The much-anticipated reopening of the newly-renovated Abingdon Street Market will take place on Saturday 27th May.
The retail side of the market – located via the Abingdon Street entrance – will not open until later this year, but the Edward Street side of the market – redesigned as a food hall and space for live entertainment and community events – will welcome the public at the end of the month.
Six local, independent food vendors – which will be announced in the run up to the opening – will be offering free samples from their menu, and two in-house bars and coffee shop will be serving drinks. Doors will open at 12pm with a DJ playing until 6pm, followed by live music by local artists Daisy Atkinson and Chris Wilde.
Normal market opening hours from Sunday 28th May will be 9am-10pm, seven days a week. The retail units, opening later this year, will offer a range of products, from fresh produce to handmade crafts and gifts which Little Blackpool Leisure hope will reinvigorate the town centre as a shopping destination.
Above the market is home to Abingdon studios, a gallery space operated by local artist and curator Garth Gratrix. Market operators, Little Blackpool Leisure, hope the ground floor space will be utilised by the community and charities for events as well as hosting live music and performance from a stage in the centre of the communal dining space.
“Abingdon Street Market has been a mainstay of the town centre for many decades now, so finally seeing locals and visiting tourists enjoy the space again will be really special,” said Jake Whittington (pictured centre), co-director of Little Blackpool Leisure along with James Lucas (right) and Andy Shields (left). The team are also behind nearby Common Bar & Kitchen and Nook Wine Room and Terrace.
“There’s definitely going to be an air of celebration – we’re looking forward to enjoying the entertainment and welcoming visitors to the market. To see it come to life and take on that bustling market feel – as it has done for so many years before – will be an honour,” Whittington added.
Our ambition is to turn Abingdon Street Market into the beating heart of our town centre.
The building was opened in 1862 as Blackpool’s police station – a detail preserved in the stone-carved sign above the Abingdon Street entrance – before being converted to an indoor market in 1928.
The market closed at the beginning of lockdown and was in need of urgent maintenance works. Existing market vendors were relocated to empty council units in the town centre including the former Topshop on Victoria Street. It is unclear whether any of the previous retail vendors will be returning to the space.
The market was purchased by the council with £3.6 million of government funding through the Getting Building Fund. Renovations were funded with further government money – £315,000 from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and £90,000 from the Historic England Heritage Action Zone programme which has rejuvenated several properties on Deansgate, Edward Street and Topping Street including Aunty Social’s new creative hub.
Cllr Mark Smith, cabinet member for business, enterprise and job creation at Blackpool Council, said: “The funding of the market has been a pivotal part in allowing Blackpool to keep a fundamental and historic building, well-known.
“The improved Abingdon Street Market will provide a wonderful opportunity for locals to enjoy all there is on to offer socially, as well as creating local jobs and benefits to the wider economy.”
Little Blackpool Leisure’s market design was inspired by food halls such as Mackie Mayor in Manchester’s Northern Quarter and the Baltic Market in Liverpool. On announcement of the company being awarded the contract by Blackpool Council earlier this year, co-director Andy Shields said: “Our ambition is to turn Abingdon Street Market into the beating heart of our town centre, bringing a mix of quality and most importantly local food vendors and traders under one roof.”
Blackpool Council is currently looking for an artist to design a mural on three interior walls of Abingdon Street Market. Read about the opportunity here.
