Diwali celebrations give Derby Market Hall a boost

A Diwali event was held on Thursday in the Market Hall

Derby Market Hall will host more one-off events in the future to boost footfall, according to city council leader Nadine Peatfield.

She said that Diwali celebrations held there on Thursday, where there were food stalls and dance groups, attracted more than 1,000 visitors.

The venue was reopened in May after getting a £35m makeover but it has been criticised for having empty retail units.

Peatfield said: "It [the Diwali event] was really successful. The traders were really, really happy with the amount of people in there."

Derby City Council leader Nadine Peatfield said the Diwali event was "really, really successful"

"This sort of event was always the plan for this building," she added. "It is a big, big, beautiful, grand building, and it deserves to be shown off at its best."

Event organiser Pam Sidhu said: "I don't think I have slept for the last couple of weeks, but it has all been worth it.

"When you look out at the hall and you see so many happy, smiley faces, and it is people from all walks of life, we've got the elderly, we've got young kids, we've got families and people here by themselves. It's just lovely."

The Market Hall is a Grade II listed building that was closed for three years for renovation work.

"The Market Hall is absolutely essential to our city. It is part of the regeneration of it," added Peatfield.

"It is part of our bigger plan to bring footfall into the city centre, to offer a place where people can just dwell, where they can meet people, where they can have entertainment as well as a shopping experience."

Peatfield added that there would be a month of activities held in the Market Hall to mark Christmas, and the council was also considering marking other religious occasions there, like Eid al-Fitr, one of the biggest celebrations in the Islamic calendar.