Civic leaders, traders and shoppers will gather in Barnsley’s newest public space next week as The Glass Works Square if officially unveiled.

The £200m development will be launched in phases over the next six months, with the opening of the new public square on Thursday 9 September marking the first major milestone.

TK Maxx, Next and Sports Direct will also open their doors for shoppers in the new development on September 9 and later this month The Fragrance Shop will open.

The Glass Works Square significantly enhances the accessibility and connectivity of the town centre by providing direct access to and from the Transport Interchange, as well as creating a high-quality and attractive public space for people to enjoy, meet and relax in.

Guests and shoppers will gather in the new square on Thursday morning for an official ribbon-cutting ceremony, which will be attended by the Mayor Cllr Caroline Makinson, Mayor of the Combined Authority Dan Jarvis, and Deputy Leader Cllr Jim Andrews.

Throughout Thursday and Saturday there will be an exciting programme of family activities in and around the square, including glamorous stilt walkers, storytelling, funky brass ensembles and a magnificent aerial acrobatics show.

The fun gets underway at 10:30am on Thursday morning with Back Chat Brass, a seven-piece street band from Yorkshire. The band give modern pop classics a ‘New Orleans-style’ twist and will be performing a special commissioned version of ‘Heart of Glass’ by Blondie to mark The Glass Works opening.

Entertainment continues until 2:30pm on Thursday, and on Saturday the action runs from 10:30am to 2:30pm.

The Dream Engine will present ‘Love Art’, which is a breath-taking aerial acrobatics show featuring a giant 12.5m vibrant red heart – symbolising the new heart of Barnsley’s town centre. Performances will take place are at 11.30am, 1pm and 2:30pm on Saturday 11 September.

The two days of events promise plenty of free family entertainment, so please come down and join in with the festivities.  

Autumn will see this exciting calendar of activity continue, with more new stores opening, colourful visitor events and the opening of Superbowl UK. While Cineworld’s state-of-the-art 13 screen multiplex will open early next year.

Following the phased opening period, it is anticipated that 90% of the development will be let – significantly enhancing the town centre’s retail and leisure offer.