Derby’s new-look Market Hall sets out its stall for 2025
Derby’s refurbished Victorian Market Hall is all set to bring together the best of the region’s independent shopping, eating, drinking and entertainment when it reopens to the public in the Spring of 2025.
More than ‘just’ a market, which has been on this site in the city centre since its opening on 29 May 1866, the majestic Victorian building will now become a venue and social hub - as well as a destination in its own right.
Still offering traditional market stalls with locally grown fresh produce, the new look Market will feature a cosmopolitan food court, drinks areas, make-and-trade stalls and creative space. It will also host workshops, a full calendar of events and endless pop-up activities.
Occasionally referred to as Derby’s ‘Grand Old Lady’ the iconic building has been given a long and loving £35.1-million facelift. But it also needs to be viewed as part of far wider city centre transformation, thanks to a regeneration project which has so far featured around £4.48bn of investment in the city’s infrastructure since 2011 - with a further £2.6bn already earmarked for future development.
Once it has been reopened to the public in April 2025, the Market will become “the ultimate independent hangout” in the city centre: a seven-days-a-week destination for Derbyshire’s culinary and creative businesses, housing nearly 50 independent traders. Much of it has been ‘curated’, with the newly assembled management team actively seeking-out producers and makers who will help to make it feel, in the words of Market Hall Venue Manager, Hana York: “Very Derby”.
Recreated in the style of the very best of the new breed street food halls and markets which are now popping-up across the UK - including ‘Mackie Mayor’ in Manchester, and ‘Alty Market’ in Altringham - Derby’s is set to become a place where locals can meet and mingle, but where visitors can also come to enjoy the city’s latest tourist attraction.
“It’s all hugely exciting,” says York. “There will be independent businesses from around the Derby and Derbyshire region selling vintage fashion and furniture, home and garden ware, with contemporary craft upstairs; while, downstairs, we’ll have all of the sights, sounds and smells of a bustling food court with café bars, selling hot and cold street food, and local ales”.
Outside, green landscaping will transform this part of the city centre into an urban space with gardens, and pop-up street food, art installations and performance areas.
“It’s really all about keeping the history and tradition of the Market Hall, but then layering it with a very contemporary vibe,” adds York.
It will, of course, also play a key role in widening the diversity of the city centre and in generating an estimated £3.64m for the local economy every year.
Hemmingway Designs have been brought on board to help with the task of giving the whole place the look and feel of Derby.
Best known, perhaps, for his fashion brand Red or Dead, Wayne Hemingway, now a partner at Hemingway Design says: “This is an opportunity for forward-thinking independent start-ups and existing businesses to be part of a project and creative community that will operate out of this magnificently restored, historic Derby building and play a role in re-energising this part of the city centre.”
It's yet another ambitious regeneration project for Derby, which wants the energy it creates to permeate through the rest of the city centre. And it comes at exactly the same time that the second phase of the £230 million Becketwell regeneration scheme, opens to the public - bringing with it a new £45.8 million entertainment and conference venue, ‘Becketwell Live’.
Fresh artist impressions of the new Market have recently been released; and additional details can be found here.
For further information about Derby as a visitor destination, see www.visitderby.co.uk.