Prestige’s New Bengaluru Mall to Dedicate One-Third Space to Sports, Athleisure

Why It Matters

The mall’s sport‑centric format taps soaring IPL‑driven demand, redefining Indian retail experiences and setting a template for future mixed‑use developments.

Key Takeaways

• 250,000 sq ft dedicated to sports and athleisure
• 70% of leaseable space already signed
• 50,000 sq ft sports arena with multi‑sport turf
• 200,000 sq ft allocated to food and beverage
• Forum North Bangalore targets 2027 opening on airport highway

Pulse Analysis

India’s sports retail market is on a rapid ascent, propelled by the Indian Premier League’s massive viewership and a growing consumer appetite for athleisure. Traditional malls have struggled to capture this momentum, often relegating sports brands to peripheral locations. By allocating a full third of its floor area to sports and athleisure, Prestige’s Forum North Bangalore directly addresses this gap, offering shoppers a curated environment where apparel, equipment, and experiential zones coexist. This focus not only meets current demand but also positions the mall as a destination for future sports‑related events and brand activations.

The Forum North Bangalore project blends scale with experience. Spanning 800,000 sq ft, it devotes 250,000 sq ft to 45‑50 sports‑focused retailers, a 50,000 sq ft arena featuring football, cricket, and hockey turf, and a booking‑app‑driven gear‑rental model that encourages on‑site participation. Complementary zones—200,000 sq ft for food and beverage, 150,000 sq ft for gaming and entertainment, and a 1,500‑seat, 24‑hour food court—create a self‑contained ecosystem. Its strategic placement on the Bengaluru International Airport highway, with metro connectivity and proximity to a government‑backed sports city, ensures high footfall from travelers and local residents alike.

For the broader retail landscape, Prestige’s venture signals a shift toward experiential, niche‑focused malls as the industry’s growth engine. With 400+ malls nationwide and 35 in Bengaluru, the traditional “everything under one roof” model is losing relevance. By integrating sports, dining, entertainment, and hospitality, Forum North Bangalore offers a blueprint for developers seeking higher dwell times and premium spend. If the pre‑lease momentum translates into strong foot traffic, the project could accelerate Prestige’s goal of 10 million sq ft across eight cities by 2030, while prompting competitors to rethink tenant mixes and experiential offerings.