Play Padel to serve up second UK venue at Meadowhall

Indoor padel club operator Play Padel is set to open its second UK venue at Meadowhall in Sheffield.

The operator, which was founded in Sheffield, is set to open a 35,000 sq ft venue later this year, comprising eight indoor courts, a clubhouse, a café, and a social space.

Play Padel looks to bring together sport, socialising, and hospitality to create a high-quality leisure destination that complements Meadowhall’s existing retail, leisure, and F&B offer.

Richard Crowther, retail leasing director at British Land, said: “Play Padel is a compelling addition to the leisure mix at Meadowhall, delivering a high-quality, accessible offer that will engage a wide demographic. It reinforces the commercial and social value of considered leisure in retail-led schemes, and underscores how they can drive footfall, extend dwell time, and enhance the overall customer experience. Venues like this play a critical role in creating vibrant, community-focused destinations that go beyond just shopping, as part of a complementary ecosystem of uses.”

Alex Fleming, founder and CEO at Play Padel Group, added: “Meadowhall represents a major step forward for Play Padel Group in building long-term leisure destinations that bring people together. The demand we’ve seen in Sheffield has been exceptional, and this flagship venue allows us to scale that model in one of the UK’s leading retail and leisure destinations. Padel is a highly accessible sport that complements mixed-use environments exceptionally well. Our focus is on quality, community and long-term sustainability – and Meadowhall gives us the platform to deliver that at scale.”

This latest news follows the recent signing of over 53,000 sq ft of F&B and leisure deals at Meadowhall, including Vue refurbishing its 11-screen cinema.