Newcastle’s Christmas Market Hailed a Huge Success

An independent evaluation report has shown Newcastle’s Christmas Market 2024 was the best one yet, bringing welcome levels of visitors and significant income into the city. 

Organised by Newcastle City Council and NE1, the market ran for five weeks in November and December, again with the emphasis on local traders and with the addition this year of the Festive Family village on Old Eldon Square and the North Pole igloo pods around the Monument complementing the city centre’s already vibrant food and drink offering.

The 2024 market saw a notable increase in the number of visitors compared to the previous year, with 1.76 million visits to the market, a 28% increase on 2023 - equivalent to more than 385,000 additional visits, with the market recorded as busy for all five weeks of its duration.

And significantly, the economic impact of the market also increased considerably, demonstrating the wider benefits such events bring for both businesses and residents from across the city.

Based on the spend in the market and in the city centre by those people who visited specifically because of the market, its economic impact can be calculated at £90.6 million, a substantial 60% increase on the £56.8 million figure from the previous year.

Other key findings showed:

• 89% of those interviewed said the market was better than the 2023 offer, with 88% of all visitors rating it positively and almost 60% rating it in the highest possible terms
  
• 95% of those that were interviewed said that the market was important to Newcastle.
  
• The 2024 Christmas market attracted an increasing proportion of regional visitors, with over three-quarters of those that visited (76%) not living in Newcastle, highlighting the market's increasing attraction as a destination.
  
• 80% of those interviewed felt the focus on local traders made the market better.
• 82% said that the new Christmas Village improved the market this year, with the fact it was family-friendly, located in a safe and dedicated space and offered fun, engaging and interactive activities all mentioned as positives. Hundreds of children from across the city were also able to enjoy the Santa Stories and Elf Workshops as part of the EVRY project.

Visitor figures for the market and the city centre showed that the city centre was particularly busy this year, with footfall on Northumberland Street increasing by 39% for the period 16 November until 22 December compared to the same period in 2023, and in fact footfall during this period was higher this year than any year post-Covid.

And another positive of Newcastle’s Christmas 2024 was that the overall carbon footprint from the events was reduced as generators are no longer used as a power source.

Cllr Abdul Samad, Cabinet member for Culture, Music and Arts at Newcastle City Council said: “I am delighted with how positive the results of this report are.

“We knew that the 2024 Christmas market offered something particularly special, and it was clearly very popular. We now have the figures to evidence this and will build on this success to ensure Christmas 2025 is even better, with preparations starting this month.

“We remain committed to providing free and accessible events for local people all year round and want to encourage more visitors into to our wonderful city. This not only presents an opportunity to showcase what we have on offer in Newcastle, it also means these visitors spend their money here, benefitting local businesses, the local economy and in turn everyone who lives here.

“Newcastle’s Christmas offering obviously has a key role to play in this, with the market being the key attraction. So, it is very encouraging that the economic impact of the 2024 Christmas market has been calculated at nearly £91million and attracted so many people from outside of the city.

“I would like to thank those people who took part in this research and look forward to hearing more about our plans for Christmas 2025 in Newcastle.”

Stephen Patterson, Chief Executive of Newcastle NE1 Ltd said: “This Christmas represented a step-change in our collective, city-wide approach to Newcastle’s festive offer and Christmas Market.

“With the primary focus on local produce, traders and a family friendly offer, the results perfectly illustrate this best-in-class Christmas experience, delivering a significant uplift in visitors, perceptions, and economic impact for the city.

“Christmas is a key priority for Newcastle, and we look forward to continuously improving the offer next year, and over the coming years, with the aim of the delivering the country's finest Christmas experience, to the benefit of residents, businesses and visitors alike.”

A spokesperson from END Clothing in Newcastle said: “We enjoyed a strong Christmas trading period in-store, as Newcastle came alive with increased footfall driven by the Christmas market. There was a vibrant buzz which resonated across the city and was reflected in our store, it was great to see the city come to life over the Christmas period.”