Derby City Lab reaches 50,000 Market Hall visitors

Derby City Lab is celebrating yet another milestone after visitor numbers hit the 50,000 mark at its Derby Market Hall location.

Designed to engage the public in the city’s future, the lab relocated to the beautifully restored venue last year, opening its doors on 24 May – the same day as the building’s public launch.

Since then, it has proven a major hit with visitors keen to find out the latest about Derby’s regeneration – and share their feedback and ideas on how the city can be made better.

It has now welcomed the 50,000th visitor to its Market Hall location, which was Councillor Gurkiran Kaur, cabinet member for city centre, culture and tourism at Derby City Council.

She said: “Congratulations to Derby City Lab for reaching the significant milestone of 50,000 visitors since its relocation to the Market Hall.

“Since its launch, the lab has gone from strength to strength, becoming an essential hub for Derby residents and stakeholders to give their input into the city centre’s transformation.

“We’re committed to providing a space where we can engage with the public in innovative ways and gather feedback on future plans. I wish Derby City Lab every success for the future.”

Previously, the lab was situated in St James’s Street before moving to the Derbion shopping centre in 2024, where visitor numbers hit the 20,000 mark.

However, the current edition of the lab has now swelled the total number of visitors to the lab since its inception to 70,000.

The centrepiece of the lab is the Derby City Model – a detailed 3D model of Derby city centre, which aims to help visitors visualise the city’s ongoing regeneration story.

And there is a specially commissioned touch screen kiosk created by Hardy Signs, which features an interactive development pipeline.

It also features the 300 years of innovation timeline and the University of Derby’s DUST showcase.

Adam Rodgers, inward investment executive at Marketing Derby and Derby City Lab lead, said: “I’m delighted that the award-winning Derby City Lab has achieved yet another momentous visitor milestone, so soon after relocating to the Market Hall in May last year.

“The number of visitors to the lab shows the clear interest in finding out more about Derby’s future and having their say on its development.

“Like the city itself, the lab continues to evolve, with further consultations and events set to take place soon.”

For more information about the Derby City Lab and to plan your visit click here.