Utrecht, 24 October 2025 – From 18 December 2025 to 2 January 2026, Koninklijke Jaarbeurs will be the setting for Europe’s largest indoor pickleball venue. With 16 professional courts and four virtual courts, this temporary sports venue offers plenty of space for both recreational players and competitive players. Pickleball, a mix of tennis, badminton and table tennis, is the world’s fastest-growing racket sport; it is rapidly taking Europe by storm and is in the running for a place at the Olympic Games.
Pickleball connects Utrecht
Sport and community come together at the temporary pickleball venue at Jaarbeurs . Through initiatives with Utrecht sports clubs, Sportfonds Utrecht and social partners such as KWF, the Veterans Institute, the Brain Foundation and the Princess Máxima Centre, the sport takes on a social dimension. Herman Mantel, CCO of Koninklijke Jaarbeurs. “Following an energetic summer of padel last year, we are taking the next step in bringing people together through sport with pickleball. This winter experience at Jaarbeurs not only offers space for the joy of playing, but also for socialising and community engagement.”
More than just a sport
Jeroen Winters, co-founder and CTO of Eagledale, the provider of the pop-up pickleball venue: “Pickleball is a sport that brings people together, inspires and, above all, is great fun.” Co-founder Martijn van der Ven of OWN Esim: “Pickleball is more than just a sport; it’s a community. We’re proud to contribute, as a partner, to Europe’s largest pop-up pickleball venue, where everyone can get to know this dynamic and, above all, fun sport.”
The pop-up pickleball venue is an initiative of Jaarbeurs, Eagledale, OWN esim and the Pickleball Federation Europe and is co-sponsored by Majesty International and SKECHERS USA BENELUX, the global leader in pickleball shoes and apparel.
