Council explains why it chose not to screen the FIFA World Cup and Wimbledon on big screen in Northampton's Market Square

As England prepare to face Norway in the FIFA World Cup on Saturday July 11, this newspaper asked why the match is not being shown in the newly refurbished Market Square.

A WNC spokesman said: “The council explored the option of screening the World Cup and Wimbledon in Market Square but decided not to proceed.

“Both events are already available free of charge on BBC and ITV, while local pubs, sports clubs and community venues rely on the additional footfall these events generate.

"The late timing of England’s World Cup fixtures also makes it difficult to create a family-focused public screening offer.”

After the ‘Northamptonshire Day’ event in the Market Square in October 2025, the current leader of WNC, Reform Councillor Mark Arnull, said he would like to see something in the Market Square “every weekend”.

He said: “The first Northamptonshire Day celebrations are one year on from the regeneration of the Market Square. It’s now getting used to its full potential and that’s brilliant.

“One of the priorities in the West, and similar in the North, is to connect with the electorate and bring the electorate together, so we really need to use these spaces more and more.

“Personally, I’d like to see something [in the Market Square] every weekend. That’s a big goal, but it’s not unachievable.”

The extensive refurbishment project began in February 2023, under the previous Conservative administration, and introduced new paving, water features, seating, landscaping, and 18 fixed market stalls with power and water connections, alongside pop-up stalls and a dedicated events space.

Before the market's £8.4 million refurbishment, which later increased to £13.5 million, a WNC spokesman said: "The Future High Streets Fund will be utilised to create a 'revived heart' of the town, where people meet, gather and stay. The square will be unique, picking up Northampton's important heritage and emphasising the positive qualities, such as historic existing architecture.

"This will regenerate the heart of Northampton town centre, creating a space where residents and visitors can enjoy the space, meet and spend time soaking in our local history.

"The rejuvenated area will offer new permanent market stalls for traders, high-quality seating and planting, a flexible event space, and a new water feature to activate the area.

"The square will become a 'space for everybody', accessible and exciting for a large diversity of the community, including families, tourists, young professionals and the elderly.

"The regeneration of Market Square will also be a trigger for the regeneration of surrounding buildings and their associated ground floor uses. This activation will encourage spill out into the square."

Despite this vision, nearly two years after reopening, many of the pop up stalls remain vacant and the main square empty.