Santa Monica Place is turning its vacant retail space into a community fitness hub, starting with a new gym tenant and a ticketed wellness festival on Aug. 23.
The mall's Wellness on the Westside event will offer four hours of fitness classes, including pilates, yoga, dance, sound baths, breathwork and stretching, for $40 per ticket. The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 395 Santa Monica Place, and attendees must sign up in advance to reserve class spots.
The event also marks the first public celebration of Club Studio, a gym that recently opened inside the mall, filling one of its many empty storefronts.
Senior marketing manager Caroline Mayhew told the Santa Monica Daily Press the mall is committed to reversing its vacancy problem by hosting local brands and community events.
"We want to give [locals] exactly what they want: offer fun wellness events and offer a place to go watch the World Cup and fill that gap that the Promenade in general, not just Santa Monica Place, is lacking at this current time," Mayhew said.
The strategy builds on the mall's June World Cup Kickoff Celebration, which drew nearly 4,000 people. Mayhew said the turnout showed the space can still function as a gathering place even without its former retail anchors.
A mall in transition
Santa Monica Place has struggled since former owner Macerich defaulted on a $300 million loan, leading to court-appointed receiver Trigild taking control. Nordstrom closed its location there in fall 2025, following the departure of another major department store and a multi-screen cinema.
The Los Angeles Business Journal reported that city manager Oliver Chi said the mall's current operator has expressed interest in re-tenanting the space but called it contingent on the city taking "meaningful" action on public safety. Chi cited more than two dozen letters of intent from prospective retail tenants. The city's realignment plan includes a new police substation at the mall.
Who's behind the event
Kim Koury, president of Spin PR Group, is co-producing the festival alongside Jeff Wills, owner of BOD (Body Overview Data) in Venice, and Michelle Kelly, owner of Restore Hyper Wellness. Spin PR also produces MAINopoly: A Taste of Main Street and the OFF THE HOOK Seafood Festival.
Beyond fitness classes, the Aug. 23 event will feature light therapy, sports massages, compression therapy, a flower market, and food and drink samples. Community Collage, a public art initiative founded by photographer Josh Madson, will offer free professional beauty portraits. The initiative aims to photograph 40,000 Angelenos ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, with portraits transformed into murals and installations across the city.
Tickets are $40 with advance registration required. The event is presented by AI Wellness, a health education platform co-founded by Dr. Gideon Kwok.
