Between Thursday 12 November and Monday 21 December 2026, Make it York will once again host York’s Christmas Market, bringing festive shopping, seasonal food and Christmas atmosphere to the heart of the city.
This year, to make sure there is easier access to the city centre for everyone, we are trialling a Christmas Market rest day on Tuesdays. Shops, attractions, cafes, restaurants and businesses will be open and welcoming customers. This arrangement is to support people who live and work in our city.
To keep people safe at this busy time, North Yorkshire Police have recommended temporary restrictions on access to the city centre.
Please check the further details before travelling to York's Christmas Market. The best way to travel from outside the city centre is to come on the train or to use the Park & Ride service.
- Restrictions on vehicles
- Information for affected residents and businesses
- Information for Blue Badge holders
Restrictions on vehicles
From Wednesday to Monday, vehicles can enter the footstreets before 10.30am.
At 10.30am, the safety barriers will close. From then until 7.30pm, on police advice there will be no parking or loading in the city centre streets.
Only emergency vehicles and a small number of vehicles with special permission will be allowed inside the barrier area during these times.
The barriers will reopen at 7.30pm each evening for deliveries and collections and will stay open until 10.30am the next morning.
Affected residents and businesses
Vehicle access to the city centre
From Wednesday to Monday, vehicles can enter the footstreets before 10.30am.
At 10.30am, the safety barriers will close. From then until 7.30pm, there will be no parking or loading in the city centre streets.
Only emergency vehicles and a small number of vehicles with special permission will be allowed inside the barrier area during these times.
The barriers will reopen at 7.30pm each evening for deliveries and collections and will stay open until 10.30am the next morning.
Tuesday access arrangements
On Tuesdays, the Christmas Market stalls will be closed.
The Goodramgate, King’s Square, Colliergate loop for Blue Badge holders will be open and in operation - excluding Church Street.
The Blake Street and Lendal route will be closed during footstreet hours, so the Goodramgate route will be the only access point for Blue Badge holders on Tuesdays between 10.30am and 5.00pm.
Delivery vehicles and residents will be able to gain access to the footstreets from 5.00pm on a Tuesday and from 7.30pm on all other days
Access arrangements during market opening days
From Wednesday to Monday, vehicles can enter the footstreets before 10.30am.
At 10.30am, the safety barriers will close. From then until 7.30pm, there will be no parking or loading in the city centre streets. Only emergency vehicles and a small number of vehicles with special permission will be allowed inside the barrier area during these times.
The barriers will reopen at 7.30pm each evening for deliveries and collections and will stay open until 10.30am the next morning.
Vehicles inside the barriers after 10.30am
A parking and loading ban will be in place in the city centre streets between 10.30am and 7.30pm. Vehicles left in the city centre area during this period will be liable to a penalty charge notice and may be towed away. If you have parking arrangements inside the hostile vehicle measures please get in touch with us on email: highway.regulation@york.gov.uk, as soon as possible.
Private parking spaces within the footstreets
Access restrictions between 10.30am and 7.30pm (5pm on a Tuesday) apply to vehicles parked in private parking spaces within the footstreets. This means that if your vehicle is parked in a private area inside the Hostile Vehicle Measures, you won’t be able to move it after 10.30am, until 7.30pm (5pm on a Tuesday).
If you have parking arrangements inside the hostile vehicle measures please get in touch with us on email: highway.regulation@york.gov.uk, as soon as possible so we can offer you support and advice.
As the objective of the ATTRO is to reduce the number of vehicles in the footstreets to an absolute minimum, we are asking people living within the footstreets to consider alternative parking arrangements during the Christmas market period.
Utilities or building works
Where emergency repairs are needed for any of the utilities, such as water, gas, power or telecommunications, we expect that the utility companies will be in touch with us directly to arrange access to the city centre. We require that repairs are organised between 7.30pm and 10.30am wherever possible. If this is not possible, we will ask whether repairs can be undertaken without a vehicle accessing the area within the barriers.
Where emergency repairs are needed for a building or utilities and a vehicle is required, we may authorise access under specific conditions. We are asking that you please contact us on telephone: 01904 555873, or on email: citycentrewaiver@york.gov.uk, so that these can be considered.
Exempt vehicles
Only emergency services and a very small number of authorised vehicles needed to enable the city centre to function will be allowed inside the hostile vehicle barriers
Blue Badge holders
On Tuesdays, the barriers will be closed from 10.30am to 5.00pm but Blue Badge access will be possible through Goodramgate only. Blue Badge holders can travel along Goodramgate, King’s Square and Colliergate
Vehicle access will not be allowed on Church Street. Temporary barriers will be in place at the junction of Church Street and Low Petergate.
The Blake Street and Lendal Blue Badge route will not operate during footstreet hours throughout the Christmas Market period. It will reopen on 22 December.
You can access the city centre through the Blake Street and Goodramgate entrances outside footstreet hours, on any day between 7.30pm and 10.30am (5.00pm on a Tuesday).
When the Christmas Market is open (Wednesday to Monday), only emergency services and a small number of vehicles with special permission can remain inside the barrier area after 10.30am.
Vehicles that stay inside the restricted area without permission may receive a £70 fine and could be towed to a location outside of the footstreets.
Blue Badge parking
To provide more Blue Badge parking, the loading bay on Duncombe Place, near the Memorial Gardens, has been changed to a Blue Badge-only bay.
Additional Blue Badge parking bays have also been created on Blake Street, outside the security barriers.
Blue Badge holders can also park for an unlimited time and at no cost in designated spaces at Piccadilly, Tower Street, Castle Car Park, Bootham Row and Coppergate Car Park
Car security
You must ensure your vehicle is not left parked inside the restricted area:
- Between 10.30am and 7.30pm, Wednesday to Monday.
- Between 10.30am and 5.00pm on Tuesdays - the only exception is on Tuesdays for Blue Badge holders parking on Goodramgate or King's Square for up to 3 hours, provided the vehicle is not causing an obstruction
Vehicles parked in restricted areas may receive a parking ticket and could be moved to St George's Field car park.
For more information, please visit: www.york.gov.uk/BlueBadgeParking.
For further information on routes into the city centre for Blue Badge holders, please visit: www.york.gov.uk/BlueBadgeAccess.
If you have any questions, contact us on email: highway.regulation@york.gov.uk, or call our Customer Centre on telephone: 01904 551550.