District 9: On a weeknight in Noida’s Sector 33, it is nearly midnight but the buzz has not dimmed. Pickleballs ricochet across glowing courts, sneakers squeak on basketball floors, and footballs thud on artificial turf. Families and groups of friends line up at food trucks for everything from gyros to dim sum to cold-pressed juices. The air feels less like a sports ground and more like a community carnival — alive, noisy, and full of movement.
Welcome to District 9, the city’s first 24×7 sports and entertainment hub. Spread across five acres, it is redefining what nightlife means for residents of Noida. Open for just a couple of months, the centre has already become a magnet for gated-community families, college students, and young professionals seeking a night out that does not necessarily involve alcohol or malls.
“There has not been a single day, except on rainy ones, that we have not been booked solid,” says Amit Ajwani, one of the six co-founders of District 9.
A new kind of nightlife
District 9 features pickleball and basketball courts, a cricket turf, a football ground, and food trucks. Of the four pickleball courts, one glows in the dark. A giant screen for matches and a space for events add to its appeal.
The late-night accessibility has made the hub especially popular. Courts are booked till 2 a.m., with families and friends battling it out under floodlights.
“I work long hours in finance, so this is a blessing,” says Nikhil Sharma, a Noida resident spotted shooting hoops with his teenage daughter. “Instead of just heading to a bar, I can bring my kids here, play basketball, and grab something to eat together. Honestly, I’d rather burn calories with them than just sit at home and watch Netflix after work.”
For college student Ananya Gupta, District 9 is a safe hangout. She explains that she and her friends had grown tired of rotating between cafes. Here, she feels comfortable even at midnight. “The vibe is energetic and community-driven — there are families, kids, people cheering each other on. It feels like a campus fest that never ends,” she says.
Even regular partygoers are trading tequila shots for racquets. “We skipped a birthday bash last week to come play doubles,” laughs entrepreneur Rohan Mehta, who books courts almost every night. “It’s addictive. The funny part is, I now meet more people at pickleball courts than I used to at clubs. Some of us end up forming teams, and suddenly strangers become friends.”
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Others view District 9 as therapy. Corporate lawyer Priya Verma explains that the space has replaced her gym routine. After 12 hours at a desk, she says, nothing relieves stress like smashing a pickleball under the floodlights. Unlike the gym, it does not feel like a chore.
For many, the safety and openness are key. “There aren’t many places you can hang out in Noida at 1 a.m. without raising eyebrows,” says college student Karan Malhotra. “Here, no one judges you. You can play, eat, chill — and your parents don’t panic if you say you’re at District 9 instead of a bar.”
Food trucks with flair
If the courts are District 9’s heartbeat, the food trucks are its stomach. From 5 PM. to 2 AM., visitors can choose from burgers, pizzas, smoothies, or experimental menus by home chefs.
“At Azimuth Business on Wheels, we design and build high-quality food trailers and trucks for entrepreneurs, startups and established brands,” says Puneet Anand, founder of the company. “These smart, space-saving mobile kitchens start from just a few lakhs and go up to Rs 20 lakh. They are ideal for diverse cuisines and perfect for new concepts like the rotating food trucks at District 9.”
Well-known names such as Nomad Pizza, AKU’s, and Buck It are parked alongside District 9’s own experiments. The ‘Home Chef’ truck allows locals to sell food on weekends, creating a test kitchen for hidden culinary talent.
Chef Sahib Arora, who returned from Australia and launched his gyro label Meat Me, says District 9 has been a launchpad. He recalls how one customer came all three days of the opening weekend to eat his gyros. The response has now earned him a permanent truck at the venue.
Beyond sports
District 9 is also expanding into cultural and lifestyle events. Marathons, football academies, yoga sessions, live DJs, and laser tag nights are already part of the mix. Plans are underway for a fitness and lifestyle music festival — touted as the first of its kind in India.
Ajwani clarifies that the idea was never to create just a sports arena. For that, he says, there is the Noida stadium. District 9, instead, was meant to be inclusive — a place where anyone can walk in to play, eat, and soak in the ambience.
Expansion is already on the horizon. A laser tag arena, kids’ party zone, and pet grooming centre are planned for adjoining land. “We want to have a District 9 in every city,” Ajwani adds with a smile.
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A community rediscovered
At its core, District 9 provides something Noida has long lacked — a safe, buzzing community space where people of all ages can gather. Teenagers battle on the courts, parents sip coffee in deck chairs, grandparents cheer from the sidelines, and food lovers explore the rotating trucks.
As 15-year-old Ritika Malhotra says: “I’ve always wanted the feeling of apartment life where people play together. Here, I finally have it.”
In a city once dismissed as “dead” after dark, District 9 is rewriting the rules. Under the floodlights and over plates of gyros, Noida has found its new playground.
