Key Points
- A £500 million South London shopping district named The Elephant has officially opened to the public.
- Eight initial retailers opened on Thursday, November 12, including M&S Food, Mango, Oliver Bonas, Søstrene Grene, Superdrug, Blank Street, Starbucks, and Pret A Manger.
- Three further venues—The Elephant Exchange food hall, Injectual, and Rawr—are scheduled to open before the end of the year.
- Additional openings slated for 2027 include an Everyman Cinema, Office, and Jungle Berry.
- The broader development sits adjacent to the 485-home Elephant Quarter and incorporates a new town square alongside 50,000 square feet of workspace.
- A new campus for UAL’s London College of Communication will open in 2027, followed by an upgraded Northern Line ticket hall entrance in 2030.
- Councillor Victor Chamberlain of Southwark Council described the launch as an exciting new chapter for the historic area.
Elephant and Castle (South London News) November 13, 2026 – A £500 million shopping district named The Elephant has officially opened its doors to the public in South London, launching its first phase of high street retailers and hospitality venues.
The new commercial destination is situated adjacent to the Elephant Quarter, a residential complex comprising 485 homes ranging from studio flats to three-bedroom properties. Alongside the newly launched retail units and residential buildings, the wider project has delivered a new public town square and an additional 50,000 square feet of workspace.
On the opening day of Thursday, November 12, eight initial retailers began trading. The first wave of businesses includes M&S Food, Mango, Oliver Bonas, Søstrene Grene, Superdrug, Blank Street, Starbucks, and Pret A Manger. Photographs captured on Thursday showed shoppers exploring the newly accessible district ahead of the festive period, while footage shared on social media earlier in the day showed queues of visitors forming along the side of the new M&S outlet.
Which Shops and Venues Will Open Next at The Elephant?
Further retail, dining, and personal care establishments are scheduled to launch in phases over the coming months and into next year. Three additional traders are confirmed to begin operating before the end of this year.
Among them is The Elephant Exchange, a food hall operated by Blend Family that will house 14 independent kitchens, a bar, a coffee shop, and a children’s play area. Completing the late-year arrivals are Injectual, an aesthetics clinic specialising in cosmetic injectables, and Rawr, a nail and brow bar.
Looking ahead to 2027, the district is scheduled to expand its leisure and retail offerings further with the arrival of an Everyman Cinema, footwear retailer Office, and wellbeing food venue Jungle Berry, alongside other unannounced venues.
What Did Local Officials Say About the Opening?
Local leadership has welcomed the completion of this phase of the multi-year regeneration project.
Councillor Victor Chamberlain, Executive Member for Neighbourhoods, Strategic Planning and Wellbeing at Southwark Council, stated:
“The redevelopment at Elephant and Castle has been a long process, but now the opening of the town centre marks an exciting new chapter for the area, creating more opportunities for residents to socialise and enjoy everything this historic part of Southwark has to offer.”
What Is the Background of the Elephant and Castle Development?
The launch of The Elephant forms part of a broader, long-term urban regeneration programme within the London Borough of Southwark. As noted by Southwark Council, the redevelopment of Elephant and Castle has been an extended process aimed at transforming the area’s infrastructure, housing stock, and commercial amenities.
Beyond the immediate retail and residential components already delivered, the masterplan integrates educational and transport infrastructure improvements scheduled for completion later in the decade. A new campus for the University of the Arts London’s (UAL) London College of Communication is scheduled to open within the district in 2027. Furthermore, transport capacity for the area is set to be upgraded with an improved Northern Line ticket hall entrance, which is scheduled to open to commuters in 2030.
How Could This Development Affect Local Residents and Commuters?
The phased delivery of The Elephant and its surrounding infrastructure is set to alter daily life for several distinct groups in South London, including local residents, students, and daily commuters:
- Local Residents: Those living in the 485-home Elephant Quarter and the wider Southwark neighbourhood now have immediate access to everyday grocery shopping, high street retail, and public gathering spaces via the new town square. The addition of family-oriented facilities, such as the children’s play area inside The Elephant Exchange, alongside evening leisure options like the upcoming Everyman Cinema, provides new local venues for socialising.
- Students and University Staff: With the new UAL London College of Communication campus set to open in 2027, thousands of students and faculty members will have direct access to adjacent workspace, casual dining, coffee shops, and retail amenities immediately upon the campus’s inauguration.
- London Underground Commuters: While the new retail and square are currently operational, commuters travelling through Elephant and Castle station will experience ongoing infrastructure works until the scheduled 2030 opening of the improved Northern Line ticket hall entrance, which is designed to manage increased footfall generated by the new commercial and educational facilities.
