Ball Park Brighton Marina: Inside Sussex's First Football Tech Arena
Ball Park, the football tech arena and sensory room on Brighton Marina boardwalk
Brighton Marina Just Got Sussex's First Football Tech Arena
Picture this. You step off the boardwalk at Brighton Marina, and instead of the usual coffee and a wander, you are curling a shot into a lit-up target wall, sprinting a timed lane against your mates, and taking on the Ronaldo header challenge, all before you have even reached the bar. Welcome to Ball Park.
Opened in July 2025 on the North Upper Boardwalk, Ball Park is the first of its kind in Sussex, a state-of-the-art football tech arena and sensory space built for players of every age and every ability. It is part training ground, part games night, part proper sports bar, and it has quickly become one of the marina's most talked-about places to spend an afternoon or an evening.
The venue runs on professional-standard kit from Elite Skills Arena, the same technology trusted by football clubs around the world. But this is not some cold, clinical training centre. It is a place designed for fun first, whether you are a serious footballer sharpening your game, a family looking for something different, or a group after a big night out with a ball at your feet and a pint in your hand.
Here is everything you need to know about Brighton's new favourite way to play.
Sessions in full swing inside the Ball Park football tech arena
A Family Business Built on a Lifelong Love of Football
Ball Park is the work of founder Aaron Stevens, a Brighton lad who has played football since the age of five and wanted to build the kind of place he never had growing up. Somewhere you could turn up, improve your game, and actually enjoy the process at the same time.
It is a proper family affair. Aaron runs it alongside his wife Charlotte, who brings a background in special educational needs and leads the toddler sessions, their son Tommy, and niece Morgan, who runs the bar. That family thread runs through everything, from the welcome at the door to the care that has gone into making the space work for everyone.
That mix of elite football tech and genuine inclusivity is exactly what makes Ball Park stand out. It is not just for the football-obsessed. It is built so that a Premier League hopeful, a toddler taking their first kick, and a child who needs a calm sensory space can all have a brilliant time under the same roof.
Ball Park, a family-run Brighton business
Inside the Arena: What You Can Actually Play
Ball Park is packed with 11 professional-standard football activities, the kind used by clubs around the world. Here are the headline experiences you will want to try first.
Inside Ball Park, the football tech arena and games floor at Brighton Marina
The games floor at Ball Park, football pool and the tech arena in one space
More Than a Game: The Sensory Room and SEND Sessions
This is the part that sets Ball Park apart from anything else in the city. Alongside the football, there is a dedicated sensory room, built to support relaxation, self-regulation and exploration for guests of all ages and abilities. Inside you will find mood tables, immersive lighting, a bubble wall, interactive floor busy boards and an interactive projector, plus a reading corner with comfy beanbags for when little ones need a quieter moment.
It is no afterthought. Charlotte's SEN background is woven right into the heart of the venue, and it shows. Ball Park runs dedicated SEND sessions every Tuesday morning from 10am to 12pm, a relaxed drop-in where families can have heaps of fun and meet others in a welcoming space.
For the littlest players, there are under-5s toddler mornings on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, led by Charlotte in the same nurturing style you would find in a nursery. And Compass Card holders receive a ten per cent discount, with carers admitted free of charge.
A place where a Premier League hopeful and a child who needs a calm sensory space can both have a brilliant time, under the same roof.
All ages welcome, a young player in the Ball Park arena
The Sports Bar and the VAR Room
Once you have worked up a sweat, the sports bar is where Ball Park turns into a proper night out. Big screens everywhere show live sport across every fixture, the drinks are competitively priced, and the team take real pride in the pour. They will serve you a fresh pint in under 12 seconds. There is karaoke, a state-of-the-art dartboard and an interactive archery setup too, so the fun does not stop when you leave the arena.
The newest addition is the VAR Room, officially the Vocal Ability Room, a private party space down at the marina. It comes with karaoke powered by top-of-the-range speakers, multiple private TVs so your group gets its own matchday experience, and full drinks service delivered straight to your room. Built for groups of four to ten, it is the ultimate spot to celebrate a birthday, a big win or just a Friday.
Ball Park also hosts football-themed parties for all ages, from kids' birthdays to stag and hen dos and corporate events, making it one of the most flexible venues on the marina for a group booking.
The Ball Park sports bar, every fixture on the big screens
Memberships and What's Coming Up
If you catch the bug, and plenty do, there are two membership options to keep you coming back.
Live events at Ball Park
- ★19 July Laura Malpass performing live before the World Cup Final, with a hog roast on
- ★24 July, from 8pm No-Aces, a live Oasis tribute act, come and join in
- ★Coming soon A Q and A with football legend Neil "Razor" Ruddock, date to be confirmed
- ★School holidays Football camps running now, a safe space for kids to play, learn and make friends
Take aim at the Precision Wall
Planning Your Visit
Ball Park, quick questions answered
Grab a wristband on arrival and track your stats
Whether you are chasing a personal best on the sprint lane, planning a birthday the kids will not forget, or just after a pint and the match with your feet up, Ball Park has quietly become one of the best days out at Brighton Marina. Grab your mates, book a session and go and play.
