Buskers and Arts & Crafts Bring Darley Street Market to Life

Bradford’s Darley Street Market was alive with music, creativity, and community spirit on Saturday 23 August, as the new venue played host to a special Buskers Market and pop-up arts and crafts fair.

Live music across the Market

From 11am right through to early evening, talented buskers entertained visitors in the Courtyard and on the Darley Street Kitchen Stage.

The line-up included:

• Phil Graham – the North East solo singer and guitarist with a genre-spanning set of popular classics
• James Lee Willis – delivering acoustic favourites and heartfelt originals
• Charlie Hansen – transforming indie anthems into crowd-pleasing singalongs
• Vince Cayo – touring folk singer bringing storytelling and traditional sounds

Together, they created a lively soundtrack to the bustling market atmosphere, drawing in shoppers and passers-by throughout the day.

Creative pop-up stalls

Adding to the festivities, a dedicated arts and crafts market filled the Courtyard from 10am – 3pm. Independent makers and traders offered everything from handmade jewellery and homewares to unique art prints, zines, pastel art products, and even shawarma-filled mini Yorkshire puddings from Moe’s Kitchen.

Stalls included Bairds and Books, Sara’s Sea Glass Odyssey, Beverley Crossley, Blossom 321, MamaLlamaByGigi, The Kindred Bizzare, Paperr Jamm and Moe’s Kitchen.

Yorkshire Water also joined the event, showcasing mini rain catchers to highlight practical ways to save water at home.

A vibrant addition to Bradford city centre

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said:

“It’s set to be another fabulous weekend at Darley Street Market with the talented buskers and the arts and craft market bringing another dimension and complementing the wide range of shopping opportunities from our regular traders on Saturday.

Following on from this on Sunday of the Bank Holiday we will be hosting the inaugural Great Northern Day – a brand-new annual celebration of the people, places, and culture that define Northern communities.”

Looking ahead

The Buskers Market was another successful highlight in Darley Street Market’s events calendar, attracting both locals and visitors to enjoy the mix of live music, food, creativity and community atmosphere.

The event also formed part of the Bank Holiday programme across Bradford’s markets, which included trading at Bingley, Ilkley, Keighley, Shipley, and St James’ Wholesale Market across the weekend.

For the latest updates and upcoming events, head to Bradford Markets or follow @BradfordMarkets on social media.