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SHOPPING

Christmas in Leicester 2023 is a chance to enjoy festive fun once again with family, friends and colleagues and experience the joy of the festive season. Shopping locally will help all our businesses and keep choice and diversity on Leicester’s high street.

The shops will be brimming with Christmas gifts and the many restaurants, cafés and bars provide a welcome break from all that hectic retail therapy. Look out for all the new names that have opened in the city centre since this time last year.

Make a date with Leicester

Looking for somewhere new, inspiring ideas or an old favourite, then check out our family of eight guides brimming with information on where to visit. Free printed guides are available form Visit Leicester information centre in the King Richard III Visitor Centre, 4a St Martins, LE1 5DB. Online guides can be found here Make a Date with Leicester – Visit Leicester

Independent and high street stores

Christmas shopping made simple. Leicester has a great choice of favourite high street brands and quirky independents. Highcross offers an awe-inspiring mix of fashionable shops and restaurants. Haymarket Shopping Centre seamlessly blends a great mix of high street brands with independent shops. Discover the Old Town brimming with independents in The Lanes and St Martins. Head to the temporary Leicester Market in Green Dragon Square for an impressive choice of stalls.

Some stores are open for late night shopping until 9pm. Please check individual store times.

Download the LoyalFree App free to find special discounts in the city centre including exclusive discounts from independent businesses.

Visit Highcross
Visit Haymarket
Visit Leicester Market
Visit Independent Leicester
LoyalFree
Crowds of people walking under the christmas lights in Leicester City centre Cars driving past the John Lewis building in Leicester City Centre A crowd of people walk past the entrance to Highcross shopping centre in Leicester city centre
A woman behind a bar pouring a drink from a shaker into a cocktail glass A man behind a bar making a cocktail in a decorative glass with smoke pouring out

EATING AND DRINKING

Feast in style this Christmas with Leicester’s fantastic array of restaurants. Whether you have a taste for something traditional or want your palette to travel further afield, you can travel the world from your plate.

The Old Town is the perfect place to start your journey, with Argentinian fare and Feliz Navidad on offer at Sonrisa, incredible steaks at Middletons, and everything from Indian Street Food and Thai to Mediterranean dishes in St Martin’s Square.

Take a break from shopping and refuel with coffee and cake at one of the fantastic cafes and delis and as the day turns into night, then pop into one of the city’s many bars, cocktail lounges or pubs for a big of Christmas cheer. Treat yourself, you deserve it!

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS & DECORATIONS

If you’re looking for a merry and bright Christmas then Leicester is the place. Over 16,000 LED lights illuminate the streets and a beautifully decorated real 50ft Christmas tree takes pride of place at the Clock Tower. Don’t miss the traditional decorations, nativity scene and the big man himself at Town Hall Square.

A Christmas Greetings light up sign with christmas lights at Town Hall Square in Leicester A woman wearing a scarf laughing and enjoying a hot drink under the Wheel of Light at Jubilee Square in Leicester The clock tower in Leicester decorated for Christmas behind a Christmas tree covered in tinsel and baubles
The outside of Lane 7 in Leicester at night Groups of people sat outside of Audrey in Leicester as a server carries a drink on a tray

New Places to Visit

Discover the new shops, cafes, restaurants, hotels and leisure offers this Christmas. The city centre is a hive of activity with new businesses so here are just a few.

Hotel Brooklyn is right on the doorstep of the Tigers, The 191-befroom hotel has the grandstand, the steaks and crafty Brooklyn Lager and cocktails like Brooklyn Bridge to give you that film-set feeling. Market Street welcomes recycled fashion retailer, White Rose and around the corner in Belvoir St King Luxe Italia has a range of luxury branded clothing and footwear

Exciting new opening in Highcross include Solsneaks, luxury trainers, Lids American sports retailer and Batch’d artisan baked desserts.

Old Town is buzzing day and night with great new food offers from Frame Mediterranean restaurant, Port and Nata coffee and pastel de nata shop and Little Sister cocktail bar. Among the new openings on Granby Street are ReRoll a favourite for board game enthusiasts and Happitaly authentic Italian restaurant.

Other great city activities

There’s plenty more to do in Leicester, whether you want to relax or try something a little more exciting. If it’s culture you’re after then our museums and galleries have some amazing shows, exhibitions and events.

If you’re looking to relax a little and put your skills to the test, then pop into East Street Lanes, Caddyshackers, Treetop Adventure Golf, Social Climbing or Lane 7 for some mini golf, bowling, VR Exscape, axe throwing, pool or climbing.

New additions to the leisure scene in the city include Sixes Cricket on Halford Street, Roxy Ballroom on Humberstone Gate, Spy Mission at Haymarket Shopping Centre and Angle Axe Throwing on Cank Street.

Take in a Christmas blockbuster at Showcase Cinema de Lux or Phoenix independent art house cinema showing indie, family-friendly and retro films.

You will be spolit for choice when it comes to Christmas shows with our spectacular season of special productions from Evita or the Owl who came for Christmas at the Curve, Jack and the Beanstalk at De Montford Hall, Puss in Boots at the Little Theatre and Santa’s Christmas Wish at The Y. For more information visit It’s Showtime.

For a whole load more on events during December go to the Visit Leicester website Whats On pages.

Events Calendar
Groups of people sat at tables inside Lane 7 in Leicester A woman takes a shot in a game of mini golf at Lane 7 in Leicester A man rock climbing on a colourful climbing wall
A hand holding The Leicester Gift Card

Bid Leicester Gift Card

Discover the best of Leicester city centre with one handy gift card. Take the decision out of gifting and buy the Leicester gift card for a wide choice of spending across food, drink and leisure entertainment. Available as a gift card or e-card.

Find out more