Ellinikon Sports Park Opens September After €100M First Phase Investment

The first phase of the Ellinikon Sports Park reached completion this month at a cost between 80 million and 100 million euros, according to developer Lamda Development, and will open to the public in September.

Athens residents will see the 287,000-square-meter complex begin operations with a soft opening on July 20. The venue sits on the southeast coastal strip that once housed the city’s main airport and forms the first major sports infrastructure delivered in the wider Ellinikon redevelopment.

Why the timing matters for local clubs and schools

July marks the start of the summer training window for many Athenian academies and amateur clubs that currently compete for limited pitches elsewhere in the capital. The new site offers immediate relief with certified athletics and football facilities already in place, allowing teams to book sessions before the September full launch.

Lamda Development has already spent more than 20 million euros renovating existing public sports venues across Athens, including Olympic sites at OAKA and the Olympic Village. Those upgrades, agreed with the Greek state, now feed directly into the new park’s role as both a grassroots hub and an elite training base.

Facilities and visitor projections

The opening phase includes a World Athletics-certified track and field stadium seating 1,070 spectators, two FIFA Quality artificial-turf football pitches, two hybrid-grass fields, basketball and tennis courts, plus a 124-room athlete accommodation block. By year-end the park will add two five-a-side pitches and an Olympic-size outdoor pool with an adjustable air-barrier system.

A digital booking platform launches in September for facility reservations and parking across the site’s 1,350 spaces. Lamda Development projects between 200,000 and 300,000 visitors by the end of 2026, rising to roughly one million in 2027 and eventually five million annually, according to the ot.gr report.

Athletics operations will run jointly with the Greek state while football management has been handed to a specialist operator. Food and beverage outlets have already signed agreements for the central public square.

Residents can check the Lamda Development website in coming weeks for the exact soft-opening schedule and September booking details. The park will operate alongside ongoing work on the Metropolitan Park and Riviera Tower, giving Athens a staged rollout of new public space over the next several years.