Major dates confirmed for Oldham’s new market and events space

Oldham’s new market will officially open in September, Oldham council has confirmed.

Traders from Tommyfield Indoor Market, which is due to be demolished, will be moved over to their new site next to The Spindles shopping centre at the end of the summer. 

The council had previously announced the market would be opening ‘in the summer months’ and traders had hoped to transition to the new space in June or July. 

Contractors are currently working on installing stalls inside the new market. But some vendors require specialised, purpose-built equipment, the opening has now been set for October. 

The idea is to transition the traders over to the new space at the same time to minimize disruption to trading. 

Commenting on the announcements, council boss Arooj Shah said: “I know how excited traders are to get into the new market space. That’s why we are taking the time to make sure we get it right. We are now in the process of working with stallholders as they are fitting out their incredible new stalls, with this process expected to be completed in time for a September opening. So whilst we are keen to make the move, the timing must work for all the stallholders.

“The Market is designed to bring Oldham’s retail core much closer together, sitting in a fit for purpose market hall within The Spindles, it’ll bring together our retail and market offer with access from both Parliament Square and Spindles itself.”

The council has also confirmed that renovations at the Old Library, which will become the new town hall, will soon be completed. Due to open in August, the refurbed historic building will replace the current Civic Centre, which is tipped for demolition to make way for new housing. 

And Oldham’s brand new event space, The Loom, also adjacent to The Spindles, will open in November. This will replace the Queen Elizabeth Hall on West Street. 

The old brutalist theatre was found to contain RAAC, a type of concrete prone to collapsing, in 2023 . It’s also due to be demolished for new housing. 

Once opened, the Loom will hold up to 1,000 people standing, around 700 seated and 500 people for sit-down banquets. The main hall will have sub-dividers, meaning the size of the room can be modified to accommodate different sized events.