Christmas markets closed by wind
18 UK Christmas markets, winter fairs and switch-ons cancelled, closed or cut short by wind since December 2023. 3 named storms account for most of them. Updated through the season.
Winter 2026/27
| Date | Place | Event | What happened | Storm | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 9 Oct 2026 | South Tyneside | Two North East markets cancelled this weekend due to strong winds with 41mph gusts expected | Two North East markets cancelled this weekend due to strong winds with 41mph gusts expected | Chronicle Live |
Winter 2025/26
| Date | Place | Event | What happened | Storm | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue, 9 Dec 2025 | Edinburgh | Edinburgh Christmas market attractions | Closed under yellow wind warnings | Storm Bram | Edinburgh Evening News |
| Tue, 9 Dec 2025 | Glasgow | Glasgow Green and St Enoch Christmas markets | Closed on safety grounds | Storm Bram | Glasgow Times |
| Tue, 9 Dec 2025 | Belfast | Belfast Christmas Market | Shut for the day | Storm Bram | Belfast Telegraph |
| Sat, 6 Dec 2025 | Bargoed | Bargoed Christmas Market | Cancelled the day before on a forecast of gusts up to 43mph, above the limits for market stalls. The third year running it was lost to weather | Caerphilly Observer | |
| Sat, 6 Dec 2025 | Swanage | Swanage Christmas market | Postponed because of high winds forecast | Swanage News | |
| Mon, 1 Dec 2025 | Winchester | Winchester Cathedral Christmas market | Closed early in strong wind and rain | Hampshire Chronicle |
Winter 2024/25
| Date | Place | Event | What happened | Storm | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, 7 Dec 2024 | Rochester | Dickensian Festival and Christmas Market | Cancelled | Storm Darragh | Kent Live |
| Sat, 7 Dec 2024 | Leeds | Leeds Christmas Market, City Square | Closed all Saturday under a yellow wind warning | Storm Darragh | Yorkshire Evening Post |
| Sat, 7 Dec 2024 | Belfast | Belfast City Hall Christmas Market | Closed on Saturday under an amber wind warning | Storm Darragh | Belfast Media |
| Sat, 7 Dec 2024 | Brighton | Brighton Winter Fayre | Closed for the weekend | Storm Darragh | The Argus |
| Sat, 7 Dec 2024 | Stratford-upon-Avon | Stratford Christmas market | Postponed by the district council | Storm Darragh | BBC News |
| Fri, 6 Dec 2024 | Melton Mowbray | Christmas lights switch-on and Christmas market | Switch-on cancelled with gusts forecast to 60mph; market hours cut and the weekend market moved under cover | Storm Darragh | Melton Borough Council |
| Fri, 6 Dec 2024 | Rochester | Rochester Christmas Market at the castle | Castle Gardens closed from 6pm, including the market, funfair and Christmas village | Storm Darragh | Medway Council |
| Sat, 23 Nov 2024 | Bromsgrove | Christmas lights switch-on and festive market | Cancelled, with some stalls moved indoors | Storm Bert | Bromsgrove Standard |
| Sat, 23 Nov 2024 | Alnwick | Alnwick Christmas market | Cancelled for both days, 23 and 24 November | Storm Bert | Northumberland Gazette |
| Sat, 23 Nov 2024 | Oxford | Christmas in Broad Street | Opening delayed by a day; stalls traded from Sunday afternoon | Storm Bert | Oxford Mail |
Winter 2023/24
| Date | Place | Event | What happened | Storm | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, 9 Dec 2023 | Chichester | Chichester Christmas Cheer market | Cancelled for the day because of high winds predicted for later that day | Chichester District Council |
What the record shows
Most closures come in clusters on the weekends a named storm crosses the country, often decided the day before on the forecast. Storm Darragh in December 2024 closed markets from Belfast to Brighton on a single Saturday.
Organisers call them off at gusts well below a storm’s headline speed, because stalls and gazebos have low limits. See the published market wind limits and this season’s storm names.
Know of a closure that isn’t listed? Email the report to hello@gustline.co.uk.
How Gustline helps
Gustline watches the forecast for your market's own site against each structure's limit, so the call can be made days ahead rather than on the morning.
Gustline checks the Met Office site-specific forecast for the point you pin on the map, every six hours from a week out and every hour in the final three days. It compares the forecast gust with the rated limit you enter for each structure and checks the weather alerts you leave on for the event. When a level changes it emails and texts the people you choose. Every alert is logged with a timestamp.
Gustline is an early warning for planning. It does not replace checks on site on the day, the official warnings or your event's own plans.
Plans start at £19 for one event. A season pass is £99 a season and a year pass is £179 a year. It covers the UK only.
Set up alerts for your next eventRead next
- Christmas market winter weather checklist
Wind, ice, snow, fog, rain and flood for Christmas markets: what council market policies, MUTA, HSE, ADIPS and the Met Office say to plan for.
- Market adverse weather policies: what councils write
What council market adverse weather policies say about gust limits, Met Office warnings, decision times, staffing, pitch fees, snow and heat.
- Met Office weather warnings for event organisers
What yellow, amber and red Met Office warnings mean for an outdoor event. Each colour combines impact and likelihood, so no colour means a set wind speed.