Christmas in Oxford 2025: Your Guide to Markets, Lights & Festive Magic

There’s something deeply atmospheric about Oxford at Christmas. The aroma of mulled wine and cinnamon fills the air, choirs drift across cobbled streets, and when the Christmas Markets come to town, everywhere you look there are wooden chalets brimming with handcrafted gifts, artisanal treats and seasonal cheer. It’s the kind of festive season that feels like stepping into a storybook, and in 2025, Oxford is going all out.

Here’s your guide to the very best Christmas markets, fairs, lights and seasonal events across the city (and a bit beyond), so you can plan your cosy strolls, gift hunts and winter nights out.

1. Oxford Victorian Christmas Market Dates: 13–16 November 2025 Location: Broad Street, Oxford Website: oxfordvictorianchristmasmarket.co.uk

Description: Step back in time with this Dickensian-style market. Streets lined with artisan stalls, street performers, and live music create a nostalgic festive experience, ideal for early-season gift shopping.

Highlights:

• Artisan gifts, decorations, and seasonal treats

• Street entertainment: costumed carol singers, stilt-walkers, live music

• Food & drink: mulled wine, roasted chestnuts, churros, festive bites
  

Tip: Best visited in the evening for the full Victorian atmosphere under lights.

2. Oxford Christmas Market (Main Market)

Dates: 22 November – 31 December 2025 (closed 25 Dec) Location: Broad Street, Oxford Website: christmasinoxford.co.uk

Description: Oxford’s flagship Christmas market fills the city centre with wooden chalets, seasonal décor, and festive energy for over a month. Perfect for families, couples, and gift hunters alike.

Highlights:

• Handcrafted gifts, artisan food stalls, festive décor

• Entertainment: choirs, bands, and street acts

• Family-friendly attractions: carousel, ferris wheel, Après-Ski bar
  

Tip: Combine a market visit with a twilight stroll to enjoy lights and mulled wine.

3. Oxford Christmas Light Festival

Dates: 14–16 November 2025 Location: Various locations across Oxford Website: oxlightfest.com

Description: Celebrate the city’s creativity with lanterns, illuminated art installations, and interactive workshops. A magical prelude to the festive season.

Highlights:

• Lantern parades and street light shows

• Workshops and interactive trails

• Christmas Light Bus touring the city
  

Tip: Evening visits are ideal for spectacular light displays.

4. Oxford Botanic Garden Christmas Fair

Dates: 6–7 December 2025 Location: Oxford Botanic Garden Website: obga.ox.ac.uk

Description: A serene festive fair set in Britain’s oldest botanic garden, offering artisan gifts and seasonal treats amidst greenery and glasshouses.

Highlights:

• 50+ artisans with botanical-inspired gifts

• Live music and festive soundscapes

• Family-friendly workshops and Winter Grotto for children
  

Tip: Ideal for a quieter shopping experience and thoughtful gift selection.

5. Blenheim Palace Christmas Experience

Dates: 14 November 2025 – 3 January 2026 Location: Blenheim Palace, Woodstock Website: blenheimpalace.com

Description: A grand festive day-trip combining the historic palace, light trails, ice rink, and Christmas market, with a 2025 theme inspired by The Wizard of Oz.

Highlights:

• Christmas Market with wooden chalets and gourmet foods

• Illuminated light trails and themed palace decorations

• Ice skating in the palace grounds
  

Tip: Evening visits offer the most magical experience with all lights and skating in full effect.

6. Witney Christmas Market

Dates: 27–30 November 2025 Location: Marriotts Walk, Witney Website: cotswolds.com

Description: A smaller town market featuring local artisans, festive food, and community charm — perfect for a relaxed Christmas shopping experience.

Highlights:

• 30+ wooden chalets with handmade gifts and food

• Cozy, local market atmosphere

• Seasonal treats and warm drinks
  

Tip: Great for a quieter, low-key alternative to Oxford city markets.

7. Woodstock Festive Fayre / Market

Dates: 28–29 November 2025 Location: Woodstock town centre Website: wildtowonderful.co.uk

Description: Woodstock’s charming small-town festive market combines craft stalls, local food, and arts in a historic town setting.

Highlights:

• Artisan gifts, crafts, and seasonal foods

• Local community stalls and workshops

• Evening lights and cosy pubs
  

Tip: Pair a visit with a trip to Blenheim Palace for a full festive day out.

8. Abingdon Christmas Market

Dates: Early December 2025 (exact dates TBC) Location: Abingdon town centre Website: christmas-events-near-me.com

Description: Traditional Abingdon market offering a quieter, community-oriented Christmas shopping experience along the riverside.

Highlights:

• Seasonal crafts, local foods, and festive stalls

• Community vibe and relaxed shopping

• Ideal for families and low-key festive outings
  

Tip: Check local newsletters or town council announcements for confirmed 2025 dates.

9. Summertown Christmas Pop-Up Market

Dates: 7 December 2025 Location: Summertown Church Hall, Oxford Website: wildtowonderful.co.uk

Description: Local community pop-up market offering handmade gifts, artisanal foods, and festive cheer in a cosy neighbourhood setting.

Highlights:

• Local makers selling crafts, gifts, and food

• Intimate, community-focused atmosphere

• Perfect for thoughtful, small-scale shopping
  

Tip: Arrive early to explore all stalls before the afternoon crowd.

10. Jericho & Cowley Road Community Christmas Events

Dates: Various, December 2025 (dates TBC) Location: Jericho & Cowley Road, Oxford Website: Check local community pages & social media

Description: Pop-up festive stalls and local street markets bring seasonal cheer to these Oxford neighbourhoods. A more indie, low-key alternative to city centre markets.

Highlights:

• Handmade gifts, local foods, and festive drinks

• Family-friendly and inclusive community vibe

• Local arts and crafts, seasonal entertainment
  

Tip: Monitor local newsletters, social media, or independent shops for exact 2025 event announcements.

There is something quietly magical about the festive season in Oxfordshire. The lights, the smells of spiced drinks, the hum of people enjoying themselves, and the mix of historic streets and cosy towns all combine to create a unique atmosphere. It is a time to slow down, enjoy the company of others, and appreciate small moments of joy.

Walking through a market, pausing with a warm drink in hand, or simply watching the lights reflect on old stone buildings can be enough to capture the spirit of the season. Christmas in this part of the world has a way of feeling both familiar and enchanting at the same time.