Kingston’s much-loved Christmas Market will open next month as planned, the council has confirmed — just two days after a devastating dawn fire ripped through the town’s historic market square and reduced traders’ stalls to twisted wreckage.
The blaze broke out in the early hours of Tuesday, October 6, tearing through tightly packed rows of pitches in Kingston Market Place. Several stalls were destroyed and the fronts of nearby shops — including Lush, Greggs and Hotter — were left damaged. Eight people were evacuated from the surrounding area, though thankfully no injuries were reported.
But with the festive season approaching, shoppers can breathe a sigh of relief. A Kingston Council spokesperson said the borough’s renowned Christmas Market is still expected to open next month, encouraging everyone to come and visit.
Traders promised support as market reopens
Kingston Council leader Andreas Kirsch said the authority is working as hard as it can to get the site safe and secure, and to support traders to get back to work as soon as possible.
He added that he was really pleased the market is reopening and that stallholders and businesses not directly impacted by the fire have been able to start trading again, saying the priority now is to continue supporting those affected and help ensure the much-loved market recovers as soon as possible.
The council is working with market operator Between the Bridges to explore support options for traders whose pitches and stock were caught up in the fire. Kirsch had earlier said he was shocked and saddened by the blaze — read what the council leader pledged in the aftermath.
What caused the fire
Investigations by the Metropolitan Police and the London Fire Brigade have now concluded, with specialist scene investigators finding no indication of criminal activity. The fire is believed to have started in a fridge with an electrical fault — read our full report on how investigators traced the blaze to a faulty fridge.
Work to make the damaged buildings safe is under way, and clean-up operations will begin once the area is declared secure. Some stalls that escaped the flames have already resumed trading, and the council says the market is steadily getting back on its feet.
Photographs taken the morning after the fire showed the scale of the destruction — blackened stall frames and scorched debris strewn across the square (see the aftermath in pictures).
From blaze to bounce-back: the story so far
- Tuesday, October 6, shortly after 4am: Fire breaks out in Kingston Market Place. Stalls are destroyed, shopfronts are scorched, and eight people are evacuated as police launch an investigation.
- Tuesday, October 6: Council leader Andreas Kirsch says he is shocked and saddened, vowing that the council will stand behind the traders, businesses and residents caught up in the blaze.
- Thursday, October 8: Police and fire investigations conclude — no sign of criminal activity, and the blaze is blamed on an electrical fault in a fridge. Stalls that escaped damage begin trading again.
- Thursday, October 8: Kingston Council confirms the Christmas Market will open next month as planned.
- November: Kingston’s Christmas Market is expected to open in the Market Place, with the council urging Londoners to come and visit.
What happens next
The immediate focus is on making the damaged part of the Market Place safe. Structural safety work is under way, and once the area is declared secure, clean-up crews will move in to clear the debris.
In parallel, the council and market operator Between the Bridges are drawing up support options for the traders hit hardest — those who lost stalls, stock and, in the crucial run-up to Christmas, precious trading days.
For shoppers, the message is simple: the market is open, the stalls that escaped the fire are trading again, and the Christmas Market — one of south-west London’s festive highlights — remains on course to return next month. The council is urging everyone to come down and show their support for Kingston’s traders.
London Streets will continue to follow the recovery of Kingston Market in the weeks ahead.
