05/10/2026
“A celebration of Derby’s gothic past, present and future.”
STATEMENT OF INTENT
Derby has a broad gothic heritage. There is ancient folklore about the Drakelow vampires, where two peasants returned from the dead. Dracula was first performed on stage in the Derby’s Grande Theatre in 1924. There is the gothic hall in Elvaston Castle. We have Derby Gaol, the UK Ghost Story Festival and ghost walks, as well as a multitude of quirky shops, events and artists throughout the city.
The problem is that everyone is operating independently of each other.
We all live in Derby, love our city’s gothic heritage and, more than anything else, want to support each other. We want to “break down the silos” (we promise that is the only time we will be using marketing speak) and encourage everyone to work with each other.
This is our first step towards achieving this goal – the first issue of the Derby Gothica – a quarterly (for now) newsletter about the various gothic events and alternative shops in and around our city.
We do hope you join us on our journey. - the Derby Gothica Team 🩸
