just before Christmas in 2026. Two are long city markets: Exeter Cathedral Green for a month and Plymouth city centre for nearly four weeks. The rest are one-day or one-weekend events in a market town, a harbour, an abbey and a shopping village. Every date below has been published by the organiser for 2026; markets that have only announced last year’s dates so far are left out, and we will add them once they publish.
2026 dates at a glance
| Market | Where | 2026 dates | Entry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affinity Christmas Market | Affinity Devon, Bideford | Sat 7 and Sun 8 November | Free |
| Exeter Cathedral Christmas Market | Cathedral Green, Exeter | Fri 13 November to Sun 13 December | Free |
| Lanterns, Lights and ‘Luminations | The Quay, Brixham | Fri 20 and Sat 21 November | Street event |
| Buckfast Abbey Christmas Market | Buckfast Abbey, near Buckfastleigh | Thu 26 to Sat 28 November | £1 |
| Plymouth Christmas Market | Armada Way, Plymouth | Thu 26 November to Sun 20 December | Free |
| Christmas Market and Light Switch-On | The Square, Moretonhampstead | Sat 28 November | Free |
| Totnes Christmas Markets | Totnes town centre | Tue 8, 15 and 22 December | Street event |
Exeter Cathedral Christmas Market
The Exeter Cathedral Christmas Market is the largest in Devon and has the longest run, a full month. It opens at 10am on Friday 13 November and closes at 5pm on Sunday 13 December. More than 100 wooden chalets fill Cathedral Green below the west front of Exeter Cathedral, selling crafts, decorations, toys, cheese, preserves and street food. Entry is free.
Typical hours are 10am to 7pm Monday to Wednesday, 10am to 9pm Thursday to Saturday and 11am to 5pm on Sunday, so a Thursday or Friday evening gives you the floodlit cathedral and the longest browsing time. The market’s own website lists the daily times. The green is in the city centre, so arriving by train or using the park-and-ride saves hunting for a space on a December Saturday.
Staying in Exeter: Hotel Indigo Exeter is in the former House of Fraser building on Catherine Street, about a minute’s walk from the cathedral, with a rooftop bar and a spa with sauna and steam room. Southernhay House is a 12-room Georgian townhouse hotel about five minutes from the cathedral on foot. Browse all places to stay in Exeter.
Plymouth Christmas Market
The Plymouth Christmas Market returns for its second year from Thursday 26 November to Sunday 20 December 2026. More than 50 chalets line the square at Armada Way and New George Street, and Crafter’s Cove, new for 2026, gathers more than 20 local makers in one craft village.
Thursday is late-night shopping, with the chalets open from 10am to 9pm. Other days close at 6pm Monday to Wednesday and Friday, 7pm on Saturday and 4pm on Sunday. Santa arrives on the Santa Bus on Wednesday 9 December and stays all day. Armada Way runs south from near the railway station towards the Hoe, so the train drops you at the top of the market. On a wet afternoon, The Box is the city’s museum and gallery.
Staying in Plymouth: Copthorne Hotel Plymouth is a 135-room hotel on Armada Way itself, with on-site parking at £9 for 24 hours. For the Barbican and the Hoe, browse all places to stay in Plymouth.
Totnes Christmas Markets and late-night shopping
Totnes holds its Christmas markets on three Tuesday evenings in 2026: 8, 15 and 22 December, from 3pm to 9pm. Totnes Town Council organises them with live music, street food and craft stalls across the town, and the opening night on 8 December includes the Totnes Carnival Lantern Parade.
Staying in Totnes: The Royal Seven Stars is a 17th-century coaching inn on The Plains, under half a mile from Totnes station, with a log fire in the Saloon Bar. The Steam Packet Inn has six rooms above a riverside pub, free on-site parking and a five-minute walk into the centre. See all places to stay in Totnes.
Lanterns, Lights and ‘Luminations, Brixham
Brixham’s winter festival takes over The Quay on Friday 20 November (4pm to 7pm) and Saturday 21 November 2026 (10am to 7pm). It has run since 2007, and the programme combines a lantern parade, a street market of gifts, food and local crafts, live music and a firework display over the harbour. The parade and fireworks depend on the weather, so check the day before.
Staying in Brixham: 64 Moorings Reach is a top-floor apartment for five looking straight over the harbour and marina, with a small balcony for watching the fireworks. Browse all places to stay in Brixham.
Buckfast Abbey Christmas Market
Buckfast Abbey holds its Christmas market from Thursday 26 to Saturday 28 November 2026, 10am to 5pm each day. Entry costs £1 per person on the day, by cash or card, and parking is free across the abbey car parks. A free Christmas shuttle bus runs on all three days, and arriving on it also gets you in free.
Food runs to turkey baps, mince pies, mulled wine and the monks’ lager and ale. Choirs, handbell ringers and bands play in the Schiller Hall through the day, a mummers’ play is performed outside, and the Abbey Choristers sing an Advent carol service in the abbey church at 4pm.
Staying nearby: Hope Cottage is a stone cottage for two in the centre of Buckfastleigh. Browse places to stay near Buckfastleigh.
Moretonhampstead Christmas Market and Light Switch-On
Moretonhampstead holds a free Christmas market in The Square on Saturday 28 November 2026, from 2pm to 6pm, with festive stalls, community groups and entertainment through the afternoon. The Christmas lights are switched on at 5.30pm.
Staying in Moretonhampstead: Lion House sleeps three in a former bank in the centre of town, still with its original vault door, a woodburner and a roof terrace. Clifford Lodge Barn sleeps six in a converted barn in the town with a woodburning stove. See all places to stay in Moretonhampstead.
Affinity Christmas Market, Bideford
The earliest market in the Devon calendar is at the Affinity Devon outlet centre in Bideford on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November 2026, 10am to 4pm both days. More than 60 Christmas stalls take part, with a mulled wine bar, street food, workshops, a festive trail and children’s entertainment. Entry and parking are both free.
Staying in Bideford: browse all places to stay in Bideford.
Planning a Devon market weekend
- Busiest weekend: 26 to 29 November 2026 has Exeter, Plymouth, Buckfast Abbey and Moretonhampstead all open.
- Evening visits: Exeter stays open until 9pm Thursday to Saturday, Plymouth until 9pm on Thursdays, and the Totnes markets run until 9pm.
- Check before you travel: traffic arrangements, park-and-ride and entertainment times are often confirmed only in the weeks before a market. Our event pages link to their sources.
Questions about Devon Christmas markets
When is Exeter Christmas Market 2026? From 10am on Friday 13 November to 5pm on Sunday 13 December 2026, on Cathedral Green. Entry is free.
When is Plymouth Christmas Market 2026? From Thursday 26 November to Sunday 20 December 2026, on Armada Way and New George Street, with late opening until 9pm on Thursdays.
When are the Totnes Christmas markets in 2026? On Tuesday 8, 15 and 22 December 2026, from 3pm to 9pm.
Which Devon Christmas markets are free? Exeter, Plymouth, Affinity Bideford and Moretonhampstead are free to enter. Buckfast Abbey charges £1 a person, or nothing if you arrive on the free shuttle bus.
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