Key civic ceremony will see new Mayor of Derby elected

Published: 30 April 2026

A large assembly hall with people sat behind rows of desks and in a gallery.

The Mayor Making ceremony is attended by a number of invited guests from city organisations, as seen in the 2025 ceremony.

Derby’s new Mayor will be elected on Wednesday 20 May, ahead of the Council’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), marking one of the most important dates in the civic calendar.

From 11am, councillors will gather in the Council Chamber at the Council House to hear nominations for the roles of Mayor of Derby and Deputy Mayor of Derby, before voting for their preferred candidates.

The meeting will also pay formal tribute to the outgoing Mayor, Cllr Ajit Atwal, and Deputy Mayor, Cllr Phil Ingall.

Over their year in office, the Mayor and Deputy Mayor have attended over 200 events between them, supporting a wide range of community and civic initiatives, charities, and good causes across the city.

Emily Feenan, Monitoring Officer for Derby City Council, said:

This is a big day in our civic calendar. Mayor Making in Derby is a historic tradition and while the role is purely ceremonial, it remains a valuable one for our city and its people.

Those holding the positions of Mayor and Deputy actively represent Derby at a wide range of events, fostering community pride, raising money, and celebrating the achievements of our residents.

The annual Mayor Making ceremony dates back to the appointment of the first Mayor in 1638. Over the centuries, the role has been held by various figures who have influenced the city’s development, such as Joseph Strutt, who served as the first Mayor of the reformed borough in 1835, and Renée Stephens, who in 1975 became the first woman to hold the office.

Following the Mayor Making, councillors will return to the chamber at 3pm for the AGM, where the Council’s political leadership for the coming year will be confirmed. This includes any changes to Cabinet roles and appointments to various boards, committees, charities and outside bodies.

The session will also see the new Youth Mayor and Deputy Youth Mayor, Oliwia Marcinkiewicz and Anselmo Pedro, take up their posts for the year ahead.

Mrs Feenan added:

It is great to see young people taking such a keen interest in local government and wanting to shape their communities. I am sure Oliwia and Anselmo will gain a lot from their year in office and no doubt are looking forward to getting down to business in a few weeks.

The agenda for the meetings can be found on Derby City Council’s Democracy Portal. Both meetings will be live streamed on the Derby City Council YouTube channel.