Links Market: 2025 opening times, parking, and a new sculpture on Esplanade

The market co-incides with the school holidays, and that could see attendances soar across each day.

It opens on Wednesday, April 16 and runs though until Monday 21st and promises over 60 rides, including some for thrill-seekers, as well as food vendors, children’s rides, and the traditional side stalls.

The market remains a Kirkcaldy institution, and a huge draw for locals as well as visitors as it brings the Esplanade to life. The opening ceremony is at its traditional time of 2:00pm before all the rides welcome their first guests. It then runs daily from 1:00pm until 10:30/11:00pm.

Over 100,000 can flock to the market on a good year and the Showmen’s Guild is hoping for a busy visit to mark its Scottish season which brings them back to the Links on Burntisland later this summer.

Visitors have been warned that a number of road closures will be in place before the market starts to allow operators to set up - and throughout its stay in the Lang Toun.

Kirkcaldy Esplanade is closed from Charlotte Street to Morrisons, from 1:00pm on Saturday until 4:00pm on Wednesday April 23. Motorists should use an alternative route via Charlotte Street, Volunteers Green, Nicol Street, Abbotshall Road, Pratt Street, and Bridge Street.

There will be ‘no waiting at any time’ restrictions along Links Street daily between noon and 11.30pm from Wednesday until Monday 21st. There will also be a temporary extension to the taxi rank on High Street.

Parking is available at the multi-storey on the Esplanade, while there are restrictions on a number of local roads and wynds including Links Street, Gas Wynd, Hendry’s Wynd, Heggies Wynd, and Fergus Wynd.

The market arrives in town just as a sculpture of a traditional hobby horse has been placed at The Basin to celebrate its great links to the town.

The two-metre-tall sculpture was made and gifted by the Showmen’s Guild - the project was led by Kirkcaldy West Community Council and has been years in the making.

The horse was restored by Casey Gardner, an apprentice from Persimmon Homes who is training at Fife College. It was formally unveiled this week and will take pride of place in the heart of the market.

Casey, 19, said: “It’s been an incredible experience working on this sculpture, knowing it will become part of Kirkcaldy’s history. I can’t wait to see it in place.”

Alice Soper of Kirkcaldy West Community Council and an honorary member of the Showman's Guild said: "The project has been a long time in the making, so it's wonderful to now see it installed, marking the longstanding connection with the town and our much-loved Links Market.

"It's a fantastic sculpture and Casey has done a superb job in designing and painting the horse which I'm sure will now become another well-loved feature of our increasingly impressive Esplanade."

The sculpture was also welcomed by Councillor Ian Cameron, convenor of Kirkcaldy area committee as “a wonderful piece of public art.”

He added: “Not only does it further enhance the town’s popular waterfront but also celebrates the area’s historic and ongoing connection to the much-loved Links Market.”