Hove Beach Park brings together skating, racket sports, bowls, gardens and places to eat along the western seafront. Much of it is free to enjoy, although court bookings and organised activities are charged separately.
Hove’s western seafront has changed substantially, with new sports facilities, paths, gardens and places to stop between Hove Lagoon and the King Alfred Leisure Centre.
The area is now known as Hove Beach Park, following the redevelopment originally called Kingsway to the Sea.
It is not one enclosed attraction with a single entrance or admission ticket. Instead, it combines public open space with facilities operated by different clubs and businesses, from a free skate plaza and roller area to bookable padel courts and beach sports.
For residents, that creates more options for an ordinary afternoon by the sea. For visitors, it provides a reason to explore farther west than central Brighton.
Hove Beach Park at a glance
| Where | West Hove seafront, between Hove Lagoon and the King Alfred Leisure Centre |
|---|---|
| Former project name | Kingsway to the Sea |
| Free activities | Exploring the public park, walking, and using the wheeled-sports facilities |
| Bookable sports | Tennis, padel, pickleball and Yellowave beach sports |
| Other facilities | Bowls, croquet, gardens, changing facilities and public toilets |
| Food and drink | Options include Babble and Yellowave Hove’s café |
| Accessibility improvements | New paths and ramps, with accessible toilets at several locations |
What is Hove Beach Park?
The council’s project was developed to improve ageing leisure facilities and green spaces along this part of Hove seafront, which includes redeveloping the King Alfred Leisure Centre and the pedestrian and cycle lanes on the A259 coast road.
Planning permission was granted in December 2022. The Hove Beach Park name was chosen through a public vote in February 2024, replacing Kingsway to the Sea as the name visitors would encounter.
Facilities have opened in stages. The skate plaza, pump track and roller area opened in September 2024, while other elements of the wider project followed separately.
The redevelopment has retained or upgraded existing tennis, bowls and croquet provision while introducing additional sports and more accessible routes through the park. It is therefore a combination of new facilities and improvements to an established recreational area, rather than an entirely new park on previously unused land.
The skatepark, pump track and roller area
The wheeled-sports area is one of the most visible changes, providing separate spaces for different activities rather than expecting everyone to share the same ramps.
It includes a 150-metre pump track, a 600-square-metre roller area and a skate plaza with street-style features.
Maverick Skateparks, which designed the plaza with local users, says the layout includes space for less experienced riders to move around without cutting across the main runs.
A roller space serves a different purpose from a skate plaza, while the pump track offers another way to use a bike or suitable wheeled equipment. Visitors should follow the rules displayed for each part rather than assume every activity is permitted everywhere.
These facilities are free to use. For families, that makes the park a practical option when older children want more than a conventional playground.
Tennis, padel and pickleball
Game4Padel’s current Hove Beach Park listing includes six tennis courts and four outdoor padel courts, with pickleball also available.
Court bookings are made through MATCHi. The operator advertises introductory sessions, coaching and social games as well as court hire, so visitors do not necessarily need an established group of regular players to get started.
The published court hours are currently 8am to 10pm daily. Those are the sports venue’s hours, not a promise that every café, toilet or other facility across the park operates to the same timetable.
Prices depend on the sport, time and membership arrangements. Rackets can be hired from the pavilion, but equipment hire is an additional cost rather than something to assume is included with every booking.
Yellowave Hove: beach sports and a café
The park also has a sand-sports venue operated by Yellowave Hove.
Its current programme includes beach volleyball and beach tennis, alongside other bookable activities. There are coached sessions, children’s activities and opportunities to hire space for groups.
This is a separate location from Yellowave’s Brighton original venue on Madeira Drive. Check that a booking is for Hove before setting out.
The Hove café occupies a renovated locally listed building and has indoor seating, an outdoor deck and a free sandpit for younger children. It provides an option for families who want somewhere to stop without booking a sports session.
Opening hours change seasonally, and Yellowave warns that it may close early on particularly quiet, wet or windy evenings.
Bowls, croquet and the outdoor sports hub
The redevelopment has kept the seafront’s longer-established sports alongside the newer activities.
The outdoor sports hub beside the bowling greens provides a new home for Hove & Kingsway Bowls Club, together with changing facilities, public toilets and café provision.
