Christmas markets, the design of the city’s iconic and highly sought-after Christmas mugs for 2023 can now be revealed.
Designed by the council’s inhouse design studio, this year’s edition of the much-coveted mugs which are set to grace many a social media feed over the coming weeks, feature festive Nutcracker designs with a distinctive and on-trend Scandi feel.
The collectible souvenir mugs that for thousands of visitors to Manchester’s Christmas markets help spell the start of the Christmas season, will be available at all of the city centre Christmas market sites from November 10 while stocks last.
Anyone wanting to get their hands on one of the must-have mugs this year is advised to get themselves along to see the markets sooner rather than later and not to leave their visit to the last minute.
The advice comes off the back of last year which saw the 2022 Christmas mugs sell out completely the week before the markets closed, after Christmas Market lovers in Manchester got through a staggering 140,000 specially produced mugs. The sell-out saw market traders bringing out vintage mugs from previous years to keep up with the demand from Christmas shoppers.
Determined not to disappoint festive visitors who just can’t get enough of the collectible Christmas mugs, market bosses have this year ordered in 170,000 of the special edition mugs to try and help make sure visitors to Manchester’s Christmas markets can get their hands on one of the mugs if they want one, whenever they make their visit.
As always Manchester’s special edition Christmas mugs can either be bought outright by Christmas shoppers or ‘rented’ when they purchase a hot drink at one of the Christmas Market stalls.
Customers will be asked to pay a deposit of £3.50 for their mug when they purchase a hot drink and can then either choose to return their mug to the stall afterwards to get their deposit back, or keep the mug and take it home with them as a souvenir of their visit to the markets.
This year’s mugs are already proving a big hit with visitors to the ice-rink in Cathedral Gardens who have been given a sneak preview of the mugs as they treat themselves to a post-skate hot chocolate or two ahead of the citywide Christmas Markets opening next week.
