Virgin Active Buys Holmes Place Germany for €135 Million

Virgin Active has signed an unconditional agreement to acquire Holmes Place Germany for €135 million in cash, buying its way into Europe's largest fitness market overnight. The transaction, signed October 30, 2026, includes 13 premium fitness and wellness clubs across six German cities, with completion and transfer of ownership scheduled for mid-December. The purchase price remains subject to customary completion adjustments.

The seller is a joint venture between Holmes Place Europe and funds controlled by AUCTUS Capital Partners. The two investors have jointly owned Holmes Place Germany since 2016, developing it into an established premium operator with a portfolio of large-format clubs. The acquired locations sit in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Cologne, Essen, and Lübeck.

Virgin Active will finance the purchase entirely from existing cash resources, following a rights issue it completed in October 2026. The company frames the deal as part of a broader international expansion strategy, and Germany sits at the center of it.

Why did Virgin Active buy rather than build?

The numbers explain the logic. According to the European Health & Fitness Report 2026, cited by the company, Germany has approximately 12.4 million fitness club members. The country's premium fitness segment is projected to grow by 9.3% through 2028.

Virgin Active believes acquiring an existing operator beats developing an equivalent network from the ground up. The deal delivers:

• Immediate scale in a mature market
• Established operations and an experienced management team
• An existing membership base
• No construction costs or delays tied to building new facilities

On a pro forma basis, Holmes Place Germany is expected to contribute approximately 14% of Virgin Active Group's 2026 EBITDA. That makes the business a meaningful addition to the group's financial performance and its European operations, not just a land grab.

What changes inside the German clubs?

Virgin Active plans to incorporate elements of its Social Wellness Club model into the acquired locations. The concept combines traditional exercise facilities with wellness, recovery, and social amenities. Its clubs may include fitness equipment, group exercise programs, recovery areas, spas, coworking facilities, and spaces where members meet and relax.

Holmes Place Germany already offers fitness training, swimming pools, wellness services, and personal training. Virgin Active views those offerings as complementary to its broader wellness approach, and intends to introduce the Social Wellness Club concept progressively across the acquired portfolio rather than all at once.

How does Germany fit the wider map?

The acquisition also strengthens Virgin Active's position in German-speaking Europe. The company recently acquired its first club in Lugano, Switzerland, and plans to open its first location in Vienna, Austria, in early 2027. Taken together, the three moves establish a growing footprint across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

The group currently operates 224 clubs across 10 countries, serving more than one million members. Its international presence spans South Africa, the United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, Singapore, Thailand, Namibia, Botswana, Qatar, and Switzerland. Beyond gyms, Virgin Active owns and operates more than 260 healthy food restaurants, located inside fitness clubs and at standalone sites.

The Holmes Place deal gives Virgin Active a platform for continued expansion in Germany while increasing its exposure to the premium wellness sector. The company expects to build on the acquired business's existing market position through additional investments in facilities, services, and member experiences — with mid-December as the date to watch.