Lara Croft statue to be installed after £30k appeal

A 9ft (2.7m) statue of Tomb Raider hero Lara Croft is to be installed in her home city of Derby after a £30,000 fundraising appeal hit its target.

The sculpture formed part of the Tomb Raider: The LIVE Experience in Camden Market in London, but has been in storage since the attraction closed in 2023.

Now the money has been raised to install the fibreglass effigy inside Derby Market Hall 30 years on from the release of the franchise's first video game.

Culture and tourism lead councillor Gurkiran Kaur said Derby City Council was "thrilled to welcome her home".

At a studio at 55 Ashbourne Road, Derby, back in the 1990s Core Design created the archaeologist-adventurer character for its new game, Tomb Raider.

The games became best-sellers, Lara Croft became a global icon, and a string of movies starring Angelina Jolie were inspired by them.

Kaur said: "Lara Croft embodies Derby's pioneering spirit and the creative talent that put our city on the global video games map.

"From a small local studio, Tomb Raider grew into a worldwide phenomenon, spawning three blockbuster films and building an enduring cultural legacy."

The statue will be taken out of storage in London and brought to Derby, where it will be installed inside the city's Market Hall.

A permanent location has been found for it on the balcony at the Osnabruck Square end of the venue, funded by the appeal set up by Derby-born Tomb Raider fan Luke Earle.

Earle, who organises an annual Tomb Raider Day event at city arts venue Quad every October, and whose collection of memorabilia is on loan to the 30th anniversary exhibition at Pickford's House Museum, thanked fans for their support including the city council which made a "key pledge".

He said: "Derby has a lot to gain from having this statue put on public display in the city centre where residents and visitors alike can see her.

"Although the original game was published 30 years ago, Tomb Raider and Lara Croft are as popular as ever.

"Her fans will be really, really happy to know that this fund has been successful and I'm sure that many of them will already be planning to come to Derby to see her soon."

Lara Croft has already left a physical mark on her home town, with part of the city's inner ring road from Osmaston Road to Burton Road named Lara Croft Way in 2010, and a star in her name set into the pavement in Iron Gate as part of the city's Walk of Fame installed in 2018.

The statue joining these landmarks is due to be unveiled in October.

Rob Gorton, chair of tourism organisation Destination Derby Board, said: "I am delighted to hear that Lara is coming home.

"Having the statue in Derby will help us to tell the story of how the Tomb Raider game was created in the city."

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