The Telegraph & Argus understands the Kirkgate Shopping Centre, which has been open since the 1976, will close for good on June 18.
Today, stores inside and outside Kirkgate have either just shut or have announced imminent closure dates.
A sign on a shop at Kirkgate Shopping Centre talks about the building’s demolition (Image: Newsquest)
A hand-written sign posted on the window of the Get Free Books shop in Kirkgate Shopping Centre reads: “Due to the planned demolition works to and of the Kirkgate Shopping Centre, we are sorry to have to announce the charity shop’s closure.
“13th June 2026 will be our last trading day.”
The New Look clothing store closed down on Monday.
A sign on the window in New Looks says: “Thanks for having us, Bradford. This store will be closing on Monday 8th June.”
Boyes is one of the many businesses to close at the Kirkgate Shopping Centre (Image: Newsquest)
Pound Bakery, located just outside the shopping centre, closed at the weekend.
A sign on the bakery reads: “Customer notice. This shop will be closed from the end of Saturday, June 6. Your nearest shops and now Leeds and Halifax. Sorry for the inconvenience.”
A sign on the SportsDirect.com shop in the Kirkgate Centre reads: “20 per cent off full price.”
Boyes in Kirkgate Shopping Centre (Image: Newsquest)
One sign on Boyes says “Store closing down” but inside the shop shows a cleared out retail space.
The Kirkgate Shopping Centre was built in 1976 and won a European award from the International Council of Shopping Centres three years later.
Built in a brutalist style, it was originally known as the Arndale Centre – and was dubbed Bradford’s “space-age shopping centre”.
A shopper at Kirkgate Shopping Centre in the past (Image: Newsquest)
It came to be seen as Bradford’s main shopping destination for the next four decades.
However, a number of factors, including the opening of the Broadway Shopping Centre in late 2015, posed a serious challenge to the Kirkgate Centre’s long-term viability.
An attempt to have the building listed was unsuccessful, with Historic England describing the building as ‘lacking architectural flair’ – paving the way for Bradford Council to demolish the centre.
A time when Kirkgate Shopping Centre was very busy (Image: Newsquest)
In the latest statement from Bradford Council in April, a spokesperson talks about the changing face of retail as the reason for closure and mentions the “affection” some people will have for Kirkgate.
A Bradford Council spokesperson said: “We know there will be some affection for the Kirkgate Centre, it has been part of our city centre for decades.
“However, towns and city centres have been changing across the country for many years now and we started remodelling our city centre due to the seismic shift in retail trends some time ago.
“City centres now need much more than retail.
“To be successful, they need a mix of leisure, homes, business spaces, as well as hubs for culture and education.
“We’re already seeing this come to life in Bradford with the launch of Bradford Live, our stunning new entertainment venue and the new, fully occupied, award-winning Darley Street Market.
“The Kirkgate Shopping Centre will close later this year ahead of demolition starting towards the end of 2026.
“The old markets are being prepared for redevelopment into new houses and apartments as part of our ambitious City Village neighbourhood, which will increase footfall and revitalise the centre of Bradford creating a thriving new community of up to 1,000 new homes, alongside new high quality green spaces and new opportunities for retail, leisure and business spaces.
“City Village is much more than a housing development; it will help unleash the full economic potential of Bradford as city centre improvements in housing, transport, retail and entertainment are aligned.”
