Derby LIVE and events COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Information

Riverside Chambers

Fri 2 Jul 2021

You can find here all changes on forthcoming events.

Professor Brian Cox’s Horizons show, due to visit Derby Arena in October, has been postponed until Autumn 2022. The show will now reach Derby on Tue 20 Sep 2022.

Tue 29 Jun 2021

Community Picnic at Normanton Park on Sun 4 Jul has now been cancelled

Furthest from the Sea Festival has been postponed till 30 Aug

Thu 17 Jun 2021

Following the Government announcement that the final stage of the lifting of COVID restrictions has been postponed until Mon 19 July, we have had to make changes to some of events and unfortunately, a small number have had to be cancelled.

Derby Market Place – events at Derby Market Place including outdoor dining are currently unaffected and can take place as planned in the new event marquee. Events up to the 19 July are already on sale with social distancing in place, kicking off with the family friendly Mayor’s Charity Cabaret on Sat 26 June, followed by Wind in the Willows from Derby Theatre. 

Outdoor Theatre at Markeaton Park: The Comedy Of Errors and Bouncers – measures are in place to ensure social distancing, with numbers capped at 200 for these events. Guests are asked to keep movement to a minimum during the events and to wear face coverings, if they can, when moving around. Hand sanitising stations will be available.

Derby Vegan Market – cancelled - was due to be held on Cathedral Green on Sat 26 June. 

The Lady Boys of Bangkok – amended - the production in Derby will have re-allocated seats in order to meet government guidelines and for audience safety. Where possible audience members will be seated at the same table as they had originally booked but in some cases, guests may have to be seated at a different table but in the same price band originally paid for.

Group bookings of more than 6 will be seated at separate tables, socially distanced. The event organiser will endeavour to seat these groups at adjacent tables, where possible. Audience members are asked to bring their original tickets along with them to the venue when attending the performance where Front of House team members will assist you.

Further details can be found on the Lady Boys of Bangkok website. The Derby LIVE team are contacting affected customers who have bought tickets through Derby LIVE. Those who have purchased tickets direct will be contacted through the event organiser.

Superhero Picnic in the Park - The three-day event from Tue 27 to Thu 29 Jul will look a little different this year due to COVID-19 and some activities will move online. But, there will also be self-guided trails to complete around our parks so fear not, you can still don your best superhero outfit and bring along a picnic.  

Derby Classic Car and Retro Show – cancelled - was scheduled for Sun 11 July at Markeaton Park. We sincerely hope that the event can go ahead in 2022 and that exhibitors and visitors will be able to enjoy the full day event. Further information will be made available later in the year.

Our Outdoor Events Team are working with event organisers to see if they wish to still go ahead with their events and offering support to ensure that the event meets requirements to be COVID secure.

Derby LIVE are contacting affected customers who have bought tickets through Derby LIVE. Those who have purchased tickets direct will be contacted through the event organiser.

Mon 7 Jun 2020

The Ladyboys of Bangkok on  Fri 2 – Sun 11 Jul has moved from Cathedral Green to Bass' Recreation Ground

Queen Machine Symphonic at Derby Arena has been postponed from Wed 13 Oct to Wed 14 Sep 2022.

Fri 16 Apr

An evening with The Hollies, which was due to go ahead at Derby Arena later this year, has also been rescheduled. This is due to rescheduling issues caused by COVID-19 impacting the early dates of the tour. The show was due to go ahead at Derby Arena on Sat 16 Oct, but has now moved to Thu 26 May 2022.

Tue 2 Mar

The promoters for Lady Boys of Bangkok – Flight of Fantasy have confirmed that they have rescheduled their tour. The show was due to land in Derby on Fri 26 Mar – Tue 11 Apr but has now been rescheduled to Fri 2 – Sun 11 Jul.

Two shows due to go ahead at Derby Arena in June have also been postponed. While there was always doubt about whether they would be able to go ahead as planned due to ongoing COVID restrictions, they have moved because of the use of Derby Arena as a vaccination centre.  

