Richmond Night Market closes after 26 years; mayoral candidates debate city's role

Richmond's iconic Night Market will permanently close after September 20, ending a 26-year tradition that has become an internationally recognized draw for the region.

The market's operators announced they cannot continue at their current location on the waterfront site next to SkyTrain's Bridgeport Station and River Rock Casino Resort. Founder Raymond Cheung said the lease on the large vacant waterfront site is coming to an end, and the organization has made the decision to permanently conclude operations.

About six weeks remain in the final season. Every year the night market is generally open Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and statutory Monday holidays from late spring through late summer or early fall.

The closure has sparked a debate among Richmond's mayoral candidates about municipal responsibility. City councillors Kash Heed and Alexa Loo, both running for mayor in October's civic election, expressed sadness over the announcement but differ sharply on how the city should respond.

Heed called for active municipal intervention. "We cannot let something like this leave Richmond. This is a staple of Richmond," he said. "I'm absolutely for doing whatever we can as a local government to make sure that the night market survives here in Richmond." He committed to working with Cheung to find alternative locations and said the city could consider providing access to city-owned land or help with negotiations, engineering support, and traffic management to keep the market operating within Richmond.

Loo cautioned against overreaching municipal intervention, saying the city cannot necessarily rescue a private business facing substantial relocation costs. She acknowledged the market's importance but expressed skepticism about the extent to which government resources should be deployed.

Heed pointed to Richmond's proximity to Vancouver International Airport and other nearby visitor destinations as reasons to invest in retaining the market as a major tourism asset. The night market has been a cornerstone of Richmond's summer tourism calendar and draws crowds from across Metro Vancouver and beyond.