While pubs are struggling with closures, padel courts are seeing a surge in popularity. According to Playtomic's Alan Douglas, weekday evening padel bookings have doubled in the first nine months of 2026 compared to last year. The trend is driven by working people looking for social activities after work.
Brits swap pubs for padel courts
UKPulse Consumer DeskNew data shows weekday evening padel bookings have doubled in the first nine months of 2026 compared to last year.
- Weekday evening padel bookings have exceeded 600,000 in the first nine months of 2026.
- This is twice as many as in the whole of 2025.
- The trend is driven by 25- to 44-year-olds, accounting for 63% of weekday evening bookings.
Why this matters: The shift from pubs to padel courts may indicate a change in social habits among younger Brits.
What this means for you: If you're looking for a new post-work activity, consider trying padel at your local court.