New music & performance venue planned for Derby

Derby City Council is considering plans to develop a new music and performance venue at the Market Place to replace the former Assembly Rooms, which could create about 400 jobs.

Deputy Leader of the Council, Cllr Martin Rawson, said that the new venue will be the anchor for an emerging Cultural Quarter in the city centre.

He continued, “I see the new Music and Performance Venue as being the anchor for a cultural hub which includes places such as the Guildhall Theatre, Quad, Déda, the Silk Milk and the Derby Museums.

“At its centre, the Market Place would convert into a vibrant day- and night-time hub of leisure activities while public realm work would link this area to a renovated Market Hall and to the Derby Museums and the Silk Mill.

“Single-handedly, this is a game changer. It is the catalyst to further investment and critical to the future success of Derby as a place to live and work.”

He concluded that the ambition is for the Music and Performance Venue to have the capability to host music concerts, sports events, comedy, theatrical performances, conferences and exhibitions and be available for use by both amateur and professional groups.