Why did Google say the Christmas Markets were closed when they weren't?

No one can tell us why

Over the last fortnight, visitors to Manchester planning a visit to the Christmas Markets might have been in for a shock.

Last Friday (December 8), if one searched for the annual festive attraction on Google Maps, you would be told it was ‘temporarily closed’. The issue seemed to be a one-off, however, as the following day the website said the markets were back open as normal.

And town was incredibly busy, as might be expected for a day when Greater Manchester hosts the markets, a home game at Old Trafford, and a secret Peter Kay gig in Bolton. Technical gremlins happen all the time, and this appeared to be one of those instances.

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But the same thing happened again on Tuesday (December 12). Again, the city centre was busy with shoppers and mulled wine merchants, so it didn’t seem like a massive impact had been seen on the ground.

However, no one has been able to explain why the problem took place. A council source told the M.E.N. that the authority had flagged the ‘blip’ with the tech giant, and also confirmed all of the market sites were ‘open as normal and have been throughout since they first opened back in November’.

When the Evening News approached Google, the company said the problem had been fixed, but didn’t explain why it occurred in the first place. What is known is that the search term ‘Manchester Christmas Markets’ directed to Albert Square — which is ‘temporarily closed’, due to the ongoing renovation of the Town Hall.

That project has meant there’s not been the usual Christmas market square there since 2018, but the vendors and huts will return once it’s done, which could be in 2024. To say that the Albert Square site was ‘temporarily closed’ was correct, then.

However, muddying the waters is the fact that, while the address written down was Albert Square, the map pin went to King Street, where the Christmas Markets were open. Again, Google has not explained why the pin location and address differed.

So, for the avoidance of doubt — Manchester’s Christmas Markets are open at Piccadilly Gardens, Market Street, Cathedral Gardens, Exchange Street, New Cathedral Street, St Ann's Square, Exchange Square, The Corn Exchange, and King Street.

All of them are open until December 21, except Cathedral Gardens, which is open until New Year’s Eve.