Landsec has announced a significant enhancement to Victoria, London’s leisure sector, introducing 27,500 square feet of new entertainment and socializing spaces. This expansion is in response to increasing demand for unique and varied social experiences. In the past 18 months, Victoria has seen an influx of leisure and F&B brands, transforming it into a lively location throughout the week.
Spring 2024 will see the UK debut of the French Karaoke brand BAM Karaoke Box in Victoria. Their 10,000 sq ft venue will include 22 private karaoke rooms, a full-service bar named BAM BAM bar, an outdoor terrace, and live music facilities.
Later this year, Lane7 is slated to open its first London venue. Spanning three floors, the venue will feature an 18-hole mini-golf course, an adults-only arcade hall, and several bowling lanes. A collaboration with the London-based burger joint Patty&Bun will mark their first partnership with Lane7.
The growth in Victoria’s leisure and hospitality offerings follows a series of retail agreements, as part of Landsec’s strategy to diversify the area’s brand mix.
Since the pandemic, Landsec has repositioned Victoria to be a vibrant destination throughout the week. Weekend business at Nova, part of Landsec’s Victoria portfolio, has seen a 17% increase compared to pre-Covid times, with Saturday sales now on par with mid-week peaks.
Mark Warne, Director of Hospitality & Leisure at Landsec, elaborates on these developments: “We’ve been repositioning the offer in Victoria to make it an attractive seven-day week destination. With the expansion of our leisure offer, we’re confident that footfall will only increase. We’ve created a new destination in central London which caters as much to tourists and residents as it does to office workers who are increasingly looking to socialise outside of the places of work. With amenity one of the key drivers of leasing decisions amongst office customers, the addition of BAM Karaoke Box and Lane7 will only enhance this further.”
Arnaud Studer, Founder of BAM Karaoke Box, shared his thoughts on the brand’s expansion into London: “The opening of BAM Karaoke Box in London is a significant milestone for our brand. We are thrilled to bring the unique atmosphere and energy of BAM to London, providing a new concept where people can come together to have fun and socialise, whilst enjoying the best in food, drinks, and music.”
Tim Wilks, Owner and Founder of Lane7, spoke about their decision to launch in London: “London has always been a destination for us; however, we’ve waited a long time to ensure we found the right site. We didn’t want to undersell ourselves, or the Lane7 experience. After many years of looking, we have finally found the right site in London Victoria. The building has 30m of glass frontage over two elevations and spans two floors, meaning it’ll be hard to miss our first arrival in the city. Finding such a premium site is not only a momentous occasion for us, but for the emerging market of social entertainment too.”
Publisher of Hospitality and Leisure News, 365 Retail, Retail Source and organiser of the Creative Retail Awards.
