AXE throwing is set to become Belfast's newest leisure activity
A Scottish entertainments company is bringing the specialist experience to Cityside as part of a £2 million refurbishment at the retail park.
Urban axe throwing is one of the fastest growing social activities in the world, described by The Times as ‘the new 10-pin bowling’.
The Black Axe Throwing Co has been operating in Edinburgh for more than a year, and plans to expand into Cityside, which has grown to become one of the north’s leading retail and leisure parks.
Its bespoke leisure offering ‘Cityside Excite’, launched in 2016, has brought a range of entertainment activities including VR CityX (Northern Ireland’s first virtual reality arcade with exclusive VR simulators and more than 280 next-generation games available) and Lost City Adventure Golf.
They complement its existing 14-screen multiplex cinema (which also recently underwent a £1m refurbishment and now offers VIP seating throughout), health club, bingo club and kids soft play area.
Brian Gaffney of Savills said: “We're delighted with the transformation of Cityside over the last two years and now have an incredible range of cutting edge experiences for the public.
“The highly anticipated opening of Black Axe Throwing Co this month builds on the phenomenal success of their Edinburgh venue, and Black Axe is fast becoming the best axe-throwing experience out there.”
He added: “Alongside its leisure offering, Cityside is also an established retail destination with tenants that include Asda Living, Sports Direct, New Look, Home Bargains, Poundland, Peacocks, B&M Bargain and Tesco. The scheme also benefits from 1,100 free car park spaces.
“We're looking ahead to continued success for Cityside. The new University campus adjacent to the centre will ensure strong demand for space from food, retail and leisure operators, for which the centre can provide a range of unit sizes from 500 sq ft to 25,000 sq ft.”
Typical axe throwing sessions, supervised by experienced and trained Black Axe instructors, include a walk through the basics, some more advanced techniques, a rapid-fire round, and finally a competition to put all players' skills to the test.
