Transformed Ellesmere Port Market reopens with celebration and community events
21 Aug 2026
Ellesmere Port Market fully reopens this week including the Flea Market event space with a ribbon cutting event on Friday 28 August at 11am. The completion of the £8m refurbishment is being celebrated with a programme of free community events.
On Saturday 29 August during the day there will be an artisan market of local makers from 10am until 4pm, a visit by Toy Story characters Woody and Jessie for the children in the morning, combined with the return of the popular Market Warehouse hosted by Ellesmere Port Collective which will feature local performers and DJs.
On Sunday 30 August there is a Community Day of events featuring local community groups and performers from 10am until 3pm, curated by Ellesmere Port Collective including the newly established Pride in Place Board, Cheshire Community Bank, Port Hikes, Theatre Porto, Brio Ellesmere Port and the National Waterways Museum.
Music will be provided by Finnlay K between 12 – 1pm, an Indie rock singer-songwriter, and co-producer of the popular Have A Word podcast. Finn has performed his original music at venues, festivals and arenas in the relatively short time since forming his self-titled band, expect a set of covers from some of his favourite artists, spanning all genres of popular music.
Also performing will be Ellesmere Port’s very own soulful band The Refiners, with two of their members, Colette and Mikey treating the audience to an hour of their take on everything from Amy Winehouse and Paolo Nutini, to The Doobie Brothers and Hozier; plus local DJ Cosmic Groove will be taking care of music throughout the remainder of the day, with an eclectic mix of vinyl records, Liam showcases over two decades of experience DJing in the analogue world.
The market will be open throughout the weekend providing a great opportunity to meet the traders and sample the wonderful range of food, goods and service options.
Councillor Nathan Pardoe, Cabinet Member for Inclusive Economy, Regeneration and Digital Transformation, said: “The transformed Ellesmere Port Market will soon reopen, and will be relaunching in style. Traders are setup in their new stalls, and the Flea Market space reopens with a full weekend of fantastic events.
“There is even more choice in Ellesmere Port Market than before, with different food, goods and services offering something for everybody. The Flea Market is a now a brand new flexible event space, which community groups and performers will be bringing to life over the launch weekend and beyond. Thank you to them, and to all the customers, traders and staff for supporting the market throughout the regeneration works.
“At a time when other councils cannot or will not invest in markets, Cheshire West & Chester Council remains committed to Ellesmere Port Market and its markets across the borough.”
The central feature of the new dining area in the market is a model of the famous lighthouse built in 1880 at the docks where the River Mersey joins the Shropshire Union Canal and where the town first became established as the ‘port’ of the canal that started in Ellesmere in Shropshire 30 miles away. The lighthouse also features in the market’s logo in its role as a beacon at the heart of the community.
On Saturday 12 September from 12 midday a festival style indoor music event, featuring a full day of music with local bands, headlined by Ellesmere Port’s Ian Prowse & Amsterdam will take place in the Flea Market. Often referred to as the ‘Scouse Springsteen’ Ian’s incendiary live show has wowed crowds at Reading, Glastonbury, Beautiful Days and Kendal Calling and can soon be seen opening for The Waterboys & The Wonder Stuff. The concert is hosted by Ellesmere Port Collective. Tickets details
The flexible event space created in the Flea Market includes colourful new murals by Chester-based mural company, Absolutely Design (www.absolutely.design)
Graham Boyd, Founder and CEO of Chester-based Absolutely Design, said: “The three designs of the Flea Market murals are deliberately bold, colourful and vibrant to reflect the dynamism of the market and the new events space but also, importantly, refer to some of the Port’s extraordinary industrial history.
“One wall is dominated by narrowboats. The Shropshire Union Canal’s history is closely tied to the development of Ellesmere Port, which evolved into a bustling port due to the canal’s construction. This mural shows the powerhouse of the canal network, the narrowboats and the hardworking waterway people who established the Port; a history proudly celebrated in the nearby National Waterways Museum.
“With its image of a vintage plane, another wall celebrates the significant contribution of Hooton Park Airfield, where early WWI RAF pilot training took place and pre and post-WWII aircraft squadrons were serviced and based, as well as hosting some of the first commercial airline flights in the region when it became the first Liverpool Airport in 1930 before Speke opened in 1933.
“The theme of innovation and precision engineering continues on the third wall with a mural that celebrates the production of the iconic Vauxhall Viva, one of the most popular cars of the 1960s. The mural is a representation of the ceremony that celebrated the first Viva to roll off the assembly line at the Vauxhall factory on June 1st in 1964.”
The £8m refurbishment of Ellesmere Port Market by Cheshire West and Chester Council includes a new building façade, photovoltaic solar panels, new toilets, refurbished stalls, seating, improved layout and public Wi-Fi. In addition to the flexible event space at the Flea market, there is a new al fresco area and landscaping, along with cycle parking and seating. However, due to the extreme dry weather the plants and trees in the public realm space in front of the market will be planted later in the autumn.
The Ellesmere Port Town Centre Regeneration Project is funded by the Government’s Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.