Kent town cancels Christmas market as council forced to make ‘difficult decision’

Claire Elliott, the council’s events officer, described pausing the popular celebration as a “difficult decision”.

The night market, normally held between 4pm and 8pm, features seasonal food, craft stalls, carol singing and street entertainment, making it the centrepiece of Faversham’s Christmas calendar.

The event is expected to return to its usual home in 2027 once the building work is complete.

Despite the cancellation, the annual lights switch-on will still go ahead at 5pm on Saturday, November 28, though it will be staged from a new position at the foot of Court Street rather than its traditional spot.

To accommodate the changes, the Saturday Charter Market will expand onto Preston Street, giving traders and visitors additional room.

The council said in a statement: “With these changes, we want to ensure that the Christmas Lights Switch-On and Charter Market can go ahead safely, allowing everyone to enjoy the festive celebrations in Faversham.”

Officials added that they “remain fully supportive of the Faversham Community Christmas Lights Switch-On, our wonderful Faversham Market traders and the wider town centre businesses” and urged residents to attend.

The Faversham Christmas Market Weekend, scheduled for December 11-13, will proceed without disruption.

Friday’s programme opens with Festive Food Friday, followed by the traditional Saturday Charter Market at Christmas.

Sunday rounds off the weekend with a Victorian Christmas Gift Fair, promising an array of period entertainment including Dickensian Recreationists, Punch and Judy shows, and a performance from the East Kent and District Pipe Band.

The three-day event offers residents and visitors another chance to soak up the town’s festive atmosphere, even as the night market takes a year off.

The council has encouraged people to support the weekend celebrations and businesses across the town centre throughout the season.

The iconic Guildhall, a Grade II-Listed building, is currently undergoing an extensive and protracted programme of repairs to tackle a range of structural problems.

Decaying timber and a deteriorating roof are among the key issues being addressed, with the total bill for the work estimated at up to £250,000.

Contractors are aiming to finish the restoration by the end of November, with the scaffolding expected to be dismantled shortly afterwards.

Should that timeline hold, the landmark building would be fully revealed again before the Christmas Market Weekend gets underway in mid-December.

Organisers are confident the night market will resume at its traditional Guildhall Square setting the following year.