Pickleball Courts to Pop Up at New Street Square This Summer

The Central London Alliance (CLA) is set to install two temporary pickleball courts on New Street Square this summer, expanding the London Sports Festival’s roster of pop‑up sport activations.

Location and backing

The courts will sit in the pedestrian corridor that links Farringdon, Blackfriars and Temple – an area traversed daily by thousands of City workers, residents and visitors. The project is funded by Landsec and the Fleet Street Quarter, who see the installation as a way to enrich the public realm.

Why pickleball?

Pickleball blends elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis. It uses a smaller court, a perforated plastic ball and a paddle that favours placement over power, allowing beginners to rally within minutes. In the United States the sport now boasts more than 24 million players, and Pickleball England reports that participation in the UK has doubled each year since 2022.

The CLA hopes the game’s quick‑play format will appeal to the city’s time‑pressed workforce, offering a lunchtime diversion that can be enjoyed from 7 am to 9 pm.

Programme and participation

The activation mixes open play with organised events. Local companies may enter corporate challenges, pitting teams against rivals in a format described by organisers as "networking with a pulse." Schools and community groups from neighbouring boroughs have also been invited for coached sessions, extending the festival beyond the weekday office crowd.

Food vendors – Natural Kitchen, Yolk, The Salad Project, Bonata, Garbanzos and Honi Poke – will line the square, turning a match into a casual lunch outing.

Commercial and strategic context

Post‑pandemic, landlords and business improvement districts are measuring public‑realm value beyond footfall. Dwell time, wellness credentials and Instagram‑friendly moments now influence leasing decisions. A temporary pickleball court costs a fraction of a permanent gym fit‑out while delivering repeat‑visit content that animates the space.

Tom Lambregts, marketing manager at Landsec, said the venue’s redesign aims to create a lasting place for events and that the courts will remain through the summer, overlapping with the Wimbledon screenings that have become a fixture in the Landsec calendar.

Wider festival strategy

The pickleball courts are one element of the CLA’s broader festival, which has previously installed pop‑up running tracks, yoga decks and cycling simulators at Guildhall Yard, Broadgate and Canary Wharf. Funded by business improvement districts and property owners, the alliance argues that free sport drives footfall for retailers, improves employee wellbeing and supports the case for pedestrian‑friendly streets.

Details of dates, booking links and the full schedule are available at londonsportsfestival.com/pickleball-new-street-square. First reported by the source report.