The long-awaited £30.9 million Darley Street Market is finally set to open in Bradford city centre on Friday, 12 July and a packed weekend of celebrations has been announced.
After years of anticipation and several delays, the opening will be marked with live music, chef masterclasses, children’s activities, street theatre and special guests.
Highlights of the launch weekend include culinary demonstrations from acclaimed chefs, such as Imogen Tilt, head chef at The Hawthorn in Haworth, and MasterChef UK 2023 quarter-finalist Owen Diaram. Chefs from the market’s new Darley Street Kitchen food court will also showcase their flavours in live cooking demos.
Visitors can expect appearances from Danny Malin of Rate My Takeaway fame and his wife Sophie Mei Lan, as well as music curated by Bradford Music Scene, featuring DJs, singers, bands and buskers.
Families can enjoy Aardman creative workshops, inspired by Wallace and Gromit, alongside sensory play for under-fives, face painting, henna tattoos, and a food-themed street playground from Playful Anywhere.
Interactive features include a market trail where visitors can design printed postcards, and a community pottery mural with Salt Pots, inviting people to hand-paint tiles reflecting personal stories tied to the market’s opening.
On Saturday, the Bradford Model Engineering Society will hold demonstrations, while Sunday will bring community games like dominoes and Ludo, hosted by the Dominican Association. Also on Sunday, Eden Pie, a plant-based cake company, will run a Wimbledon-themed cupcake decorating session — complete with ‘tennis players’ from street theatre group Q20 entertaining the crowds.
Visitors will be able to watch the Wimbledon finals live on the market’s giant screen throughout the weekend.
Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration, said:
“We can’t wait to welcome people to Darley Street Market. This is just a flavour of what we’ve got organised for our opening weekend. Stalls will be open and trading, with tasters and giveaways throughout.”
Stay tuned to Asian Standard, as we will bring you more details on the launch weekend in the coming weeks.
