One of the most prominent bars in Derby city centre has announced it is to close.
On its Facebook page, the Walkabout bar said that it would soon be “closing its doors for the last time”.
Walkabout, which has been in the Market Place for a number of years, is one of Derby’s biggest nighttime venues and attracts hundreds of people through its doors every week.
The Australian-themed bar, formerly known as Jackie Stamps (after the Derby County 1946 FA Cup-winning legend), has also become synonymous for attracting huge crowds for major televised sporting events, including football tournaments such as the World Cup and the Euros.
The Walkabout brand is owned by the Stonegate Pub Company. The firm has confirmed the closure but added that the venue has been earmarked for a six-figure revamp.
The bar is an important business in terms of the vibrancy of the Market Place.
Last week, businesses in and around the Market Place were dealt a blow when Derby City Council called a halt on the revamp of the fire-hit Assembly Rooms due to soaring costs.
The Assembly Rooms has been shut since 2014 following a fire in the plant room on top of the adjacent car park.
The authority had been working to restore and reopen the Market Place building - but stopped work after being told that the original estimated cost of the project of £24 million was more likely to be £30 million.
The hope was that once reopened, the new-look Assembly Rooms would host hundreds of events each year and attract 160,000 visitors to the city centre, providing an economic boost to local businesses.
However, it is now hoped that a new performance venue could be incorporated into the proposed £200 million Becketwell regeneration scheme, which is earmarked for another part of the city centre.
