London’s popular free attraction with food, drinks and live sport to close for good this summer
A HUGELY popular spot for watching sport and sampling street food is set to close its doors this summer after 13 years.
As England reached the final of Euro 2024, scenes of fans launching drinks over each other in celebration at Boxparks throughout London became very common.
However, for the Shoreditch Boxpark, that’s the last time it will host fans for a football match, with the venue announcing that it is set to shut its doors for good.
The street food, drinks and retail attraction was labelled as both a “pop-up mall” and “container village” when it first opened in 2011.
It was the first Boxpark to open in London, before Croydon and Wembley followed, with the stacked shipping containers becoming well-known mainly for their varied food vendors and bars.
The sites are free to enter, although food and drink does cost extra on arrival.
But it has now reached the end of its lease in Shoreditch and notice has been served by landlords Bishopsgate Goodsyard.
Planning permission has been granted for the site to be transformed into new homes and offices instead.
A new park will also be built as part of the planned development.
That has left the Shoreditch Boxpark with no choice but to close its doors for good, by the end of the summer.
The company’s chief executive Simon Champion said that it played a part in “reducing deprivation” in the community.
He said: “I want to take this opportunity to thank the millions of customers, tenants, and partners we have welcomed and worked with over the last 12 years.
“As a result of their energy and vibrancy, Boxpark Shoreditch has become synonymous with the rise of Shoreditch as the heart of London’s creative industries.
“We are happy that we have played a role in the wider regeneration of the area along with our track record in delivering jobs and training for local young people, which has delivered significant reductions in deprivation levels in our local community.”
He also claimed that Boxpark is hoping to return to a different site in Shoreditch “as soon as we find the right opportunity”.
It’s not all bad news for Boxpark fans, however, with two new sites being planned in London for the near future.
Where to watch sport in London
Here's The Sun's list of the best places to watch sport in London
- Northwood Sports Pub and Kitchen, Angel
- Nordic Bar, Fitzrovia
- The Dugout at Belushi’s Sports Bar, London Bridge
- Earl of Camden, Camden
- The Beehive, Tottenham
- Duke of Edinburgh, Brixton
- Belleville Brewing Co, Wandsworth Common
- Matchbox, Shoreditch
- Sports Bar & Grill, Old Street, Canary Wharf
- The Leyton Star, Leyton
- Famous Three Kings, Hammersmith
- The Temperance, Putney Bridge
- The Richmond, Shepherd’s Bush
- The Sporting Page, Chelsea
- The Coach House, Piccadilly
- Sports Bar & Grill, Victoria
- White Haus, Farringdon
One of those is set to be at the pre-existing shipping container venue Buck Street Market, found at Camden.
It’s currently home to 23 retail and 23 food units across a 12,000 square-foot site, but will “undergo serious renovations before Boxpark moves in” according to Time Out..
Elsewhere, Boxparks is also planning to open a BoxHall near Liverpool Street.
The new food hall will be built right next to the station after the company signed a 15-year lease with TfL to take over the Metropolitan Arcade, which first opened in 1912.
The space will host 16 pop-up restaurants across a 17,000 square foot site, which will also be home to several bars, serving up draught, tank and craft beers.
The first Boxpark outside of London also opened earlier this year in Liverpool, while others are in the pipeline for both Birmingham and Bristol.
Meanwhile, this is this Premier League stadium has an incredible new stand featuring a rooftop bar and swimming pool.
And this new “urban theme park” has opened in London this summer with kart racing and Tokyo-style arcades.