After more than a month-long delay, Freedom Adventure Park has opened its doors to us for a first look ahead of its long-awaited Somerset Mall opening on Saturday, 3 October 2026.
After following the Freedom Adventure Park story in the run-up to its original 27 August 2026 opening date, I finally got to see the Somerset Mall attraction for myself today.
Earlier today, Freedom Adventure Park kindly allowed us to have a first look and walk through the new venue ahead of its opening tomorrow, 3 October 2026. Jonathan Goosen from Freedom Adventure Park took us through the attraction and showed us what has been waiting behind the doors all this time. After weeks of updates, postponed plans and waiting for the final pieces to arrive, it was quite something to finally see the place for ourselves.
The space has been waiting for this day
Freedom Adventure Park was originally meant to open at Somerset Mall on 27 August, but the final fitments for the Somerset West venue were delayed after the container carrying them was offloaded in Durban instead of Cape Town.
The delay affected more than just the opening date. The premises were already leased, staff had already been recruited and the business had to continue carrying those commitments while waiting for the final fitments to arrive. Now, with everything in place, there was something quite different about walking through the venue today. This was no longer a space still being prepared for some future opening date. It was the finished attraction, ready to welcome people through the doors.
The Somerset Mall attraction forms part of the mall’s new food and entertainment wing, which has been steadily filling up over the past few weeks. Restaurants and other businesses have already opened, while Freedom Adventure Park remained one of the larger attractions still waiting to make its entrance.
Having followed the delays, it was rather satisfying to finally walk through the doors today and see the attraction ready for tomorrow.
The putt-putt course is not exactly traditional
The biggest new feature is also probably the one people will be most curious about.
Freedom Adventure Park is bringing South Africa’s first UV glow-in-the-dark, space-themed interactive nine-hole putt-putt course to Somerset Mall.
It is not simply a case of putting a golf ball through nine ordinary holes. The course has been built around the glow-in-the-dark, space-themed experience, giving the Somerset West venue something distinctly different from a conventional putt-putt offering.
There are also separate UV Cosmic Glow sessions on Fridays and Saturdays from 18:00 to 20:00, adding another way to experience the attraction.
For families who have been waiting since August, this was one of the most interesting parts of the walk-through because it is finally possible to see the concept as a finished attraction rather than simply imagine it from the descriptions. And tomorrow, people will get to play it.
There is more than putt-putt
The nine-hole course may be the feature that first catches your attention, but it is only one part of Freedom Adventure Park.
The venue has been divided into different areas for different ages. Younger children have a Toddler Zone for ages five and under, with Toddler Town, interactive play features, dedicated toddler trampolines and a soft-play area for children aged two and under.
Then there is the Adventure Zone for ages five to 13, where the energy level goes up considerably. This includes indoor soccer, a Ninja Run obstacle course, the AERO Strike Arena and the Multiball Interactive Sports Wall.
The park also has a birthday-party offering, with its own party packages designed around the different activities, making celebrations another part of what the venue is set up to accommodate.
And it is not necessary to leave when everyone gets hungry. Freedom Adventure Park has its own food and drinks offering, with burgers, pizzas, snacks, a kids’ menu, desserts, coffee, milkshakes and other drinks available inside the venue.
There are a couple of practical things parents will want to know too. The venue is cashless, and non-slip socks are mandatory for all participants. Any brand of non-slip socks in good condition is accepted, while grip socks are available for purchase at the front desk for R50.
Opening tomorrow
After more than a month of waiting, Freedom Adventure Park at Somerset Mall opens on Saturday, 3 October 2026. For those who have been following the story since the original opening date, tomorrow is finally the point at which all the preparation becomes something people can actually experience. The attraction is ready, the team is ready and the doors are about to open.
First look inside Freedom Adventure Park
The photos below give you a look at what has been taking shape inside the mall’s new food and entertainment wing, just one day before the doors open to the public.
