First Sparkx Sportainment Park Open in the Netherlands

(eap) A steady hand and a calm mind: archery calls for concentration and accurate aim. © Photo: Tristan Meers In early October, Sparkx opened its first sporttainment park outside Belgium in Nieuwegein, near Utrecht in the Netherlands. The operators had announced the new location in spring this year. At the 5,500-square-metre facility, visitors can discover and try out more than 50 different sporting activities under one roof. The offering ranges from traditional sports such as football and tennis to extreme sports such as wingsuit flying and paragliding. Simulators, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) complement the sporting activities, creating a modern leisure offering for a wide range of age groups. Some of the sporting activities are also accessible to people with disabilities. A further 2,000 square metres of space are available on site for a second phase of the project.

“Our sportainment park encourages people to get moving. What's more, it giveseveryone, especially children and young people, the opportunity to discover where theirpassion lies. Normally, you would first have to join a sports club, which takes time. At Sparkx,you can discover what really gets your heart racing in just one afternoon,” explains CEO Mathieu Renier.

Visitors can try their hand at horse riding on simulators. © Photo: Tristian Meers Since the first park opened in 2023, the operators have welcomed a total of half a million guests across their three Belgium locations in Hasselt, Antwerp and Ghent. Mayor Marijke van Beukering attended the official opening in Nieuwegein, as did content creator and YouTuber Céline Dept, who was announced as a new co-owner of Sparkx at the event. The collaboration with the influencer, who has a total of more than 100 million followers across social media platforms, is intended to further rais the brand awareness. ■