The City of Edinburgh Council denied the planning application made by Unique Assembly, which intended to expand the annual Christmas market just 10 days before it was set to open.
Unique Assembly, the festival organisers, intended to make several additions to the market in the lower lawn of East Princes Street Gardens, such as a Dutch-inspired tent and several market stalls.
The application for the extension was submitted on September 5, 2025, and the required documents were due by September 22, 2025.
Councillors voted to deny planning permission for the extension on 5 November 2025 at a Development Management sub-committee meeting on the grounds that it could cause damage to Princes Street Gardens.
This is not the first time Unique Assembly has been denied planning permission for East Princes Street Gardens, as their application to operate the Big Wheel over the summer was rejected in March.
The main attractions of the markets, such as the Big Wheel, are protected by a three-year planning permission grant and have started construction.
The market begins on 15 November 2025 and will run until 4 January 2026, with thousands of expected visitors despite the missing additions.
“Edinburgh Christmas Market” by Tony Austin is licensed under CC BY 2.0.