Sea Lanes Canary Wharf Sees Strong Summer Turnout Ahead of Winter Slowdown.

Following the hottest summer in British history, newly opened Sea Lanes Canary Wharf has reported attendance that exceeded initial projections, though numbers are forecasted to drop during the winter.

The open air swimming pool and saunas opened on June 19 2026, and are operated by South Downs Leisure. Sea Lanes funded the £4.5m development of the site and operates the restaurant and coffee shop.

Duncan Anderson, chief executive of South Downs Leisure said: “From the first day, more than 1,000 people came to use the pool each day, which we expected to reach, but not from day one or even year one.”

South Downs Leisure operates 12 leisure sites, including Sea Lanes’ other location in Brighton.

While the attendance of the Canary Wharf pool was welcomed by South Downs Leisure, Sea Lanes’ operations team initially struggled with the high turnout during an exceptionally hot summer.

Sean Highland, operations manager, commented on the early challenges: “South Downs Leisure definitely threw us in the deep end. We needed to make sure the team were hydrated and had access to sunscreen. Health and safety was a priority.”

Duncan Anderson also stated that more staff were hired as a result of the heatwave, which saw parts of London reach temperatures of 38C (100.4F).

While the business’s beginning proved logistically tricky, Sean Highland said the opening was largely successful: “It was definitely the start we wanted as a business, the heatwave proved to be a great time to open.”

With temperatures dropping and days shortening, South Downs Leisure and Sea Lanes are working to prepare for a significant reduction in numbers.

Currently, South Downs leisure offers a yearly membership to the pool and sauna for £960. Day passes are also available for £18.

Sea Lanes plans to leverage the Canary Wharf venue during the winter, offering their outdoor domes to hire at £180 for three hours.