Whitney, Queen of the Night, a celebration of the music of Whitney Houston, was due to go ahead at Derby Arena on Thu 3 June, but has now been rescheduled to Sat 5 March 2022. The Elvis Tribute Artist World Tour has moved from Wed 30 June to Thu 14 Oct 2021.

Tue 19 Jan

Due to the continuing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on indoor live performances, new dates have been announced for two shows which were due to take place at Derby Arena in spring and early summer.

Jimmy Carr, who was due to bring his Terribly Funny tour to the Arena on Sat 22 May, has confirmed a new date of Sat 23 Oct 2021. Magic of Motown, a musical tribute to the sounds of the Motor City, has moved from Sat 26 Jun 2021 to Fri 27 May 2022.

Mon 21 Dec

Due to the continuing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on indoor live performances, Derby LIVE have now announced that three shows, The Dreamboys, What’s Love Got To Do With It? and Jason Manford will not be going ahead as planned. All three shows have been postponed by their promoters to 2022.

The Dreamboys has been moved from 14 Jan 2021 to 28 May 2022. A celebration of the music of Tina Turner, What’s Love Got To Do With It?, was due to take place on 21 May 2021, but will now go ahead on 23 Jan 2022.

Jason Manford – Like Me has moved from 14 Oct 2021 to 30 Sep 2022. This is due to rescheduling issues caused by COVID impacting the early dates of the tour.

Sales and Information Centre opening times

Wed 2 Dec

Outdoor events will run as planned with full Covid-secure measures in place. Visitors are asked to continue to do the right thing for Derby by following social distancing at all times, wearing a face covering if they can, and following the Tier 3 rules about who they can meet up with, either staying with members of their household or household bubble, or following the rule of six when outdoors.

In Derby Market Place, live performances of Elf Encounter can go ahead because the design of the show puts it in line with a Santa’s Grotto, which is permitted under Tier 3. Babbling Vagabonds’ 15-minute show in a purpose-built wooden hut has been designed to be performed to one household at a time, with a clear screen surrounding the stage and cleaning of seats before the next performance.

Live performances will take place between Sat 5 and Wed 23 Dec, and will take families with young children on a journey in a magical Christmas machine with a mischievous elf who needs to get back on Santa’s nice list! Babbling Vagabonds will also be making recorded versions of the show available for families who are unable to visit in person, which will be on sale soon. 

Christmas in Markeaton Park is still going ahead but some of the workshops have been cancelled that cannot take place in Tier 3. They are Wreath Making Workshop, Christmas Crafts with Jumping Clay, Painting Fun Workshop, Mosaics Making Workshop and Introduction to Glass Fusing. We are contacting ticket holders about refunds. 

Previous updates

Thu 5 Nov 2020

Derby Market Place was due to be hosting two markets in November which, due to the new national Government restrictions, will not now be going ahead. These were the Vegan Market on 7 November and the Make & Trade Market, hosted by Mainframe, on 13 and 14 Nov. Although it is disappointing to cancel markets, it is more important that we all work together to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our communities. We look forward to welcoming you back to Derby Market Place when it is safe to do so. 

Festive Derby

Following the Government’s announcement of new national restrictions, plans for Festive Derby are now on hold. Events scheduled for November will not be taking place, and we are reviewing the rest of our plans to see what could be viable during December. We are hopeful that we will still be able to mark the Christmas season in some way, but reducing the risk of the spread of COVID-19 is the priority at this time.

7 Jun 2020

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the safety of the public and our staff has been the priority of Derby City Council. It is with regret that we are now announcing that all outdoor events, and events at Derby Arena and other venues, will not be running until at least the end of August, with some indoor changes across the Autumn.

In the meantime we will work to put measures in place to ensure that events are run safely for the public and staff members, ready for when we are able to start hosting them again.

