'It’s a ritual' - why people come back to the Birmingham German Christmas Market every year

Love it or hate it, there’s no denying the popularity of the Birmingham German Christmas Market. Whether you’re there for a lunchtime break, a quiet pint, or a night out, the market has served the city for more than 20 years.

As the market officially opened at 11am on Friday, November 1, 2024, the city centre was busier than usual as people began to take in the festive spirit. We spoke to people on the opening day to get their honest opinions on the annual tradition.

Dawn and Darren Sisson, who had travelled from Hull and estimated that they have visited our German Market at least 15 times. Describing it as their 'favourite Christmas market', the couple spoke to BirminghamLive about why they keep coming back to Brum.

Read more: Birmingham German Christmas Market 2024 opening dates, times, locations and how to get there

Read next: Will you be visiting the Birmingham German Christmas Market this year? Take part in our poll

Darren said: "We’ve visited the Manchester market, we’ve been to Glasgow and Leeds too, but this is the best by a mile. Manchester’s market is quite fragmented and the Leeds one is quite small.

"This is the best set-up. I’ve never felt anything other than safe, to be honest."

Dawn added: "The first place we go to is the garlic bread stand. Then we get potatoes and garlic mushrooms with a beer.

"It’s a ritual, absolutely. Everyone is looking happy. It feels like people have been waiting since 11am for it to open. It’s like somebody has cut a ribbon here."

Dan Tromans, who had made the short train journey from Stourbridge, revealed he visits the market every year. As one of the first people to enjoy a lunchtime pint at the 2024 German Market, Dan spoke about the magic of the market.

He commented: "If anyone knows me, they know I hate the winter. But the German Market and Christmas is a distraction from it. I came up three times last year and it’s always a good atmosphere. It’s a bit expensive but at least the prices haven’t gone up by much.

"Everyone feels happier when the market’s up. In the run-up to Christmas, it’s something to celebrate."

Josh Stevens and Lauren St. Clair live in the city centre and pass by the market frequently when it's here. Although they appreciated the market is popular with tourists, Josh made the case to include more local vendors.

He said: "It’s a good tourist attraction in the city if that’s why you have visited. For me, I wish there were more local producers rather than the same vendors every year. It gives people something to do and it is nice. But as someone who lives in the city centre, it is difficult to get through and gets in the way.

"For me personally, once you have visited it once, you have visited it every year. That’s why it would be nice to get more local people. If you’re looking for good sausages, we have good local people in the city, such as Lashford Sausages and Fat Snags. It would make it more different each year."

Lauren added: "It’s the same stalls repeated over and over again and it gets more expensive every year. We’re in a cost-of-living crisis. It feels like it is getting earlier every year too. I would rather go somewhere different, which is perhaps why I’m jaded about it."

One person who still routinely visits the market is Lee Timmins. Making the trip from Worcester, Lee always makes sure to visit the market three to four times each year.

Lee said: "The first time I visited with my auntie and I’ve been every year since. It marks the countdown to my birthday at the end of the month and Christmas after that.

"I wanted to come in the day before it gets too busy. Last year it started on November 2, this year we’ve got it a day early, which is brilliant."