Time Out has announced plans to open its first UK market in London's West End in 2028. The company has secured a deal to open the venue at The Crown Estate's 10 Piccadilly development, overlooking Piccadilly Circus.
Shift to food markets
In recent years, Time Out has shifted its business towards food-focused markets amid pressure on its traditional media operations. The group currently operates 13 Time Out Markets globally, including licensed venues.
It now plans to open the London site – which will include roughly 15 restaurants, bars and food businesses – in the summer of 2028. The company added that the site will also have a programme of live entertainment and cultural experiences, curated by Time Out's editors and experts.
From print to digital and markets
Time Out was founded as a print magazine business in London in 1968, but stopped printing physical copies in 2022 after a fall in readership. The media group still publishes food, culture and travel articles online, but has expanded into food markets after the launch of its first site in Lisbon in 2014.
The proposed London opening comes after lengthy efforts to open a market in the city. It withdrew from initial plans to open near Waterloo in 2021 and also scrapped plans for a site near Spitalfields shortly after, amid disruption from the Covid-19 pandemic and planning issues.
Global expansion
The group is also developing new venues in Delhi, Abu Dhabi, Sao Paulo, Prague and Riyadh.
Chris Ohlund, chief executive of Time Out Group, said: “Securing this partnership with The Crown Estate to create our global flagship in the heart of Piccadilly Circus is one of the most significant milestones in Time Out's nearly 60-year history.
“Bringing the globally recognised Time Out Market concept home to London is both a celebration of where we began and a statement of where we are going.
“London is one of the world's greatest cities for food and culture, and there is no better location than Piccadilly Circus to showcase everything that makes it extraordinary.”
