Makers Markets

Makers Markets at People’s History Museum 

For 2026, PHM is bringing back our popular Makers Markets series with two seasonal market events.  

We are excited to call out for stallholders for: 

• May Makers Market, 11.00am – 4.30pm on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 May 2026
• Winter Makers Market, 11.00am – 4.30pm on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 November  2026 with a special preview evening 5.00pm – 8.00pm on Friday 20 September 2026

Both weekend events will feature stalls in our beautiful Edwardian Engine Hall; with its spectacular vaulted glass roof, brick and tiled walls, it offers a unique backdrop for the market events. Whatever the Manchester weather may bring, we will have an indoor market space for you. As our markets are hosted inside the museum, you can leave your stall set up all weekend and take advantage of our onsite facilities including Gather cafe. 

Our market weekends also regularly feature pop-up entertainment, including live choir performances and craft workshops. 

Traders will have access to set up the day before each event. We offer drop off and unloading slots.  There is no parking onsite, but the museum has excellent alternative transport options. See our website for more details https://phm.org.uk/getting-to-peoples-history-museum/.   

We ask all stallholders to operate for the duration of the full event. We understand you may wish to co-host a stall with a fellow maker and are open to this in your application.  

Application process 

The call out for applications is open until 6 March 2026 at 11.00pm. We are seeking stall holders for both market events, and you can include your preferences within the application form.  

We will review all applications and will notify the outcome by Monday 16 March 2026. Stallholders will be asked to provide a deposit, copy of Public Liability insurance, and a risk assessment to secure their place.  

If you would like to apply, please complete this short form – PHM Makers Market 2026 – Application Form 

We are expecting high demand and cannot guarantee a space for all expressions of interest.  We will assess each expression and ensure a wide range of traders are featured across different categories to create the best mix for visitors and traders.  

Stall details  

Each table stall will be 140cm x 70cm with two chairs. There are some spaces that can be used flexibly for clothes rails or shelving, etc. Please speak to us about any extras you want to bring.  

Stallholders will be required to provide all dressing for their stalls, including tablecloths. 

The Engine Hall will be dressed with decorations to create a fun and celebratory feeling for the weekend, in keeping with the time of year and theme.  

Categories available  

We are seeking stallholders across the following categories:  

• Accessories 

• Art 

• Bath and body care 

• Books 

• Candles 

• Ceramics 

• Children’s toys, clothes and accessories 

• Clothing 

• Covered or wrapped cold food 

• Dried flowers 

• Homeware  

• Jewellery 

• Leather work  

• Pet products and gifts 

• Prints 

• Stationery and cards 

• Woodwork 

This list is not exhaustive, so if your category is not listed, please complete the form and get in touch.  We are keen to showcase a wide range of different skillsets and materials and the very best of North West crafts.  

Please note that the market will not offer stalls for multi-level marketing businesses, and there will not be hot food opportunities.  

What works well?  

Some top tips from stallholders at our previous Makers Markets: 

• A range of products – consider different sizes, different price points and different uses. Our markets attract a wide range of visitors, so stalls need to have a wide appeal. 

• Small add on products – having a range of lower price points as add ons worked well for upselling opportunities. 

• Interactivity – some stalls had opportunities to try or watch the craft they were promoting, interactive games or samples to entice visitors over. 

• Dressing your stall – having different levels on the table, with some products at height to attract visitors.  Displaying things in interesting ways, showing how they can look in your home and making sure you have plenty of products to fill the whole space and replenish empty spaces.  

• Telling your story, our visitors are really engaged with the person behind the product. 

Fees and terms 

A pitch is £50 per day. 

Stallholders will be required to provide evidence of Public Liability Insurance of £5m and complete a risk assessment for the event. 

We have a limited number of stalls available but will also operate a waitlist for the event.  

Press and promotion 

Last year our market events attracted around 800 people each day. We will support each market event with press, marketing, and social media to attract a wide-reaching audience.  

We will prepare a media pack to share with stallholders to support your promotion.  

To help us, we ask all applicants to provide information about themselves and their work which we can use to promote the event and provide a platform for your work to be promoted. We also ask applicants to send us three good quality photos that we can use to promote you on our social media and through our event PR. Please note images must be in landscape, with minimum quality 300dpi. 

 Top tips for a good photo: 

• Images that featured the maker got the most engagement on our social media channels – include yourself where you can whether in action or alongside your work 

• Use natural light where possible – please don’t use a flash 

• Select a background that will make the product pop 

• Link your images to the season for winter markets send us festive photos (e.g. a vase with seasonal foliage or a bowl with baubles) 

• Try not to show too many products in one image– a maximum of four items is sufficient 

• Avoid clutter – keep the focus on the product 

• Make sure your photo isn’t blurry 

• Depending on the product, it can be helpful to include a close-up shot to show texture and/or scale, such as someone’s hand. 

Do you have any recommendations for stall holders that would be a good fit for us?  Please help us share this opportunity.  

If you have any questions, please get in touch via shop@phm.org.uk