Padel is bringing together more and more players. On 26–27 September, a two-day padel festival and the Vilnius Padel arena’s birthday tournament will take place in the Vilnius district. The EV charging network Eldrive is becoming one of the event’s main partners.
Just a few years ago, padel was an unfamiliar sport to many in Lithuania. Today the situation is completely different: the number of indoor and outdoor courts in the major cities is growing, the amateur community is expanding, and leagues, corporate tournaments and international competitions are being organised. On 26–27 September, this growth will be on display once again at VILNIUSPADEL FEST'26, which will take place at the Vilnius Padel arena in the Urban HUB complex in Avižieniai.
Eldrive is joining the event as one of its main partners. According to the company, the partnership fits naturally with its aim to be where people travel, play sport, spend their leisure time and build active communities. Eldrive EV charging infrastructure also operates at the venue, at Ožiarūčių g. 3, so participants and guests arriving at the festival by electric car will be able to charge their cars during the event.
From a novelty to a community of millions
The growth of padel is not only a Lithuanian phenomenon. The International Padel Federation’s 2025 report states that more than 35 million people play the sport worldwide. In a single year, the number of padel clubs worldwide increased by 16.1%, the number of courts by 15.2%, and the number of players registered with national federations grew by as much as 42%. This shows that padel is not only attracting new enthusiasts but is also rapidly becoming an organised sport established on an international scale.
In Lithuania, this growth is best reflected in practical things: it is increasingly difficult to find a free slot at the most popular arenas, the tournament calendar is becoming ever busier, and the courts are attracting not only experienced racket sports enthusiasts. Padel is being chosen by families, groups of friends, colleagues and people who had never played sport regularly before. The Sea Festival padel championship held in Klaipėda in July 2026 brought together 324 players from 21 cities and five countries – one of the clearest examples of the size of the community this sport has already reached in Lithuania.
One of the main reasons for padel’s success is that it is relatively easy to get started. It is played on a court smaller than a tennis court, usually in pairs, and the walls surrounding the court are also part of the game. Even someone picking up a racket for the first time can fairly quickly keep the ball in play and feel the excitement of a match. At the same time, padel remains technical and tactical, so as skill grows, more and more opportunities for improvement open up.
The social aspect is just as important. Padel rarely ends with the last point: players stay to socialise after a match, form groups, look for opponents of a similar level and plan their next games. That is why a modern padel arena becomes not only sports infrastructure but also a community venue. This is exactly the format the Vilnius Padel arena aims to create.
Two days for players of different levels
VILNIUSPADEL FEST'26 will take place on 26 and 27 September. The event programme includes 11 different groups, so players of various skill levels will be able to take part. On Saturday, there will be competitions in the open A, B, C+ and C- groups and the women’s C group. On Sunday, the mixed doubles C+ group, the open B-, B+ and C groups, the women’s C+/B- group and seniors will take to the courts. Each group will have eight pairs.
This format reflects today’s padel community: there is room in it for high-level players, for amateurs and for those for whom the most important thing is to spend an active and enjoyable weekend. The two days of the event will not only determine the strongest pairs but also create a festival atmosphere in which meeting people, socialising and shared experiences will matter.
“The popularity of padel shows very clearly that people need not just sport but also a lively community and quality places for leisure. It is important for us to support initiatives that encourage an active lifestyle and bring people together. We are pleased to have become one of the main partners of VILNIUSPADEL FEST'26 and to have contributed to a weekend that will certainly not be short of energy,” says Tomas Tamašauskas, Head of Eldrive Lithuania.
Urban HUB – where work, sport and everyday services meet
The venue was not chosen by chance. The Vilnius Padel arena is located in the Urban HUB business park in Avižieniai, next to one of the main routes into Vilnius. The 22,000 sq. m complex is developing retail, services, work and leisure infrastructure, so people come here for more than one specific activity. They can play sport, shop, use services or hold business meetings in one place.
The padel arena itself covers more than 2,700 sq. m and has eight modern courts suitable for both everyday training and larger tournaments. Alongside the playing areas there are relaxation zones, a café and bar, a sports shop, saunas, warm-up areas and premises for wellness services. Infrastructure like this means the event can be seen not only as a competition but as a full-day experience for participants and spectators.
Even before the arena opened, its developers forecast that 10,000–15,000 players could visit it each month. This plan illustrates well the demand that the growing padel community has created in Vilnius and the surrounding districts. A modern sports space, convenient access and the ability to combine several activities in one place are becoming just as important as the quality of the courts themselves.
The car charges while the player is on court
The Eldrive charging location operating at Urban HUB adds one more everyday service to this idea. Six 50 kW DC charging points have been installed here. This means that someone arriving by electric car can start a charging session before a training session or a tournament match and return after playing to a car with a topped-up battery. There is no longer any need to plan a separate stop just for charging.
This model is becoming increasingly important as the number of electric vehicles grows. Charging infrastructure needs to appear not only on main roads or in dedicated charging hubs but also in places where people naturally spend more time: at shopping centres, sports clubs, workplaces and leisure venues. A padel match is especially well suited to this – while the players compete on court, the car can be charging in the car park next door.
“Charging an electric car should fit as easily as possible into a person’s normal day. If the car can be charged while we play sport, shop or meet friends, charging is no longer a separate task. Urban HUB is a good example of how sports, leisure, services and e-mobility infrastructure can work together,” says T. Tamašauskas.
A partnership built on shared energy
Eldrive’s partnership with VILNIUSPADEL FEST'26 continues the company’s involvement in initiatives that promote mobility, active leisure and a sense of community. Although a padel court and an EV charging station serve different functions, they are linked by the same principle of the modern city: it should be convenient for people to combine travel, sport and everyday errands.
On 26–27 September, Urban HUB will become a place where this idea can be seen in practice. While some participants battle for victory, others will cheer on their friends, socialise or prepare for their own matches, and guests who arrived by electric car will be able to top up their car’s battery at the same time. The organisers and partners hope that the two festival days will be not only a sporting challenge but also another opportunity for the growing padel community to come together in one place.
VILNIUSPADEL FEST'26 and the Vilnius Padel arena’s birthday tournament will take place on 26–27 September at the Vilnius Padel arena, Ožiarūčių g. 3, Avižieniai, Vilnius district. Information on the groups, times and registration is published by the event organisers and Padelio lyga.