Our Sales and Information Centre phoneline on 01332 255800 is now open from 9am to 4pm, Monday to Friday, but the building at Riverside Chambers, Full Street, Derby, remains closed to the public.

You can contact us by email at boxoffice@derby.gov.uk. However, there is no need for anyone who has previously booked tickets for a performance that has recently been rescheduled or cancelled to contact us, as we will be in touch.

We are working with event organisers to postpone as many events as possible, and to reschedule new dates. The latest information will be updated below. The list of affected events is not exhaustive but includes:

Sleeping Beauty, which was due to be performed at Derby Arena from 5 to 31 December, has now been postponed until 2021, due to continued uncertainty about when and how indoor theatre can resume.

Customers who have bought tickets for this year’s pantomime will not have to do anything, as Derby LIVE’s Sales and Information Centre will contact them directly and their booking will be safe. Tickets will be automatically transferred to the corresponding date the following year but customers will have the chance to move to another date or get a refund if that doesn’t suit them. Our team will be very busy so we ask customers to be patient and wait until they hear from us by email, letter or phone.

Read the full details on the #DerbyPanto postponement here. 

Sleeping Beauty will run from 10 December 2021 to 8 January 2022 with tickets kept at 2020 prices, from £14.75. Early bird discount, concessions, group, school and family tickets are available. To book, call the Sales and Information Centre on 01332 255800 or choose your seats online here.

Derby Folk Festival has been cancelled, but instead from Fri 2 Oct to Sun 4 Oct, viewers can enjoy Derby Folk Festival at Home. Tickets are now on sale for four 3-hour virtual concerts featuring many of the names who were booked to come to the original live event, including John Tams and Barry Coope, Lucy Ward, Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman, Winter Wilson, Kitty Macfarlane and more. Click here to buy tickets.

The Hannells Darley Park Concert has been cancelled, and instead on Sun 30 Aug, viewers and listeners will be able to rediscover highlights from last year’s show on along with new performances, commentary and interviews, on BBC Radio Derby and online for The Hannel's Darley Park Concert at Home.

City Centre Events

Asda Foundation Derby Half Marathon, 7 June  – postponed to 2021, date TBC

Derby Roundhouse Tour, 27 June – cancelled

Head High’s Fundamental Event, Market Place, 11 July – cancelled and liaising with the event organiser to confirm a new date for 2021

Sunrise City 5K, 17 July – postponed to 16 July 2021

Caribbean Carnival, 19 July, parade from city centre to Osmaston Park – cancelled and liaising with the event organiser to confirm a new date

The Outdoor Theatre and Cinema Season at Markeaton Park Craft Village – all events cancelled. This applies to:

  • 1 to 4 July: Oddsocks Productions in The Comedy of Errors
  • 15 to 18 July: Lost Boys present The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Unabridged)
  • 25 to 29 July: Babbling Vagabonds in Here Be Dragons!
  • 30 July: Cinema - Bohemian Rhapsody
  • 31 July: Cinema - The Full Monty
  • 1 August: Cinema - Rocketman
  • 2 Aug: Cinema - A Star Is Born

Other Park Events – all regular activities, plus:

