What’s On

Our extensive events, exhibition and discussion group programme brings together members of the public, local businesses and ambassadors for topical discussion that stimulate conversation on the regeneration and repurposing of Derby city centre.

The Lab is home to the new Derby City Model, a 300-year timeline of the city and the City Living Room. Visitors can also view the University of Derby’s DUST project on Derby’s Urban Sustainable Transition.

The Lab is open 7 days a week

Find out when the award-winning Derby City Lab is open to the public..

View the brand-new

Derby City Model

The Lab’s centrepiece is the brand-new Derby City Model – a detailed 3D model of Derby city centre, which aims to help visitors visualise the city’s ongoing regeneration story.

The model features over £1.9bn of investment projects and £672m developments in the pipeline, the 2.5-metre-long model is the first comprehensive Derby model of its kind.

The model stretches from Derby Train Station to the University of Derby’s City Hub, and from Green Lane to North Riverside.

Viewers can pick out the river Derwent running North to South, as well as iconic buildings such as Derby Cathedral, the Quad and the two ‘Pepper Pots’.

Upcoming events and exhibitions

Our events and exhibitions programme has something for everyone. Keep up to date with our plans here.

  • Ongoing event
    Consultation
    Derby Station Quarter Consultation
    Find out more and have your say
    Derby City Lab, Derbion
    Thu, 21st November – Thu, 12th December 2024
    View event
  • Ongoing event
    Competition
    Christmas Colouring Competition
    Free & open to all ages
    Derby City Lab, Derbion
    Sat, 30th November – Sun, 15th December 2024
    View event
  • 10th December
    Consultation
    Derby Station Quarter Consultation – Drop-in session
    Council officers present
    Derby City Lab, Derbion
    Tue, 10th December 2024
    10:00 am – 4:00 pm
    View event
  • INVITATION ONLY
    29th January
    Discussion group
    Derby Economic Development Advisory Committee (DEDAC)
    Invite Only
    Derby City Lab, Derbion
    Wed, 29th January 2025
    View event
  • 16th April
    Tour
    Derby Insider Walking Tour
    Free event, open to the public
    Derby City Lab, Derbion
    Wed, 16th April 2025
    10:00 am – 12:00 pm
    View event
  • 7th May
    Tour
    Derby Insider Walking Tour
    Free event, open to the public
    Derby City Lab, Derbion
    Wed, 7th May 2025
    10:00 am – 12:00 pm
    View event
  • 18th June
    Tour
    Derby Insider Walking Tour
    Free event, open to the public
    Derby City Lab, Derbion
    Wed, 18th June 2025
    10:00 am – 12:00 pm
    View event
  • 23rd July
    Tour
    Derby Insider Walking Tour
    Free event, open to the public
    Derby City Lab, Derbion
    Wed, 23rd July 2025
    10:00 am – 12:00 pm
    View event
  • 13th August
    Tour
    Derby Insider Walking Tour
    Free event, open to the public
    Derby City Lab, Derbion
    Wed, 13th August 2025
    10:00 am – 12:00 pm
    View event
  • 10th September
    Tour
    Derby Insider Walking Tour
    Free event, open to the public
    Derby City Lab, Derbion
    Wed, 10th September 2025
    10:00 am – 12:00 pm
    View event

Have your say..

An essential part of the Derby City Lab is our ‘Engagement Corner’, which allows visitors the opportunity to share their views and opinions to help shape their place.

The Lab has already engaged thousands of visitors and obtained hundreds of opinions and comments.

Our current engagement activity includes:

My Dream for Derby – write down your dream for Derby;

Tree of Truth – read schoolchildren’s dreams for the city and help bring the tree to life by attaching your ‘Derby Truth’;

Visitor Comment Book – add more details thoughts and ideas to our comment book;

‘What would make you visit Derby city centre more frequently’? – cast your vote on our latest poll.

A View of Derby Drawings

Produced by visitors of A View of Derby: The Alfred Edward Goodey Collection of ‘Old Derby Pictures’ at Derby Museum and Art Gallery from March to May 2024.

