10 years of FarGo Village
Curtesy of Fargo Village website
FarGo Village, Coventry’s vibrant creative quarter, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year with a packed schedule of events and activities. Since its inception in 2014, FarGo has transformed from an industrial space into a thriving hub for independent businesses, cultural events, and community engagement. Located on Far Gosford Street, this unique destination has become a cornerstone of Coventry’s cultural and economic revival.
To mark its 10th anniversary, FarGo Village is hosting a series of events throughout the year, culminating in a Big Birthday Weekender on September 27-29th.
Link to FarGo Village anniversary celebration: https://www.fargovillage.co.uk/uncategorised/happy-10th-birthday-fargo-villageFarGo Village is also collaborating with Coventry and Warwickshire Mind, its charity partner for the year, to host fundraising activities alongside its celebratory events. Proceeds from ticketed music sessions will go toward supporting mental health initiatives.
Curtesy of Coventry City Council
Holly Hewitt, Manager at FarGo village, had this to say about the milestone, “Over the last decade, FarGo Village has become a go-to destination for independent traders, vibrant events, and year-round markets, and we wanted to celebrate that with a few days of family-friendly activities and music. Our inclusive and creative programme is designed to appeal to all ages, and we’re thrilled to partner with Coventry and Warwickshire Mind as our birthday charity, benefiting from ticketed events. We’d love to see as many people as possible join in the festivities and help make this a truly memorable milestone.”
FarGo Village was developed as part of Coventry’s regeneration strategy, specifically aimed at revitalizing Far Gosford Street. The project, spearheaded by Complex Development Projects (CDP), involved an ambitious transformation of a former car radiator factory into a multi-purpose creative space. Supported by £3 million from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and additional funding from the European Development Fund, the initiative represented a £4 million investment in Coventry’s future.
The goal was to provide a platform for the city’s creative community, offering affordable spaces for independent businesses and fostering cultural and artistic development. Today, FarGo Village houses over 40 enterprises, ranging from artisan food outlets and vintage clothing shops to a craft brewery and a museum dedicated to Sgt. Bilko.
Curtesy of FarGo Village Facebook page
FarGo Village has welcomed over 3.5 million visitors. The affordable, low-commitment business model has enabled 140 individuals to establish, expand, or trial their ventures within the creative quarter.
Three of the original tenants—Dashing Blades Barbershop, Tag!Artwork, and Beadlebop Design—are also marking their 10-year anniversaries, alongside nine other businesses celebrating a decade at FarGo in the next 18 months.
In 2019, FarGo Village expanded with the addition of The Box, a 500-capacity venue for music, drama, and other performances. This state-of-the-art facility, converted from a former carpet warehouse, has become a vital part of Coventry’s cultural landscape. The venue played a key role during Coventry’s tenure as the UK City of Culture in 2021, hosting a variety of events that showcased the city’s artistic talent.
Curtesy of Coventry City Council
Marie-Anna Paier, working at Art:Phalanx in PR and Project Management, has written extensive work on the UK city of culture in Coventry. Here’s what she had to say about the impact of FarGo Village, “Fargo Village is a quite unusual creative quarter. Often creative quarters grow out of being a cultural organisation or a cultural building and then other things around it. At Fargo Village was nothing really and it was created out of a set of buildings. To begin with, it didn't have what I call creative heart or a cultural heartbeat which is making things happen. But over the period of bidding for UKCOC it started to develop that creative heart and to be a really important meeting place for things and it was still finding what works for the city and for the quarter.”
The village continues to innovate, with its INDIE MART—an emporium of handmade crafts and gifts—and a packed calendar of events, including vegan food festivals, open-air cinemas, and peace forums. These initiatives ensure that FarGo Village remains a dynamic and inclusive space for all.
As it celebrates this milestone, FarGo Village’s legacy serves as an inspiring example of how regeneration projects can revitalize communities and nurture creativity. Here’s to the next decade of FarGo Village—a true testament to the power of collaboration, imagination, and determination.