  • All Parkruns at Markeaton and Alvaston Parks, and Junior Parkrun at Markeaton Park - cancelled
  • Derwent Valley Orienteering event, 30 May - cancelled
  • Wacky Wig Walk, Markeaton Park, 17 May - cancelled
  • Derby Summer Series 5K, Darley Park, 19 May, 16 June, 21 July, 18 August – cancelled and liaising with event organiser to confirm new dates
  • BMX Regional Race 2020, Alvaston Park, 31 May - cancelled
  • Big Lunch, Stockbrook Street Recreation Ground, 7 June – cancelled and liaising with the event organiser to confirm a new date
  • The Big One, Chaddesden Park, 7 June – cancelled
  • Fake Festivals, Markeaton Park, 20 June – postponed to 19 June 2021
  • Oakfest, Oakwood Park, 28 June – cancelled and liaising with the event organiser to confirm a new date
  • Race For Life and Pretty Muddy, Markeaton Park, 27 and 28 June - cancelled
  • Colin Potter Memorial 10K Race, Darley Abbey Park and Fields, 3 July – cancelled and liaising with the event organiser to confirm a new date
  • Community Fun Day, Osmaston Park, 4 July – postponed to 3 July 2021
  • The Derby Retro, New and Classic Car Show, Markeaton Park, 5 July – cancelled
  • Pond dipping at Markeaton Park, 5 July – cancelled and liaising with the event organiser to confirm a new date
  • Community Fun Day, Sinfin Moor Park, 11 July – postponed to 10 July 2021
  • Festival of Music and Flowers, Markeaton Park, 18 and 19 July – cancelled and liaising with the event organiser to confirm a new date
  • Alvaston Park Family Fun Day, 19 July – cancelled, 2021 date to be confirmed
  • Superhero Picnic in the Park events (28 July Markeaton Park, 29 July Chaddesden Park, 30 July Darley Park) – cancelled. Now taking place as an online event on Tue 28 Jul - see Superhero Picnic at Home
  • Hydrangea Derby Open Day, Darley Park Walled Garden, 9 August – cancelled and liaising with the event organiser to confirm a new date
  • The Hannells Darley Park Concert, 30 Aug. Cancelled at Darley Park, but will now be taking place as an online event in partnership with Sinfonia Viva and BBC Radio Derby - see The Hannells Darley Park Concert at Home

Derby Arena

  • Indoor Market, 2 May – cancelled
  • Mum 2 Mum Market, 13 June – cancelled
  • British Cheerleading, 19 to 20 June – cancelled
  • The Big Bang Fair Midlands, 27 June – cancelled
  • National Youth Omnium, 25 to 26 July - cancelled

Derby LIVE ticketed events

Rescheduled events – tickets on sale:

The Ladyboys of Bangkok – rescheduled to 25 September to 4 October 2020 at Bass’ Recreation Ground

The Dreamboys - rescheduled to 14 January 2021 at Derby Arena

Jimmy Carr - rescheduled to 22 May 2021 at Derby Arena

Whitney, Queen of the Night – rescheduled to 3 Jun 2021 at Derby Arena

The Magic of Motown – rescheduled to Sat 26 June 2021 at Derby Arena

Elvis Tribute Artist World Tour – rescheduled to Wed 30 Jun 2021 at Derby Arena

Queen Machine Symphonic - rescheduled to Wed 13 Oct 2021 at Derby Arena

Sleeping Beauty - rescheduled to from 10 December 2021 to 8 January 2022 at Derby Arena

That'll Be The Day - due to take place on Sat 31st October, has been cancelled. We will contact ticket holders directly.

Derby LIVE also acts as the ticket agent for a number of other shows throughout the county. We will update our listings when organisers inform us about changes to their shows.

Derby City Council Coronavirus information and advice 

Find out how coronavirus is impacting Council services and facilities.

Check out the latest advice on coronavirus (COVID-19).

Previous updates

In response to the Government’s latest guidance concerning the COVID-19 virus, and in the best interests of our visitors and staff, Derby LIVE regret to announce that our events programme will not be going ahead for at least the next 12 weeks.

We are working with event organisers to postpone as many as possible, and to reschedule new dates as soon as we can. Here is a list of everything affected. We will update this list when new information becomes available.

Queen Machine Symphonic due to perform at Derby Arena on Fri 17 April, has been postponed to Wed 13 Oct 2021. 

Elvis Tribute Artist World Tour starring Shawn Klush, Dean Z & Cody Ray Slaughter, also due to perform at Derby Arena, has been postponed from Sat 16 May to Sat 21 Nov 2020. 

In addition, due to the impact of COVID-19, The Magic of Motown and The Dreamboys at Derby Arena have been postponed to 2021. 

