Leeds German Christmas Market 2021 up in the air due to 'evolving situation around the pandemic'

The annual event on Millennium Square, run by Frankfurt City Council, was cancelled in 2020 due to Covid.

It had been hoped that the Christkindelmarkt would return in 2021, but the timing and format of any such event are in doubt.

Leeds City Council is currently looking at "the best ways to celebrate Leeds safely over the coming year", with updates expected in the coming months.

It comes after Harrogate Borough Council said it would not allow this year's Christmas Market to take place in the Stray at Montpellier Hill - saying it has been working with organisers but all the anti-terrorism and Covid safety advice was against it.

A spokesperson for Leeds City Council said: "In light of the evolving situation around the pandemic, we are currently working with our partners to determine the best ways to celebrate Leeds safely over the coming year.

"We will be sharing updates on the events schedule as soon as we can."

Last year, the organisers decided social distancing rules and hygiene measures could not be implemented while maintaining the "warm and cosy" atmosphere of the market.

They voiced concerns that visitors might not adhere to social distancing rules in place at the time and "behave in ways they have been used to" during past events.

Kurt Stroscher, Frankfurt City Council’s director of festivals and events, said at the time: "The social distancing rules and hygiene measures needed to control the pandemic are not compatible with the visitor experience that the people of Leeds have come to expect in the run-up to Christmas.

"Consideration was also given to the possibility that visitors might not adhere to the social distancing rules and behave in ways that they have been used to in the past.

"Under no circumstances should the Christmas Market contribute in any way to worsening the pandemic.

“Based on these arguments, the organisers knew that it would not be right to offer a version of the market that was very different from the familiar product and therefore failed to satisfy visitors’ expectations.

"They will now be focusing all their energies on bringing Leeds a wonderful Christmas Market in its familiar and much-loved form in 2021.”

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