4 weeks of Christmas in Bury St Edmunds!

Christmas is lasting longer in Bury St Edmunds than ever before! The Christmas in Bury St Edmunds partnership has announced that semi-permanent Christmas cabin stalls will be set up from November into December at the arc Shopping Centre. Around a dozen Christmas chalet type stalls in Charter Square will be open from November until Christmas and will be accompanied by a host of other exciting Christmas events throughout the town. There’s something for everyone with shopping, entertainment, a beer festival and more!

From Thursday 24 November until Sunday 27 November, St Edmundsbury Cathedral will once again welcome local stallholders to their Christmas Market to showcase a variety of handmade crafts and gifts and offer daily entertainment for shoppers. This event will be complimented by around 45 market stalls in The Apex and a mini-makers market in the Unitarian Meeting House. Also on this weekend, the Constitutional Club will hold their Winter Beer Festival in partnership with the West Suffolk branch of CAMRA. An array of street entertainment will be on offer for those making their way between venues.

The partnership’s events are in addition to a range of exciting events in the town in November. These begin on 17 November with the Our Bury St Edmunds BID Christmas Lights Event. This will be followed by the St Edmund's Weekend Spectacular in the Abbey Gardens & Cathedral running from 17 to 20 November (St Edmunds Day); a light show using innovative 3D projections onto the historic Norman Tower and the Cathedral Tower with an enchanting light trail through the Abbey Ruins in the historic Abbey Gardens. Information on what’s happening through the Christmas period will be on the Christmas section of the Bury St Edmunds and Beyond website and we encourage town residents to keep checking for new and exciting events being added in the run up.

All of the events are being planned, delivered and paid for by the new Christmas in Bury St Edmunds Partnership. These events are designed to complement the events being put on by the Abbey 1000 celebrations and take over from the former Christmas Fayre. The aim is to deliver a set of linked entertaining, varied and safe events, with minimal disruption to residents and local businesses. Crucially it will provide an opportunity to showcase all that Bury St Edmunds has to offer for visitors as well as encouraging return visits throughout the year. With the additional stalls and temporary Christmas chalets the event will last longer than previous years.

Cllr Susan Glossop, Portfolio Holder for Growth for West Suffolk Council, said: “I would like to thank the partnership in coming together to work on delivering a series of festive activities that will last into December and support our local businesses and help everyone have a great Christmas. While this will be different from previous events it is being delivered over a longer period of time with new attractions. We want to create an attractive, enjoyable and safe event and one that will complement the Abbey 1000 celebrations as well as the other festivities that will be going on in November and December.”

Catherine Rayson, St Edmundsbury Cathedral’s Marketing and Communications Manager said, “We’re excited to host a Christmas Market again this year after the success of last year’s event. The Cathedral offers a beautiful place to support our local community of makers and craftspeople and we look forward to welcoming both returning and new visitors over the festive period and working in partnership with other events in the town.”

Mark Cordell, Chief Executive of Our Bury St Edmunds BID, said: “Like many of our businesses and the public I am disappointed that it’s not been possible to host a nationally acclaimed Christmas event this year as was the case before Covid but nonetheless I believe that working with partners we have come up with an interesting and longer lasting series of events, which will hopefully still attract many people to the town, without creating the disruption across the town that the Christmas Fayre did.”

Allan Hassell, Centre Manager at arc Shopping Centre said: “We’re looking forward to hosting a range of stalls at the arc over the Christmas trading period and would like to thank the partnership, who have been a great support in setting up this new event. Here’s to an exciting Christmas with something for everyone!”

Town Councillor Robert Everitt said, ‘Christmas in Bury this year is setting out to be new and interesting, as we respond to the changing times. A local partnership of businesses, tourism groups and some of our best attractions are coming together to provide what should be a memorable and exciting lead-up to Christmas. Come and join us and see for yourselves!’