Edinburgh, Winchester and York lead a new Koozai study of Google searches for Christmas markets across the UK.
With festive markets preparing to welcome visitors, we’ve been looking at which destinations attract the most online search interest.
Using Semrush data collected on 15 October 2026, we compared estimated UK Google searches for 30 Christmas market destinations.
Edinburgh came top for its main search term, with an estimated 27,100 searches per month. Winchester and York followed jointly with 22,200 each, ahead of Bath with 18,100.
The results show some interesting differences between destinations, including a particularly strong performance from Winchester.
These figures measure searches for specific phrases, rather than total visitor interest or attendance. We’ll explain exactly how we collected and compared the data below.
Key findings from the research
- Edinburgh topped the primary-keyword rankings with an estimated 27,100 UK searches per month.
- Winchester and York shared second place, each recording 22,200.
- Winchester’s main keyword attracted nearly 12 times the searches recorded for Southampton’s equivalent term.
- Bath ranked fourth, ahead of Birmingham, Chester and Liverpool.
- Manchester demonstrated why keyword variations matter: the plural phrase “Manchester Christmas markets” received considerably more searches than the singular version.
Our research also found continued searches for Lincoln Christmas Market, despite the former large-scale event having ended.
These findings provide a snapshot of online search interest, not a prediction of how many people will visit each market this Christmas.
- 27K Edinburgh
- 22K Winchester
- 22K York
The UK’s most searched-for Christmas market keywords
We compared one main search phrase for each of the 30 destinations in our study.
The table shows estimated average monthly UK Google searches, based on Semrush data collected on 15 October 2026.
The rankings apply to these specific phrases. Other searches, including plural versions and alternative event names, are not included in this table.
| Rank | Christmas market destination | Monthly UK searches |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edinburgh | 27,100 |
| =2 | Winchester | 22,200 |
| =2 | York | 22,200 |
| 4 | Bath | 18,100 |
| 5 | Birmingham | 14,800 |
| 6 | Chester | 9,900 |
| =7 | Liverpool | 8,100 |
| =7 | Nottingham | 8,100 |
| =9 | Belfast | 6,600 |
| =9 | Canterbury | 6,600 |
| =9 | Exeter | 6,600 |
| =12 | Bristol | 5,400 |
| =12 | Cambridge | 5,400 |
| =12 | Leeds | 5,400 |
| =12 | Manchester | 5,400 |
| =12 | Oxford | 5,400 |
| =12 | Sheffield | 5,400 |
| 18 | Newcastle | 4,400 |
| =19 | Cardiff | 3,600 |
| =19 | Glasgow | 3,600 |
| =19 | Stratford-upon-Avon | 3,600 |
| =22 | Bournemouth | 2,900 |
| =22 | Harrogate | 2,900 |
| =22 | Lincoln | 2,900 |
| 25 | Worcester | 2,400 |
| 26 | Southampton | 1,900 |
| 27 | Leicester | 1,600 |
| 28 | Plymouth | 1,300 |
| 29 | Brighton | 1,000 |
| 30 | Portsmouth | 590 |
How Christmas market searches compare across the UK
York leads the Yorkshire comparison
York recorded 22,200 estimated monthly searches for its primary Christmas market keyword.
That’s more than four times the equivalent search volume for Leeds and Sheffield, which each recorded 5,400.
Harrogate followed with 2,900.
The figures suggest York has a particularly strong presence in online festive trip planning, although they don’t tell us how many people will attend each event.
Bath leads the South West
Bath ranked fourth in our study, with 18,100 estimated monthly searches.
Exeter recorded 6,600 and Bristol 5,400, meaning Bath’s primary keyword attracted more than three times the searches for Bristol’s equivalent phrase.
The difference is a reminder that online interest doesn’t necessarily follow the size of a city.
Edinburgh tops the Scottish comparison
Edinburgh recorded the highest primary-keyword search volume in the study, at 27,100 estimated searches per month.
Glasgow’s equivalent keyword recorded 3,600, making Edinburgh’s figure approximately 7.5 times higher.
These figures measure the popularity of the specific search phrases. They don’t represent total demand for Christmas activities across either city.
UK Christmas market search rankings
Estimated average monthly UK searches, Semrush, 15 October 2026
Source: Koozai analysis of Semrush UK keyword data. Rankings compare selected search phrases, not total event interest or visitor numbers.
