Boxpark to launch social gaming concept Playbox

Boxpark is to launch a new 3,500 sq ft immersive gaming experience, Playbox, at its Croydon site.

Opening in February, Playbox will feature digital shuffleboard and darts, interactive karaoke, retro arcade games, traditional pool tables, and a bar.

Booth areas will be bookable to watch sporting fixtures and the venue will also cater for corporate and group events.

Playbox will run alongside Boxpark Croydon and its 30+ food traders, live music events and sports screenings.

“Playbox is about bringing people together through the shared joy of gaming and sports,” said Boxpark’s head of operations, Linda Miles.

“We’re thrilled to launch in Boxpark Croydon, a hub of culture and community, and can’t wait to welcome guests into this fun, bold, and exciting new space.”

It comes amid a period of expansion for Boxpark, which launched new food halls in London’s Camden and Liverpool last year.

The group also won planning approval for a £5m project in Birmingham in 2024.

Boxhall, a smaller food and drink concept that will be based in existing heritage venues rather than Boxpark’s shipping containers, will launch its first sites in Bristol and London’s Liverpool Street this year.

The original Boxpark in Shoreditch has secured an extension to its lease after facing closure last summer.

Image: Federico Cangiano / Shutterstock