A DAY of entertainment will be held to mark the £150,000 relaunch of Oxford’s Gloucester Green Market.

Oxford City Council is holding the event from 11am on Wednesday to mark the outsourcing of its management.

Geraud UK and LSD Promotions will run the market designed to boost the council’s cash by having new stalls and extra publicity.

The event will include steel drummers, a stilt walker, jugglers and a display of owls.

The council hopes the five-year deal will give the Wednesday and Thursday market a fresh look to bring in new traders. Lord Mayor of Oxford Dee Sinclair will cut the ribbon at 11am.

She said: “The Gloucester Green markets always have something different and unusual for people to buy, and they are an essential part of Oxford’s diverse retail service.

“The open day will show what the market can offer with the new operators and how they can attract more customers.”

Dermot McGillicuddy, of LSD, said: “The level of interest from new traders supports our belief that Gloucester Green will become an important regional destination market.”

Earlier this month, the Oxford Mail reported that some traders were unhappy the council did not consult on the changes to the market.

Trader in vintage maps, Gary Merrill said: “The council has just completely ignored the traders.

“I think what has happened is shocking.”

He said: “There is a lot of expertise in the market which could have been used.”

Fellow retailer Michael Benfield – who sells guitars, CDs and bric-a-brac – said: “We do feel they [the council] haven’t used the expertise in the market.”