By Mollie Hinds
Visitors have described the 2025 Christmas market in Leicester as “disappointing” and “dull” after arriving to find only a small number of stalls, limited activities, and what many felt was a lack of atmosphere.
What had been advertised “to be bigger, brighter, and more magical than ever before” featured about 12 stalls, selling non-seasonal goods such as accessories, discount clothing and trinkets, with a choice of five different food stalls.
Some attendees said the event did not resemble a traditional Christmas market at all.
Sarah Whitfield, 35, who brought her two children, said she was left “embarrassed” after hyping up the event to her family.
“I genuinely thought we’d walked into the wrong place,” she said. “There were hardly any stalls, you can’t hear the music, nothing festive about it. The kids were bored within five minutes.”
Other visitors complained that the small number of stalls made the market feel underwhelming and the prices were high – a Yorkshire pudding wrap with chicken, vegetables, and roast potatoes, with either apple or cranberry sauce and gravy, cost £10.
Another stall was selling a portion of plain chips for £6.
The market, which was promoted as a seasonal attraction for families and shoppers, featured a limited number of stalls and minimal decoration.
James Loughton, 27, who attended after seeing the event promoted on social media, said the market felt “unfinished.”
“It was basically just a few random stalls placed around the city,” he said. “No activities except ice-skating, a Ferris Wheel and some children’s rides. No cheerfulness, no proper layout, just people sat on their phones.”
Visitors expressed frustration that organisers had promised a “bigger and better” market following last year’s mixed reviews. Instead, visitors described this year’s event as underwhelming.
The council has so far not responded to several attempts by the Leicestershire Press to ask questions about why the market featured so few traders or whether cancellations contributed to a reduced event.