The clubhouse connects directly with the greens, improving the relationship between the indoor facilities, players and spectators.
Croquet provision has also been retained. Anyone interested in playing should check the relevant club or operator’s arrangements rather than assume that access to the public park includes unrestricted use of every sporting surface.
Where can you eat at Hove Beach Park?
Babble operates a café, bar and kitchen at the park, with indoor seating and terraces overlooking the seafront and ocean.
The venue serves food through the day and into the evening, although its café, kitchen and bar have different published hours. It is cashless.
Yellowave Hove’s café provides another option, particularly for those using the sand-sports facilities or visiting with younger children.
Neither requires turning a visit into a full restaurant outing. The park can equally be approached as a walk, a sports session or time in the public spaces, with refreshments an optional part of the day.
Paths, ramps and accessible toilets
Accessibility was a stated priority in the project’s design.
The council says new pathways and inclined ramps have been added through the park, alongside stairs, to provide a choice of routes between areas at different levels.
Accessible toilets are included at the outdoor sports hub, Hove Lagoon and the tennis pavilion. The Lagoon’s existing public toilets have also been refurbished.
These improvements should not be treated as a guarantee that every route or activity suits every visitor. Someone who needs a particular toilet facility, changing arrangement or step-free entrance should check that location directly before travelling.
Planning your visit
One park, several different opening times
The public park, sports courts, cafés, club facilities and toilets do not all operate as one venue. Check the particular service you need, especially for an early-morning or evening visit.
Gardens, biodiversity and the tree investigation
The council designed the landscaping with a 20% biodiversity net gain target compared with the former site.
Its published plans describe planting intended to provide shelter, nectar and wildlife habitat in a challenging coastal environment. The proposed mix includes hawthorn, blackthorn, sea buckthorn, holly and purple willow, alongside species such as Austrian pine.
That remains a design target, rather than proof that a 20% improvement has already been achieved.
There is also a significant current qualification. BBC News reported on 6 September 2026 that the council was investigating the deaths of hundreds of newly planted trees at the park.
The report, based on discussion at the previous day’s Planning Committee, said officers were examining what had gone wrong and that a further planning application was expected to address replacement planting. Potential enforcement issues were also raised, but no outcome was reported.
The park’s environmental ambitions and the establishment of its planting are therefore separate parts of the story. New paths and sports facilities can be in use while questions about the landscaping remain unresolved.
How was Hove Beach Park funded?
The project has been funded predominantly by government support, with additional funding including contributions paid by developers.
The council’s published funding breakdown identifies £9.6 million from the UK Government and a further £3 million, mainly from Section 106 developer contributions.
The council also announced £1.27 million of additional funding in November 2023. The funding announcements were made at different stages of the project and should not be confused with an audited final account of expenditure.
The project history records that construction-cost pressures led to changes in the programme. Older plans and illustrations should consequently be checked against the facilities actually delivered, rather than treated as a current visitor directory.
Getting to Hove Beach Park
The park runs along the western seafront, so the best arrival point depends on which part you are visiting.
Use the individual venue’s address when booking a court, meeting friends or arranging an accessible drop-off. Hove Lagoon, the racket-sports facilities and the King Alfred end are different destinations within the same broader stretch of coast.
For public transport, check the Brighton & Hove Buses journey planner for your chosen stop. Arriving at central Brighton does not put you beside the park, and families carrying sports equipment may prefer a connecting bus to a long seafront walk.
Drivers should check the council’s current parking information and signs on arrival. A sports or restaurant reservation should not be assumed to include a parking space.
Frequently asked questions
Is Hove Beach Park free?
The public park and wheeled-sports facilities can be enjoyed without an admission ticket. Court hire, coaching, organised beach sports, food and drinks have separate charges.
Do you need to be a member to book a court?
No. Game4Padel offers non-member bookings as well as membership arrangements. Prices and advance-booking periods differ, so check the booking system for the session required.
Do you need to bring your own racket?
Game4Padel advertises racket hire at the pavilion for an additional charge. Check availability and any other equipment requirements when booking.
Is Kingsway to the Sea a different park?
No. Kingsway to the Sea was the regeneration project’s name. Hove Beach Park was selected as the park’s name through a public vote in February 2024.
The tree investigation was reported in coverage published on 3 September 2026; a subsequent outcome has not been confirmed.
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