This London spot is opening up a rooftop beach just in time for the next heatwave

an image of the rooftop with the central beach adn surrounded by loungers and huts — (Image credit: Costa del Croydon)

The peak of British comedy comes in the form of a heatwave, someone snapping a pic of their (slightly shitty) local beach and captioning it “Costa Del [insert crumbling beachside town here].” One London bar has taken inspiration from this, turning a concrete jungle into a tropical (?) destination with a beachside twist.

Costa del Croydon is officially returning for 2026. The urban beach first debuted in 2024 in the borough’s Centrale and Whitgift Centre car park, swapping smog for sand and giving the city a beachy makeover. Grab your bucket and spade as the rooftop beach will be back in the capital from August 7th, running until the beginning of September.

The words “Croydon” and “beach” may not be a natural fit; however, the multi-storey space will be transformed with splash zones, mini go-karts, trampolines, as well as a large chill-out area for the kind of beachside relaxation you’d expect. There will be two bookable sessions running per day, helping keep the number of people zonked out on a beanbag relatively chilled.

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an image of the giant deck chair at Costa del Croydon with two kids lying in it

Whilst this may sound like an event for kids galore, this year, the organisers have introduced first-of-its-kind adult-only sessions. Dubbed ‘Beach Club’, the sessions are a series of after-hours events just for adults. They’ll be taking place on Thursday evenings (when else), welcoming in the hordes of post-work punters who are gasping for a pint. As the kids head home, the party will get going with music, DJs, live entertainment, and all the food and drink you’d want (not covered in sand, that is). There will be a different theme featured each week, including drag-hosted lip sync battles, paint and sip sessions, as well as music ranging from pop classics to garage.

Thanks to the rooftop’s, well, sky-high location, there will be plenty of golden hour light to snap some pics in, killer views during the day, and gorgeous sunsets over the city in the evenings. Perfect for anyone who used up all their annual leave in Q1 and is now mourning the loss of three nights firmly seated in a beachside resort in the Med.

Entry to the rooftop beach is free, although booking tickets is recommended to make sure you get a space, as only a few walk-ins are accepted daily. You can pre-book via the website from July 31st.

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Hermione Blandford is the Content Editor for Shortlist’s social media which means you can usually find her scrolling through Instagram and calling it work, or stopping random people in the street and accosting them with a mini mic. She has previously worked in food and drink PR for brands including Johnnie Walker, Tanqueray, Gordon's, The Singleton, Lagavulin and Don Julio which means she is a self confessed expert in spicy margaritas and pints, regularly popping into the pub in the name of research.