New Ashton Artisan Market brings independent traders to Market Hall 2026

Key Points

• Ashton Artisan Market is debuting this Sunday around the Market Hall in Ashton-under-Lyne.
• The market is delivered in partnership with Independent Street and will feature 60+ independent businesses.
• Visitors can enjoy live music from Olly Flavell, a children’s arts workshop with Mila, and free face painting.
• Stalls will sell arts and crafts, jewellery, fragrances, cheeses, cakes, honey, brownies, coffee, pies, sweets, olives, spirits and more.
• The Ashton Artisan Market is free to attend.
• The event will run at Ashton Market Hall from 11am to 4pm on Sunday, 19 July.

Ashton-under-Lyne (Manchester Mirror) July 18, 2026 – uk/local/ashton-under-lyne/">Ashton-under-Lyne will host the debut Ashton Artisan Market around the Market Hall this Sunday, bringing together more than 60 independent businesses for a day of food, shopping and live entertainment.

How is the new Ashton Artisan Market debuting around Ashton Market Hall this Sunday?

Ashton-under-Lyne is welcoming the new Ashton Artisan Market this Sunday, with the event set to take place around the town’s Market Hall. The market marks the first outing for this new artisan-focused event, which is designed as a one-day celebration of local and independent businesses. The debut is centred on the Market Hall, giving traders and visitors a familiar, well-known space in which to come together.

The Ashton Artisan Market is delivered in partnership with Independent Street, a specialist organiser working with independent traders. Through this partnership, more than 60 independent businesses are expected to attend, creating a varied line-up of stalls and activities throughout the day. The organisers have positioned the event as a chance for people in Ashton-under-Lyne and the surrounding area to experience a curated artisan market in the heart of the town.

What traders, food and products will be available at the Ashton Artisan Market?

The Ashton Artisan Market will feature a broad mix of stalls, with traders set to sell arts and crafts, jewellery, fragrances, and a wide range of food and drink products. Shoppers can expect cheeses, cakes, honey, brownies, coffee, pies, sweets, olives and spirits among the items on offer. This range is designed to give visitors a choice of gifts, treats and everyday products, all supplied by independent businesses.

The presence of more than 60 independent traders means that the market will offer both variety and depth, with multiple stalls across each category. Arts and crafts stalls will provide handmade and creative goods, while food and drink traders will bring artisan and speciality products to the town centre. The combination of giftable products and consumables is intended to appeal to different types of visitors, from casual browsers to those seeking specific items.

What entertainment and family activities are planned for the launch event?

Entertainment is a key part of the Ashton Artisan Market’s debut, with live music and children’s activities scheduled alongside the stalls. Music will come from Olly Flavell, who is set to perform during the event and provide a soundtrack for shoppers and visitors. This live performance will help create a lively atmosphere around the Market Hall.

Families will find dedicated activities at the event, including a children’s arts workshop with Mila. This workshop is designed to give younger visitors a chance to take part in creative activities while adults explore the stalls. In addition, there will be free face painting available, offering another attraction for children and helping to make the market a family-friendly day out. These elements together position the Ashton Artisan Market as more than a shopping event, with entertainment built into the schedule.

What are the timings, location and access details for the Ashton Artisan Market?

The Ashton Artisan Market is free to attend, meaning visitors do not need to pay any admission fee to access the stalls or activities. The event will be held at Ashton Market Hall, a central and accessible location within Ashton-under-Lyne. This familiar venue helps ensure that local residents and visitors know where to go and how to reach the market.

The market will run from 11am to 4pm on Sunday, 19 July. This five-hour window gives people the opportunity to attend at different times of day, whether late morning or afternoon. The confirmed timings provide a clear schedule for both traders and visitors, helping to plan journeys and visits to the town centre around the event.

Background to the Ashton Artisan Market development

The debut of the Ashton Artisan Market around the Market Hall reflects a growing focus on artisan and independent trading in town centres. By partnering with Independent Street and bringing together more than 60 independent businesses, the organisers are making use of Ashton-under-Lyne’s existing market setting to host a specialist event. The Market Hall provides an established backdrop for this new venture, linking the traditional market environment with a curated artisan offer.

This development also highlights the role of markets as places not only for shopping but for community activity. The inclusion of live music from Olly Flavell, a children’s arts workshop with Mila, and free face painting shows an emphasis on creating a day out rather than just a series of stalls. In combining traders, food, entertainment and family-friendly features, the Ashton Artisan Market is positioned as an event that makes full use of the town’s central market location.

Prediction: How could the new Ashton Artisan Market affect local residents, traders and visitors?

For local residents, the Ashton Artisan Market is likely to provide a new option for weekend activity in Ashton-under-Lyne, offering an opportunity to support independent businesses while enjoying entertainment and family-focused attractions. The mixture of food, crafts and live music may encourage people who might otherwise travel to other towns for similar markets to spend more time locally. Families in particular may find the combination of children’s arts activities and free face painting an incentive to visit together.

Independent traders may gain from access to a concentrated audience in a well-known town centre location, with the presence of 60+ businesses creating a shared platform and drawing power. If the event is well attended and positively received, it could strengthen interest in further artisan-style markets in Ashton-under-Lyne, providing repeated opportunities for small businesses to trade. For visitors from outside the town, the Ashton Artisan Market could serve as an introduction to Ashton Market Hall and its surroundings, potentially encouraging repeat visits and wider engagement with the area’s existing market and retail offer.