Derby LIVE customers will be contacted about refunds and potential future dates.

City centre events

Park events – all regular activities in parks, plus:

  • All Parkruns at Markeaton and Alvaston Parks, and Junior Parkrun at Markeaton Park cancelled
  • Derby 10k, 29 Mar postponed to 25 Oct 2020.
  • Easter Egg Hunt Trail, Markeaton Park, 4 to 19 Apr cancelled
  • Kidz Kingdom funfair, Alvaston Park, 6 to 19 Apr cancelled
  • Eventive Funtime Easter Funfair, Markeaton Park, 7 to 19 Apr cancelled 
  • Derwent Valley Orienteering events - 25 Apr, 16 May and 30 May cancelled
  • Cycle Derby Sportive Spring Classic, Markeaton Park, 26 Apr postponed to 11 Apr 2021
  • Stroke Association Resolution Run, 3 May cancelled - find out about Virtual Run
  • Woodland Bird Walk, Chaddesden Wood, 9 May cancelled
  • May Fest 'Derby Arboretum's Village Fayre', 10 May cancelled
  • Wacky Wig Walk, Markeaton Park, 17 May cancelled
  • Derby Summer Series 5K, Darley Park, 19 May event cancelled - future events to be confirmed.
  • Bat Walk, Markeaton Park, 22 May cancelled
  • BMX Regional Race 2020, Alvaston Park, 31 May cancelled
  • Big Lunch, Stockbrook Street Recreation Ground, 7 Jun cancelled
  • The Big One, Chaddesden Park, 7 Jun cancelled
  • Oakfest, Oakwood Park, 28 Jun, new date TBC
  • Race For Life and Pretty Muddy, Markeaton Park, 27 and 28 Jun cancelled.
  • Alvaston Park Family Fun Day, 19 Jul cancelled 

Visit our FAQ on Outdoor Event booking if you are an event organiser. 

Derby’s St George’s Day Celebrations, due to take place in the city centre on Saturday 18 April, have been cancelled. We look forward to welcoming back the people of Derby, our performers, and of course our dragons, next year.

The Easter Egg Hunt Trail at Markeaton Park, due to run from Saturday 4 to Sunday 19 April, has also been cancelled for this year.

Sales and Information Centre

The In Derby Sales and Information Centre at Riverside Chambers, Full Street, Derby, is to close to the public with immediate effect. This is to protect staff and members of the public as the situation with the COVID-19 virus means that we all have to take greater social distancing measures.

You can contact us by email at boxoffice@derby.gov.uk. However there is no need for anyone who has booked tickets to a performance that has recently been rescheduled to contact us, as we will be in touch with them.

You can email us at leisure@derby.gov.uk, tourism@derby.gov.uk, and inderby@derby.gov.uk. The websites for derbylive.co.uk, inderby.org.uk and visitderby.co.uk will be updated with the latest information.

Please visit our In Derby news page for updates on all Leisure and Culture services.

Updates on events where we act as an agent (Derby LIVE customers will be contacted)

A Little Night Music (Sinfonia Vivia)- Cancelled
The Sitcom Experience - Postponed (date to be confirmed)
The Full Monty - The Broadway musical - Cancelled 
Annie - Cancelled 
Science in the city walks - Cancelled
Psychic Supper - Cancelled
Sergei Podobedov - Cancelled
Derby Choral Union - Spring Concert - Cancelled
Brass for Cause - Cancelled but looking to reschedule
Stepping Out - Never went on sale but cancelled
Kissing Miss Nightingale's Shadow - postponed at all venues, looking to reschedule
Bearded Theory - postponed until 10th September
The Music of Queen - Rescheduled to Friday 13 November
An Evening of ABBA, The Incora County Ground - Sat 6 Jun - Postponed, date TBC 
An Evening of Elton, The Incora County Ground - Sat 22 Aug - Postponed, date TBC

Updates on social media

Derby LIVE