Grand unveiling of £35.1m Derby Market Hall marked with week of live music, free workshops to celebrate launch
The iconic Derby Market Hall will host live music and family activities in its opening week
The transformed Derby Market Hall will open with a week-long celebration packed with music, creative workshops and family-friendly activities.
The doors will officially open to the public at 11am on Saturday, May, 24, 2025.
This is almost 159 years to the day since its original grand opening.
The iconic Grade II listed building has undergone a significant £35.1 million restoration, creating a vibrant venue that brings together the best of the region’s independent shopping, eating, drinking, and entertainment under one beautiful roof.
The Market Hall was officially declared open on May 29, 1866 by Mayor Frederick Longdon.
Exactly 159 years later, on Thursday 29 May 2025, Derby Choral Union will return to the Market Hall to celebrate the reopening with a performance of popular choral pieces honouring their historic performance in the Market Hall.
The £35.1m transformation, partly funded with £9.43m from the Government's Future High Streets Fund (FHSF) began with the Market Hall's most iconic feature: the cast iron, copper, and glass roof.
Designed by Melbourne engineer Rowland Mason Ordish, whose later work included the roof of London's St Pancras railway station, this distinctive element needed significant repair.
As it reopens to the public, visitors will see at first hand the results of a multi-million-pound restoration aimed at preserving the rich heritage of the Grade-II listed building while also introducing modern enhancements.
Visitors can also explore a diverse array of independent stalls and sample the cosmopolitan selection of food and drinks in the bustling food court. The opening week will also provide a taste of the exciting ongoing programme of entertainment and activities planned for the Market Hall.
The venue’s opening week coincides with the May half-term school break so there’s something planned for all ages.
Councillor Nadine Peatfield, Leader of Derby City Council and Cabinet Member for City Centre, Regeneration, Strategy and Policy, said: I’m so pleased to be able to honour the historical significance of the Market Hall’s original opening ceremony by having Derby Choral Union performing a variety of popular choral pieces exactly 159 years later.
“The packed opening week programme is just the beginning and showcases how Derby Market Hall will be a vibrant flagship destination for shopping, dining and entertainment.
“The opening date is now just a few weeks away and I’m so excited for everyone to finally see the significant transformation and enjoy all the Market Hall has to offer.
“The transformed Market Hall will attract visitors from across the region and beyond.”
The grand opening day will kick off with the unique sounds of Deep Down Brass, setting a lively tone for the day.
Throughout Saturday, visitors can enjoy live music from walkabout acts and sessions on the Market Hall stage.
The musical entertainment will continue until 9.30pm, with a line-up of local talent including Carl North, Sura Laynes, Leah Wilcox, Anna Milne, and Masha Terry entertaining the crowds.
Opening day will also feature engaging activities for all ages, including workshops in photography and illustration.
Folk 3-D will guide a workshop to create beautiful paper flowers.
Later, the Lost Boys will offer their innovative ‘Ancestories’ Virtual Reality headset sessions for a unique and immersive experience.
Some of the events and workshops will be held in the venue’s new upstairs multi-use space, the Ordish Room.
The room is named after Rowland Mason Ordish, the Derbyshire-born engineer who designed the Market Hall’s iconic roof in the 1860s, in a nod to the building’s stunning built heritage.
The fun continues every day for the rest of the week and into the following weekend, with a packed programme featuring live music from talented local artists on the Market Hall stage, entertaining walkabout acts both indoors and outdoors, theatre performances and workshops in crafts, pottery, music, performance and songwriting.
Located at the heart of the city centre, linking Derbion and St Peter’s Quarter with the Cathedral Quarter and Becketwell, the redeveloped Market Hall is set to play a key role in widening the diversity of the city centre. Derby City Council say it is expected to generate £3.64m for the local economy every year.
Location: Derby Market Hall, Tennant Street, Derby DE1 2DB
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