A nine-foot fibreglass statue of Tomb Raider heroine Lara Croft will take up permanent residence inside Derby Market Hall this October. The civic installation returns the gaming figure to the city where developer Core Design built the original adventure thirty years ago.
Derby-born organiser Luke Earle started the fundraising appeal to purchase the 2.7-metre model, which originally stood outside Tomb Raider: The LIVE Experience in Camden Market before the London venue shut in 2023. The drive faced a £10,000 shortfall with eleven days left until Derby City Council used external regeneration grant funds to push the total to £33,314.
Derby Market Hall installation details
- Character entity: Lara Croft (Tomb Raider)
- Sculpture height: 9 feet (2.7 metres)
- Material: Fibreglass
- Original location: Camden Market, London (Tomb Raider: The LIVE Experience)
- Permanent placement: Balcony at the Osnabruck Square end, Derby Market Hall
- Total funds raised: £33,314 across more than 200 backers
- Unveiling window: October 2026
Municipal funding and civic gaming roots
Derby City Council treats the sculpture as a central piece of its city centre renewal plan. The local authority drew money from external regeneration grants to cover both the acquisition gap and the installation costs on the Market Hall balcony.
The council views Core Design’s work as part of Derby’s industrial story. Original creators Toby Gard, Gavin Rummery, Heather Stevens, and composer Nathan McCree built the 1996 game at 55 Ashbourne Road. That small team turned a local project into an international hit that led to Hollywood films and dozens of sequels.
Gurkiran Kaur, Cabinet Member for City Centre, Culture and Tourism at Derby City Council, said in a statement,
Lara Croft embodies Derby’s pioneering spirit and the creative talent that put our city on the global video games map. From a small local studio, Tomb Raider grew into a worldwide phenomenon, spawning three blockbuster films and building an enduring cultural legacy. With one of the city’s roads already named in Lara’s honour, we’re thrilled to welcome her home to Derby Market Hall on her 30th anniversary. This statue will be a tribute to our heritage and inspire Derby’s future game designers and creative pioneers.”
Rob Gorton, Chair at Destination Derby Board, added,
Speaking on behalf of the DDB, I am delighted to hear that Lara is coming home. Having the statue in Derby will help us to tell the story of how the Tomb Raider game was created in the city.”
Commercial props and site maintenance
The statue is an industrial promotional model rather than a commissioned piece of public art. Built to draw visitors into Camden’s live attraction, the hollow fibreglass figure sat in commercial storage for three years after the venue closed.
Mounting a heavy commercial prop in a working market hall brings practical challenges. Fibreglass needs regular cleaning, protection from humidity shifts, and steady upkeep. Local council budgets often face pressure, and commercial props do not always hold up well against heavy public footfall. While Derby gains a striking mascot, using public regeneration cash to house surplus corporate marketing materials sets a bold precedent.
Luke Earle, Campaign Organiser at Tomb Raider Day, told the press,
We have had so much interest and an incredible number of pledges from fans everywhere, and we’re really grateful to the city council for making the key pledge that ensured we hit our target. Derby has a lot to gain from having this statue put on public display in the city centre, where residents and visitors alike can see her. Although the original game was published 30 years ago, Tomb Raider and Lara Croft are as popular as ever. A new game is coming out next year alongside a TV series, and just two years ago, she was voted the most iconic video game character of all time in a public vote organised by BAFTA. Her fans will be really, really happy to know that this fund has been successful, and I’m sure that many of them will already be planning to come to Derby to see her soon.”
Local landmarks and the TR30 gathering
The Market Hall balcony joins several existing Tomb Raider spots across Derby. The city named an inner ring road Lara Croft Way in 2010, placed a pavement star on Iron Gate in 2018, and put a blue plaque on the former Ashbourne Road offices in 2019.
The October unveiling coincides with major local fan gatherings:
- TR30: Tomb Raider Day: Takes place on Saturday, 24 October 2026 at the QUAD arts centre. Guests include original promotional models Natalie Cook and Alison Carroll, alongside voice actors Judith Gibbins (Tomb Raider II, Tomb Raider III) and Jonell Elliot (The Last Revelation, Chronicles, The Angel of Darkness). Tickets are £45.
- Pickford’s House Exhibition: Runs a dedicated archival display showing original development items, design documents, and private fan collections.
Fans looking for officially licensed gaming collectables, clothing, and retro merchandise can find items through Forbidden Planet.
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