London is getting a massive new lido swimming pool

A new lido is coming to London, with plans afoot to construct a 50m outdoor pool in Canary Wharf.

It will be called Sea Lanes Canary Wharf and the plan is to open the site for summer 2026.

Sound familiar? The Sea Lanes team currently operates Brighton’s lido, also known as the National Open Water Swimming Centre.

Sea Lanes Canary Wharf will expand upon Eden Dock's current outdoor swimming sessions as a place you can swim out in the open in this heavily built-up area.

Dinner, drinks and a dip

Plans for the lido are being submitted to the relevant bodies this month, and there’s more going on here than just the pool.

Sea Lanes Canary Wharf will offer saunas, a “community clubhouse” and spots to buy something to eat and drink. And unsurprisingly, there will be fitness classes too.

It’s going to float in Eden Dock, and thereby take up a good chunk of it, as shown in the preliminary concept drawings. Much like Sea Lanes Brighton, the Canary Wharf lido will be 1.3m depth across its full length. There’s no deep or shallow end here.

Sea Lanes director Ross Gilbert says the plans are “building on the fantastic work already accomplished in the neighbourhood to open up Eden Dock for everyone to enjoy.”

“Our vision is to bring people and nature closer together by offering a fully accessible floating freshwater pool, lifeguarded and open year-round, supported by a hub of health, wellbeing and food and beverage businesses,” he says.

The lido will be open year-round. And as Eden Dock is separate from the river Thames, you won’t find yourself dysentery-dodging each time you take a dip.

Seasonal Eden Dock outdoor swimming was on offer this Summer (and still is), and this lido will effectively become a permanent — if more rigid — take on the idea. You can currently book a swimming slot for £9.50, although with depth of at least 3m it’s not as approachable for less confident swimmers as the lido will be next year.

Eden Dock open water swimming also requires a MOWCA membership, which costs £20 a year.

A look at Sea Lanes Brighton may give us a better idea of how the Canary Wharf lido will eventually operate, though. There you’ll pay £60 a month on a rolling contract, or £55 a month with a 12-month contract.

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