Winchester stands out among Hampshire Christmas markets
Winchester is one of the most interesting findings in our research.
The search term “Winchester Christmas market” receives an estimated 22,200 UK searches per month, putting it joint second in our primary-keyword comparison.
That’s around 7.7 times the searches for Bournemouth’s equivalent term, 11.7 times Southampton’s and 37.6 times Portsmouth’s.
Winchester Cathedral Christmas Market is scheduled to run from 20 November to 22 December 2026.
For Hampshire businesses, the interest in Winchester shows why seasonal visitor information matters.
People researching a Christmas market may also want to find somewhere to stay, book a meal, plan their journey or discover other things to do nearby.
Making those details easy to find gives local businesses a better chance of connecting with people already interested in visiting the area.
Lincoln shows why accurate event information matters
Our research also found an estimated 2,900 monthly UK searches for “Lincoln Christmas market”.
That’s interesting because Lincoln’s former large-scale city-wide Christmas market ended after 2022.
A separate Lincoln Cathedral Christmas Market is scheduled to take place from 3 to 5 December 2026.
We can’t tell from the search figures whether people are looking for the former event, the cathedral’s market or general Christmas activities in Lincoln.
What we can see is that the familiar search phrase continues to attract interest.
It’s a useful reminder for tourism businesses and event organisers to keep names, dates, locations and booking information accurate wherever customers might find them online.
Why Manchester shows that wording matters
One interesting finding from our research was the difference between singular and plural searches.
The phrase “Manchester Christmas market” recorded an estimated 5,400 monthly UK searches.
However, “Manchester Christmas markets” recorded 22,200.
That’s a substantial difference for two phrases referring to broadly the same destination.
We found other examples, too. “York Christmas markets” recorded 2,400 searches, while “Winchester Cathedral Christmas market” recorded 1,900.
This is why our main table compares one specified keyword per destination, rather than claiming to rank every search relating to each market.
Adding keyword variations together can also introduce overlap, so we’ve kept the additional findings separate.
For businesses, the practical lesson is simple: customers don’t always describe the same place, service or experience in the same way.
Understanding the different phrases people use can help businesses create clearer, more useful information online.
What Christmas market searches mean for tourism businesses
Christmas markets don’t just bring opportunities for stallholders and event organisers.
They can also encourage people to discover nearby hotels, restaurants, cafés, shops and attractions.
But appearing in a search result is only the beginning.
People planning a festive day out or short break need practical information to make decisions.
Businesses can make that easier by:
- Keeping Google Business Profile details and festive opening hours accurate.
- Publishing useful information about travel, parking and accessibility.
- Explaining which Christmas markets and attractions are nearby.
- Making accommodation, menus and booking details easy to find.
- Keeping information consistent across websites, maps, social platforms and third-party listings.
- Answering the questions customers are likely to ask before visiting.
Search engines aren’t the only place people look for recommendations, either. AI assistants, review websites and social platforms can all play a part in how customers discover a destination.
The important thing is to make sure your business provides clear, helpful and accurate information wherever people are looking.
High search interest doesn’t guarantee bookings or visits. But it does show why being easy to find, and easy to choose, matters.
How we carried out the research
Koozai analysed estimated average monthly UK Google search volumes for 30 destination-specific Christmas market keywords using Semrush.
We collected the data on 15 October 2026.
The main ranking compares one primary search phrase for each destination, using the format “[destination] Christmas market”.
We also checked selected alternative phrases, including plural versions and event-specific names, to understand how different wording affects search volumes.
The figures are Semrush estimates rather than actual Google search counts.
They don’t measure unique searchers, ticket sales, visitor numbers or confirmed demand for Christmas 2026.
Monthly averages may reflect searches from previous festive seasons, and the 30 destinations are a selected sample rather than every Christmas market in the UK.
Some search terms may also refer to events that have changed, been renamed or stopped taking place.
For these reasons, the findings should be treated as a comparison of specific search terms, not a definitive ranking of overall Christmas market popularity.
Data source: Semrush UK Keyword Overview.
Research date: 15 October 2026.
Research: Koozai.
Make it easier for customers to find your business
Whether you’re running a hotel, restaurant, visitor attraction or another business, being visible when customers are searching can make a real difference.
At Koozai, we help businesses connect with customers across traditional search, AI tools and other online platforms.
If you’d like to understand how people are finding your business, and where you could be missing opportunities, we’d be happy to help.
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