Market stalls at this year’s Aberdeen Christmas market will be set up in the heart of the city’s most iconic granite building – with hopes the spot will become a festive beacon for shoppers across the north-east.
A hunt has been launched for stall holders to sign up for the new Haan market, which will be held in the quad of Marischal College in December with funfair rides and the ice rink on Broad Street.
Ongoing works to Broad Street will be suspended and a temporary surface laid to host the Christmas Village attraction on the street for the first time.
Council chiefs had originally allocated Broad Street for the venture with the potential of moving some of the features to Castlegate if it was not big enough.
Last night Adrian Watson, chief executive of city centre business body Aberdeen Inspired, said he had learned lessons from previous years of the market on Union Terrace and was now looking to boost local produce.
He said: “We want this to be a space not just for people in the city but across the north-east to visit and enjoy and see the best the north-east has to offer. For the past two years we have held the market on Union Terrace but we have listened to the direction the city is going in and that Broad Street will be a new events space for the city.
“One thing that we want to concentrate on this year is not just very high quality but also for businesses from the north-east because we have been told that people will gravitate towards quality local businesses.
“Things are shaping up now on Broad Street and we are confident that the council will have everything in place.”
But Mr Watson would not be drawn on whether a full ban of buses on Broad Street, which senior councillors have recently come out in support of, should be implemented or the current partial pedestrianisation plan kept in place.
Council transport spokesman Ross Grant said: “Broad Street is now really taking shape which I’m sure will be of great reassurance to both elected members and members of the public.
“The delays on the work have been unfortunate.”
The Christmas Village will be open for around six weeks between from late November.
