Pop-ups are trendy in London. From sample sales in Shoreditch to temporary restaurants in Chelsea, the city has taken full advantage of the fleeting nature of Londoners’ attention spans. And one of the newest and most exciting of all is Pop Brixton.

Pop Brixton

Pop Brixton

Down in south London, Pop Brixton looks like a haphazard amalgamation of leftover shipping containers at first glance. But spend a little time exploring, and there’s a lot more to it.

Pop Brixton in London

I did just that this week after my friend Rosana informed me of its existence. Heading down to Brixton, I turned the corner from the tube station and came face-to-corrugated-container with the neighborhood’s hip market.

Pop Brixton Market

Like Boxpark in Shoreditch, Pop Brixton is home to shops and restaurants, communal dining areas and open-air seating.

But unlike its east London counterpart, the place has a lot of style thanks to the work of award-winning Carl Turner Architects.

Pop Brixton Art

Instead of stacking containers in neat rows, they arranged them at angles and added some creative courtyards and elevated seating areas to give the space character.

To finish it off, art graces Pop Brixton’s metal walls and plants give it a natural boost.

Pop Brixton Courtyard

Pop Brixton Shops and Restaurants

Pop Brixton gets even more of a boost from the stores and cafes inside. From funky boutiques selling pink plastic flamingos to colorful holes in the wall offering mouth-watering tacos, there’s a lot to like here.

Pop Brixton Bar

I order a set of chicken gyoza dumplings from KOI Ramen Bar and take them upstairs to eat at one of the many little tables lining a covered, light-filled space.

Plastic Flamingos at a Pop Brixton Shop

As I eat, I listen to the sounds of a DJ playing music in the courtyard below. It’s raining today, but I can imagine the space gets busy as songs fill the air on sunny days. Even now the upstairs area is buzzing.

Gyoza Dumplings at Pop Brixton

Pop Brixton and Beyond

Dumplings finished, I head back towards Brixton Market, which itself has a pop-up going on today. As I walk, I wonder how I feel about the increasingly ephemeral nature of life in London.

Is it exciting that everything is always changing, or does it make me feel frantic, worrying I’ll miss things before I have a chance to experience them?

Pop Brixton Upstairs

Either way, Pop Brixton will be around for the foreseeable future. That means there’s still plenty of time to ponder these things over tacos or pizza, coffee or champagne before the next thing pops up in the neighborhood.

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Pop Brixton

16 Comments on Lady’s Pop Brixton Guide

  1. I think I passed this on the bus the other day (I’m rarely this end of London…) and thought it looked adorable! Good to know it’s staying around for a little bit so I can hopefully make a trip 🙂 x

  2. Blimey! Brixton has certainly changed since I used to live there. Looks more and more like Shoreditch. Sounds like a fun idea though. The boyf loves shipping containers used for other uses. Will check it out next time we’re in town.

  3. I can’t wait to visit this, I’ve heard so many good things! Luckily I don’t live too far from Brixton so should be able to go soon and see it for myself! It looks so cool 🙂

    Laura

  4. I definitely feel like there is no way I will ever experience all that London has to offer! Especially with a baby, my husband and I are missing out on a whole aspect of London nightlife. Oh well, I guess we will know all there is to know about “baby friendly London”!

  5. I live near Brixton and I love the new POP Brixton, it’s really doing a lot to regenerate the area near the railway arches! It’s good to see they are already expanding it! 🙂
    I was there for lunch at Donostia social club just yesterday and the food was great.

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