Derby Market Hall reopening - what you need to know

A week-long celebration is set to be held to celebrate the reopening of Derby's Market Hall after a £35m renovation.

The Grade II listed building, which has been closed for the past three years, is set to throw open its doors at 11:00 BST on Saturday, almost 159 years to the day since it first came into use.

A programme of events including themed markets, live music, DJs and craft workshops will take place over the following seven days.

Traders who are preparing to set out their stalls have told the BBC they cannot wait for its return.

The official reopening will start with a short opening ceremony outside the Osnabruck Square entrance.

Live music and walkabout acts will then take place throughout the day until 21:30 BST and there will also be virtual reality headset sessions, along with workshops in photography, illustration and crafting, which will continue throughout the week.

The hall's usual opening times will be 08:00 to 15:00 from Monday to Wednesday, 08:00 to 22:00 from Thursday to Saturday and 11:00 to 15:00 on Sunday.

Hannah York, venue manager, said: "I cannot wait to open those doors and show it to everybody.

"This is the just beginning of the market hall, we want to continue to stretch into other public realm spaces and offer even more for people."

Derby City Council has said there will be a range of traditional and contemporary stalls including a butcher, fishmonger, bakery and clothing as well as a crystal stall and an interactive hub showcasing regeneration projects across the city.

Food and drink stall will offer a range of global cuisines, including Venezuelan, Sri Lankan and Greek street food, Jamaican soul food, African and French dishes, Dutch pancakes, ice creams and puddings.

The hall will also soon have its own distillery and bar.

A make and trade space, which allows people to meet local artists, makers and creators has also been set up on the second floor of the building and there will be regular pop-up stalls.

The hall is in the heart of the city centre and has entrances at Osnabruck Square, off Albert Street and through the Guildhall Theatre, off Market Place.

It is a few minutes walk away from Derby Bus Station and there are a number of car parks in walking distance, including Bold Lane and Darwin Place.

The nearest blue badge parking is at Morledge and Full Street.

Nicole Malia-Barlow, from the Market Porter bar and the Spirit Run distillery, said: "Our distillery in Darley Abbey was a Covid project, we trained with a master distiller to learn how to make gins.

"It's great timing to move here as we are ready for a new challenge. It's a beautiful building and it's great to work in this environment with lots of heritage.

"Saturday is going to be a great day, its great for Derby City Centre and there is a real buzz in the area, it's what we needed."

Market Hall butcher Anthony Griffiths said: "We love Derby, we love the city centre and we knew it needed a boost. We think the Market Hall will be the catalyst for that.

"They've spent a lot of money, I've seen it from a few months ago to where it is now, you wouldn't believe is the same place. We're really lucky to have it in Derby.

"Back in the day someone said there used to be 15 butchers in here so to be the only butcher in here, it's an honour."

Sarah Brown, from Milk and Honey Deli, said: "It was an unmissable opportunity to be here, and I'm really looking forward to it.

"I'm looking forward to meeting new customer and change up our stall every couple of days.

"I'm really proud to be one of the first traders in here. I'm totally positive it will work, there will always be negative people and I think it's a positive thing for Derby."

The building has been designed to be fully accessible to all visitors - and is also dog friendly.

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