The Covent Garden art market: a stallholder's guide to Jubilee Market Hall

I've been painting and selling art in Covent Garden since 2021, and every weekend someone asks me the same question: "Is this the art market?" Yes, darling. You found it. Here's everything I wish visitors knew before they arrived.

Where is the Covent Garden art market?

Covent Garden has a few markets, which confuses everyone. The one you want for art at the weekend is Jubilee Market Hall, the big covered hall on the south side of the Piazza, at 1 Tavistock Street, London WC2E 8BD. It sits opposite the main Market Building, the one with the glass roof and the street performers out front.

The Apple Market inside the main Market Building also has makers and crafts stalls. Between the two halls you can easily spend an afternoon.

What's on, and when

Jubilee Market Hall changes character through the week. Broadly:

• Monday: antiques and collectables
• Tuesday to Friday: a general market, gifts and souvenirs
• Saturday and Sunday: arts and crafts, which is when the artists are in

Market days and opening times can change, so check the market's own website before a special trip. If you're coming to see me specifically, I'm there every Saturday and Sunday, and you can WhatsApp me to check a piece is on the stall before you travel.

How to get there

• Tube: Covent Garden (Piccadilly line) is a few minutes' walk. Leicester Square (Northern and Piccadilly) and Holborn (Central and Piccadilly) are close too, and often less crowded.
• Walking: from Trafalgar Square it's about ten minutes up through the side streets.
• Directions: search "Luis Alvarez Art" in Google Maps, or use the map on my visit page.

What you'll find at my stall

My stall is the one with a wall of bright slogans and people laughing at it. I hand-paint bold statements onto antique book pages: originals, prints, antique images I've painted over, plus sweatshirts, T-shirts, totes and notebooks.

View piece

Please Don't Do Cocaine in the Bathroom (Multicolour)

Art print

from£20

View piece

I Just Farted

Hand-painted antique image

£25

View piece

This Is Not a Louis Vuitton Tote

Accessory

£25

View piece

This Ain't the Ritz (Black and White)

Art print

from£20

The originals hang on the wall so you can see the real colours and textures. The prints are in racks you can flick through. And I'm usually there too, happy to talk you out of buying the wrong one.

Tips for visiting the art market like a local

1. Come early on a Saturday. Late morning is calmer. Mid-afternoon on a sunny Saturday is, let's say, lively.
2. Bring a tote. Or buy one of mine, which is the same thing but funnier.
3. Talk to the artists. Most of us love explaining the work. It's the best part of buying in person.
4. Ask about delivery. If you're a tourist with a tiny suitcase, many artists ship. I deliver across the UK and to a list of countries, including the USA, Canada and Australia, with prices at checkout.
5. Don't panic-buy on the spot. Take a photo, have a coffee, come back. If it's still on your mind, it's the one.

Visiting from abroad? What travels well

Prints and antique images are flat and light, so they slide into a suitcase between your jumpers. Notebooks and totes are even easier. Big framed originals are a different story, and that's where shipping makes sense: I deliver to Ireland, France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, the USA, Canada and Australia, and I'll quote for anywhere else. Many visitors buy a print to carry home and order the big piece once they've measured the wall.

Can't make it? The market, online

Not everyone can get to London on a weekend. My whole stall is online with the same prices, UK delivery at £1.75 a print and free over £80. You can also order online and collect from the stall if you'd rather avoid postage.

Make a day of it

Covent Garden is more than the markets. There's the Royal Opera House, the London Transport Museum, Neal's Yard round the corner, theatres on every other street and too many places to eat. I've written a proper Covent Garden shopping guide with my favourite bits, and one for Christmas shopping in Covent Garden. And if you're doing a full art crawl, here are the best art markets in London.

Covent Garden art market questions