In 2019, Tower Hamlets completed a re-development of a former dilapidated parking facility at The Oval (Cambridge Heath) into a new urban park space. The challenge was then to attract locals and visitors to use the space through a regular intervention.

Working with our partners at FACE Events, we pitched, curated and delivered a series of summer night markets for an initial four weekend run in 2019. The markets featured makers, artists and creatives trading their wares, plus street food, pop-up bars and live music. After a successful initial run the market re-commissioned for a further four weekends in 2020 as part of the council’s Covid-19 back-to-business activities.

Over the project, the markets attracted over 32,000 attendees and showcased over 100 traders. The market was a hit with locals and visitors alike, and generated over 48 pieces of media coverage and 1.5m+ in social media reach (OTS).