Padium, London's prominent padel club, is expanding to Cardiff with a new 35,000 square foot venue featuring eight indoor courts. The facility in Cardiff Bay Retail Park is scheduled to open on March 14, 2026. This marks the club's first venture outside London amid growing demand for padel in Wales.
Padium, known for its high-profile operations in London, announced plans to bring its premium padel facilities to Cardiff, filling a notable gap in indoor courts in South Wales. The new venue, located in the former Argos store at Cardiff Bay Retail Park, spans 35,000 square feet and includes eight indoor courts, along with coaching areas, a cafe/bar, pro shop, co-working space, players' lounge, luxury changing facilities, and a spa with sauna.
Houman Ashrafzadeh, founder of Padium, described the expansion as a 'significant milestone.' He stated: 'The demand for high quality padel facilities in Wales is at an all-time high and we’re excited to introduce our premium offering to this vibrant sporting city. Cardiff Bay’s transformation makes it the perfect location for our next club, bringing together high-performance sport and lifestyle in a way that has resonated with London’s growing padel community.'
Padium originally opened in Canary Wharf, London, nearly two years ago, backed by Spotify co-founder Martin Lorentzon. The Cardiff site was acquired last year, and marketing efforts are already underway. A spokesman for Padium noted: 'The city’s strong sporting culture, combined with the fast-growing popularity of padel makes Cardiff an ideal location for Padium’s expansion. Currently, padel facilities in Cardiff are limited to a handful of outdoor courts, with no dedicated indoor premium clubs – a gap Padium aims to fill.'
This opening aligns with broader redevelopment in Cardiff Bay, which includes a 15,000-capacity indoor arena, new homes, office spaces, and leisure facilities. Padium's arrival coincides with other developments, such as Smash Padel's planned six covered courts at Llandaff Bowling Green and David Lloyd's application to convert three tennis courts into five padel courts in Penylan. Existing venues include House of Sport with six indoor courts and Game4Padel in Penarth, while Jaxx Padel in Swansea remains the largest in Wales with nine indoor courts.
Padel, a racket sport blending tennis and squash, is played in doubles on an enclosed court using solid paddles and low-compression balls, appealing to players of all levels due to its accessibility and strategic nature.