Dates set for return of city's Christmas market

Birmingham's annual Frankfurt Christmas Market attracts millions of visitors to the city each year

The dates for the opening of Birmingham's Frankfurt Christmas market have been confirmed.

Birmingham City Council said the popular festive attraction, which runs for seven weeks, will return to the city centre from 1 November to 24 December.

Described as the largest authentic German Christmas market outside of Germany and Austria, the event features dozens of stalls in the heart of the city, along New Street and Victoria Square.

The annual market, which has been running almost continuously since 1997, attracts millions of people to the city each year.

What time will it open?

The market will be in operation from 1 November to 24 December

The market will open daily during its seven-week run.

According to the event website, opening hours are 11:00 to 21:00 GMT from Monday to Thursday.

Fridays and the weekend will see slightly longer opening hours, with the event starting an hour earlier at 10:00 GMT on Saturday and Sunday and closing at about 21:30 GMT.

On Remembrance Sunday on 10 November, the market would not open until 13:00 GMT, operator Frankfurt Christmas Market Ltd said.

What can visitors expect?

Dozens of stalls offering food, drink and gifts will line the city centre

The attraction features dozens of stalls and vendors, often in recognisable wooden huts.

The stalls, which stretch along the city centre, offer visitors a range of traditional goods and gifts, as well as festive food and drink and traditional German delicacies, such as bratwurst and strudel.

Organisers said people would also be entertained with live music sessions at lunchtimes and evenings on weekdays and all day at weekends, featuring musicians from both Germany and Birmingham.

Choirs from schools and community groups will feature in the community music programme on weekend mornings, with a new talent showcase set to take place on Monday evenings.

Details of the stage programme will be available on the website nearer the time.

How can people get there?

The council said the market was the "highlight" of the city's festive calendar

Organisers said "ample" parking was available within the vicinity of the Christmas Market, with a number of city centre car parks nearby.

For those travelling by train, the city's three mainline stations, including New Street, were within "easy walking distance" of the event, they added.

Visitors can also get to the market with the help of local buses and trams.