Everything you need to know about the 2020 markets

It’s been confirmed – the Galway Christmas markets are going ahead in 2020.

Arguably one of the most popular Christmas markets in Ireland, the Christmas markets in Galway give the already buzzy city of tribes an extra layer of deadliness.

If you’ve decided that 2020 is the year that you’re going give in to the wanderlust pangs and actually visit the markets for yourself, here’s all the info you need!

The Galway Christmas Markets 2020 are going ahead

According to Galway’s official tourism website, the Galway Continental Christmas Markets are expected to make their return in 2020.

It’s hoped that the markets will kick off at 18:00 on Friday 13th November and will run until Sunday 20th December 2020.

There’ll be some new measures in place

According to Maria Moynihan Lee, the woman behind the Galway Christmas markets, a number of new measures will be put in place to ensure that things run smoothly.

Speaking to the Connacht Tribune, she said, ‘What we’re doing is very detailed planning and working with the Council on making the market happen. It will be the same market in the way people know it to be and it will meet all expectations, but there will be a huge level of control.’

What to expect if you plan on visiting the Galway Christmas Markets

The Galway Christmas markets will be different in 2020, as is to be expected, given the level of mayhem we’ve experienced over the last six months.

There’ll be new ‘controls’ in place that’ll alter how you’d usually access the markets. There hasn’t been much info given on this, but it’s probably safe to assume that there’ll be some form of one-way system in place.

Whether there’ll be constraints on the number of people allowed into the Galway Christmas Markets is anyone’s guess at the minute.

Related reads: Everything you need to know about the Belfast Christmas markets 2020 and the Dublin Christmas market (info still TBC).

Stands, stalls, food and German beer

All going to plan, the 2020 Galway Christmas Markets will feature many of the stalls and feature that were present during the previous years.

According to the Galway tourism website, visitors to the 2020 markets will enjoy a ‘wide variety of entertainment and stalls located in Eyre Square’. There’ll be:

The 32 metre Big Wheel

A traditional Carousel

An Après Ski Bar

Santa’s Express Train

Live performances

Carol singing

A German Bierkeller (there’ll be a range of traditional German beers on offer here)

Galway Christmas Markets: Are they worth visiting?

I’ve been visiting Galway at Christmas every year for the past 5 or 6 years at this stage. If I’m being completely honest, they have, in my opinion, deteriorated a bit over the past two years.

Now, before you jump down my throat, hear me out. When I visit a Christmas market in Ireland or abroad, I like to ramble around for a while, soak up the atmosphere, grab some food from the stalls and then head for a few pints.

While the city is still incredible to ramble around at Christmas and the food options are as good as ever, the spots to drink have gone downhill big time.

Back 3 or 4 years ago, there were two great spots to grab a pint:

The beer tent on Eyre Square The little chalet thing down near Spanish Arch

The beer tent

This has gone to the dogs over the last couple of years; The queues are insane, you can’t get in unless you arrive insanely early, and it’s full of kids.

The Chalet near Spanish Arch

This was a ridiculously Christmassy chalet-style building near Spanish Arch that was a lot calmer than the Galway beer tent.

You could chill, grab a beer and it was a bit like something you’d see in Switzerland or Germany.

I’ve been hoping that this would make another appearance for the past 2 years, but I’m not holding my breath. If you’re not fussed about having a drink, then you should still enjoy it!

FAQs about the Christmas markets in Galway over the years?

We’ve received a fairly mental number of emails asking about the 2020 markets. Here’s everything we know so far:

Are the markets coming back in 2020?

Yep, it’s been confirmed that the markets are expected to return, all going to plan, to Galway this year.

What are the dates for the markets in 2020?

It’s hoped that the markets will kick off at 18:00 on Friday 13th November and will run until Sunday 20th December 2020.

What will there be at the markets?

There’ll be everything from the usual food and drink stalls to live performances, amusements and plenty more.