Carlisle International Market opens for five free-entry days
Carlisle International Market will fill the city centre pedestrianised area from Thursday 27 August to Bank Holiday Monday 31 August. Entry is free, no booking is required, and the open-air event is aimed at residents and visitors looking for international food, crafts and gifts. It opens at 9am on Thursday.
Organised by Market Place Europe with support from Cumberland Council, the five-day market brings traders from across Europe and beyond into the heart of Carlisle. The programme also overlaps with the city’s regular Friday market and includes a centuries-old civic ceremony.
Opening times across the bank holiday weekend
The market opens earlier from Thursday to Saturday, with shorter hours on Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday.
| Date | Opening hours |
|---|---|
| Thursday 27 August | 9am–6pm |
| Friday 28 August | 9am–6pm |
| Saturday 29 August | 9am–6pm |
| Sunday 30 August | 10am–5pm |
| Monday 31 August | 10am–5pm |
Stalls will be spread through Carlisle city centre’s pedestrianised area. The event notice does not specify transport or accessibility arrangements, so visitors who need those details should check the latest information from Market Place Europe or Cumberland Council before travelling.
Global street food alongside crafts and artisan goods
Food is a major part of the Carlisle International Market. The confirmed selection ranges from gyros, kebabs, curries and tagines to Afro-Caribbean street food, burgers, hog roast and dirty fries. Beers and wines will also be available.
The sweeter options include macarons, tiramisu, baklava, Turkish delight and Portuguese tarts. Fresh produce and other speciality products will sit alongside the prepared food stalls.
Away from the food counters, visitors can browse handmade jewellery, clothing, candles, garden ornaments, crafts and distinctive gifts. The mix is designed to give shoppers access to both international traders and artisan producers in one central location.
Carlisle’s Friday market will run at the same time
The regular Carlisle Friday market will continue on 28 August while the international event is under way. Its stalls will operate from the top of English Street and within the grounds of Carlisle Cathedral, offering local produce, handmade crafts, gifts, clothing and other goods.
The Friday market is approaching its first anniversary after returning to the city last year. Cumberland Council’s executive member for vibrant and healthy places, Anne Quilter, said the two markets would bring together traders, residents and visitors across the bank holiday weekend.
That overlap gives Friday visitors two separate market areas to explore: the international stalls in the pedestrianised city centre and local traders around English Street and the cathedral grounds.
A 674-year-old right will be proclaimed at Market Cross
Thursday’s programme includes the Ancient Proclamation at Carlisle’s Market Cross at 10am. The declaration records the city’s right to hold an annual fair in August, a privilege granted to Carlisle’s citizens by King Edward III in 1352.
A civic procession will travel from the Old Town Hall to Market Cross before the proclamation. Those taking part will include the Mayor of Carlisle, Anne Glendinning, Cumberland Council chair Andy Semple, the Sword and Mace Bearers and other civic dignitaries.
Visitors hoping to see the ceremony should be at Market Cross for its confirmed 10am start on Thursday 27 August.
Source: Cumberland Council News
Context & actions About this article
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Dates, opening hours, location and programme details were checked against Cumberland Council’s published event notice and the supplied event information.
- Matched all five event dates with the published daily opening hours.
- Confirmed the venue as Carlisle city centre’s pedestrianised area.
- Checked the free-entry and no-booking arrangements in the supplied event details.
- Confirmed the Ancient Proclamation’s date, time and route.
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- Cumberland Council News
- Scope
- Carlisle
- Updated
- 2026-08-26 18:14
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