York's St Nicholas Fair cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic

Make It York and City of York Council, which made the announcement this afternoon, said the decision had not been take lightly and plans were under way for a virtual Christmas market.

Sean Bullick, managing director of Make It York said: “It is with deep sadness that we’ve had to cancel the 2020 Christmas market.

"This decision has not been taken lightly and we’ve been working hard behind the scenes with City of York Council and the Safety Advisory Group to consider all possible options and look at ways to run a safe event.

"We know how important this event is for the city, however, our paramount priority continues to be the health and wellbeing of our residents, visitors, traders and the city as a whole. Safety considerations must come first, and the decision to cancel this year’s physical event is in line with the latest public health advice in this area.

"We understand the impact this will have on local traders, retailers and other hospitality businesses across the city and we will be working hard to support them over the next few months and promote the unique festive offering that the city has."

He added: "We are already looking ahead to 2021 and planning for how we can work with City of York Council, and our traders and businesses across the city to bring the Christmas market back.”

Further details for next year’s plan will be announced in 2021.