By james art There will be hot gluhwein, crispy pancakes and lots of sweet and savory treats on offer at the Frankfurt Christmas Market, which has been part of Birmingham’s festive celebrations since the 1990s!
The annual market opens at 5.30pm tonight – Friday November 1 – and is expected to welcome thousands of people from close to start and throughout the festive period.
With almost two months of festive fun to look forward to, we’ve looked at the history, how to get there and what visitors to the Frankfurt Christmas Market can expect.
The market opens today (Friday 1 November) and will run until Tuesday 24 December.
It will serve customers and entertain the crowds Monday through Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. :00 to 21:00
The market will also be closed until 1pm on November 10 for Remembrance Sunday.
The market starts at the end of New Street near the entrance to the Bull Ring, where a bar and an area offering sausages and pork sandwiches can be found.
From there, visitors can walk up New Street with the market located in the middle of the street and stalls on each side, stopping just before the junction of New Street and Stephenson Street.
Cross the road and it’s a short walk to the junction of Temple Street and New Street where one of the largest outdoor bars can be found and the next chain of stalls begins.
This circuit finishes at the steps of Victoria Square, along Pinfold Street, then starts again, bypassing Pinfold Street tube station and past Birmingham City Hall, as well as extending around Victoria Square, with bars at either end and in the middle and range from food stalls.
Visitors can enjoy sweet and savory delights at the Frankfurt Christmas Market, with bratwursts, schnitzels, pretzels and garlic bread, as well as mulled mulled wine, mugs of beer and hot chocolates.
The price of a pint of beer has risen by 50p since 2023 and now costs £7 a pint, with a half pint costing £4.50 and a double pint costing £12, while gluhwein is £6.50 a glass.
For those who want to eat, a standard size bratwurst is £6.50 and a half meter long bratwurst is £9, while a currywurst is £7, as is a pork chop and berlin donuts are £3 each or £10 for four .
Prices are as follows:
Drink prices
Pint of beer – £7
Half pint of beer – £4.50
Double pint – £12.50
Wheat beer – £6.50
Shandy Pint – £7
Non-alcoholic beer – £7
Gluhwein – £6.50
Christmas Aperol Spritz – £7.50
Christmas Prosecco – £6
Baileys Hot Chocolate – £7
Soft drinks – £2.50
Water – £1.50
Food prices
Bratwurst – £6.50
Half a meter long bratwurst – £9
Frankfurt Sausage – £5.50
Currywurst – £7
Vegan Bratwurst – £6.50
Burger – £5
Pork Steak – £7
Chips – £4
Garlic bread – from £4
Falafel Wrap – £6
Bagels – from £4
Pancakes – from £4.50
Roasted almonds (per 100g) – from £4.50
Donuts – £3 for one, four for £10
Chocolate marshmallows – £1.50 each, nine for £10 or 20 for £20
Nuremberg Gingerbread – from £3 each, five for £12.90 or £24.90 for 10
Churros – from £4.50
Toffee Apple – £3.50
Pick and mix sweets (per 100g) – £2.90
Mini Proffertjes Pancakes – from £4.50
The Birmingham Christmas Market in Frankfurt has a rule that limits the number of alcoholic beverages that can be purchased per person, which is set at one drink per person.
Stall owners are only allowed to sell one alcoholic drink per person and staff must see who the drinks are going to.
Organizers said the rule is in place to ensure underage patrons do not purchase alcoholic beverages.
A message on the Frankfurt Christmas Market website reads: “If you are lucky enough to look under 25, you will be asked to prove you are 18 or over when purchasing age-restricted products.
“Acceptable forms of ID are a photo driver’s license or passport.
“Please bring the correct form of identification with you as the bar staff are not authorized to accept any other forms of identification.”
There will also be live performances on the stage in Victoria Square with open mic sessions on Mondays giving young, up and coming acts and musicians the chance to showcase their talents.
The top two acts will perform in primetime in December.
Choirs from local schools, charities and community groups will also take part in the market’s community music programme.
German musicians will perform during weekday lunches and dinners each day, with local acts performing between 12pm and 6pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
The Frankfurt Christmas Market had humble beginnings, starting in 1997 as a small event of 10 stalls as part of a collaboration between twin cities Birmingham and Frankfurt.
It then returned to the city in 2001 with 24 stalls around Victoria Square and has since grown, with more than 60 stalls now open during the market.
Where can I find more information about the Birmingham Christmas Market in Frankfurt?
For more information about the city’s Frankfurt Christmas Market, visit the Frankfurt Christmas Market in Birmingham website,