Brits criticise UK Christmas market where visitors were crammed in like sardines and had no atmosphere
- UK Hidden Gems
- Dec 7, 2025
- 2 min read
Visitors to a historic city’s Christmas event have turned to social media to complain about its lack of atmosphere, high prices and heavy crowds, with one person calling it the worst Christmas market they had ever been to.
This Christmas Market, currently running in the centre of the historic city until December 14, is celebrating its 25th anniversary.
Its website promises a warm festive experience, inviting people to “wander through the heart of it's historic city centre, transformed into a winter wonderland with twinkling chalets, unique gifts and gourmet food and drink to tantalise the tastebuds.
The city, famous for its Georgian buildings, recently saw the event named the UK’s best Christmas market by Which?, shortly after Bath was voted readers’ favourite mid sized city in the UK.
The consumer guide said: “The city got four stars for both its food and drink offerings and cultural sights in our survey, and things get even better at Christmas time, when more than 200 chalets appear.
And this year is Bath Christmas Market’s 25th anniversary, so expect extra festive cheer.”
They also praised the local traders, many of whom come from Bristol and the South West, before adding: “After you have had your fill, you can explore the towering Bath Abbey and the Roman Baths, which date back to 75 AD.”
However, some TikTok users who visited have been far less impressed. Posting as @escaping2paradise, one visitor opened their video with the claim: “Bath Christmas Market has to be the worst Christmas market that I’ve ever been to.
For starters, it doesn’t actually feel like a Christmas market. It’s just a market that happens to be at Christmas with a few Christmas decorations scattered about. There’s no Christmas music, no Christmas atmosphere.”
He also felt the service lacked friendliness, saying: “When you do buy something from the street vendor, it’s just £7 next, £15 next, £12 next.
No Merry Christmas, no nothing. It’s just a depressing Christmas market. It’s almost like they’re not allowed to play Christmas music anymore or say Merry Christmas to anybody.”
Another TikToker, Anni Bronning, who posts as @anniraddy, shared a video captioned “Bath Christmas Market is a hellscape” showing herself stuck in a tightly packed crowd. She added: “Packed like sardines and no pubs have any tables.”
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