These drawings are kindly on loan from Derby Museum and Art Gallery.

Walking Tours

Join a free Insider Tour to get the inside track on Derby’s regeneration story and learn about its future development.

The walking tour offers participants a unique opportunity to learn about Derby’s past, present and future aspirations.

Past exhibitions

Here is a snapshot of the exhibitions the Derby City Lab is proud to have hosted.

Down to Earth Derby

The first exhibition in the Derby City Lab was hosted by Down to Earth Derby, in partnership with the Eden Project. Together, they showcased their plans for city-wide nature based regeneration

Victorian Market Hall

Derby-based architects, Lathams, hosted an exhibition on the transformation of the Market Hall into an attractive and flexible market and event space, reopening in 2024.

Dust – Derby’s Urban Sustainable Transition

The University of Derby exhibited its DUST research with a mission to envisage a sustainable, resilient, and attractive future for the city of Derby.

A new vision for Derby City Centre

Derby residents, visitors and business were invited to have their say on Derby City Council’s new Ambition document which outlined ideas for a bold, transformational vision for the city centre.

North Riverside

The University of Derby architectural students presented their masterplan concepts for a redevelopment of North Riverside to create a new city centre destination and vibrant community.

Culture Derby

Culture Derby hosted an exhibition to refine plans, engage with stakeholders and gather feedback on immediate activity and long-term, cultural vision for the city.

FORMAT International Photography Festival

Throughout FORMAT, he lab hosted an exhibition called The Sustainable Photobook – and be home to SPP’s Case Study Reading Room, which seeks to engage photobook makers and consumers in a discussion about sustainability.

Derby Book Festival: Children’s Book Drop

Derby City Lab hosted a children’s book drop, as part of the Derby Book Festival week. Over 800 books were collected and distributed across the city to local school and to those that need them most.

ARTCORE: Building Bridges

The exhibition featured the work of artists from both Derby and Osnabrück and aimed to serve as a bridge between the two communities.
The exhibition of artwork followed an international residency in Osnabrück and Artcore Gallery in Derby

CRZyBest & Friends at Derby City Lab

The Lab was home to some of the city’s most talented creatives, as over 16 businesses displayed and sold their work. Demonstrations and hands-on workshops were also on offer.

Rams Heritage Trust: Back from the Brink – Derby County, A Year On

The exhibition explored the club’s turbulent recent history through contemporary objects, images and supporter testimony, with an emphasis on the special position Derby County holds within the city and how a fanbase united to help save their club from extinction.

Artcore: Cultural Threads

The project celebrated the diversity of Derby through free paintmaking and pottery sessions. The event concluded with a showcase of work with Diwali celebrations.

Derby Book Festival: Autumn Children’s Book Drop

After the success of the previous event, Derby City Lab hosted a second children’s book drop, as part of the Derby Book Festival Autumn Edition. Hundreds of books were collected and distributed across the city to local schools and to those that need them most.

North Riverside – Masterplans 2024

The University of Derby architectural students displayed a range of posters and models sharing their visions for a new city centre destination.
The visions fully exploited the riverside setting, improving the quality of green spaces whilst presenting a vibrant waterfront pedestrian realm within the heart of the city.

Derby City Centre Design Guide Consultation

The Derby City Council consultation gathered views on the new guide, which outlines a vision for a vibrant and sustainable city centre. The consultation included a number drop-in sessions where council officers were present.

Derby Book Festival: Autumn Children’s Book Drop

The Lab was proud to support once again support Derby Book Festival’s Children’s Book Drop. 109 books were donated at the Lab on this occasion, which were distributed to encourage a new generation of readers.

University of Derby Architecture Students

This exhibition saw students present their masterplan concepts for the redevelopment of North Riverside.
The visions featured the creation of a new city centre destination and a vibrant community offering new employment opportunities within a highly sustainable, high-quality mixed-use development.