The Australia-born, U.S.-based fitness brand fusing Pilates, tone and yoga into one workout is planning to open 10 new European locations
London was FS8’s first step into Europe, but now it’s looking more like a sprint.
The Australian-born fitness franchise, which fuses Pilates, tone and yoga into one workout, is widening its European reach. FS8 is set to launch in ten new cities over the next six months, including Warsaw, Vienna, Munich, Dublin, Edinburgh, Amsterdam, Ljubljana, Barcelona, Valencia, Tuscany and a second location in Luxembourg.
Built around the idea of “strength reimagined,” FS8 offers a 50-minute, low-impact, high-energy format to promote longevity and balance and has a bit of celebrity sparkle, having hosted a class at Kourtney Kardashian Barker’s Camp Poosh, where she joined in herself.
“Our first U.K. studio, FS8 Oxford Circus, has been open for nearly three years, and the response has been phenomenal,” FS8 Europe master franchise head of performance Emily Rutherwood said. “Classes are consistently waitlisted, and our membership continues to grow month-on-month.”
Those add to recent openings in New Caledonia, Madrid and Zurich, as well as the ten European studios FS8 launched earlier in 2024. Globally, the brand has more than 65 studios open, with over 50 more expected to debut in the coming months.
Hailing from Sydney, Australia, FS8 was launched in 2021 and later became part of F45 Training’s portfolio. Its U.S. flagship opened in Austin, Texas, marking the concept’s first major stateside debut in 2024. Earlier this year, F45 reintroduced itself under the new FIT House of Brands, uniting F45, FS8, Vaura Pilates and recovery services under one umbrella.
Last month, FS8 tapped Olympic silver medalist Kassidy Cook as a brand ambassador to help amplify its message and recently wrapped its FS8 Circle campaign, which involved off-site, large-scale classes in Los Angeles, Orlando, New York and Sydney.
Over in the U.S., FS8’s momentum is just as strong, with six new studios open across Florida and another on the way in Davie.
“Since opening our first Florida location in Weston Lakes, we’ve received an overwhelming response from members and the community in the market,” FIT House of Brands CEO Tom Dowd said. “The evaluation of our growth strategy confirmed what we already knew – Florida’s dynamic fitness and health-conscious community makes it the perfect region for FS8’s expansion.”
FS8’s rise tracks with what’s happening across boutique fitness, particularly in the Pilates space and among devoted yoga fans.
A report from software provider Xplor Mariana Tek shines a light on boutique fitness, showing attendance climbing past pre-pandemic levels and nearly 80% of studios planning to expand over the next two years. Pilates continues to lead the pack, with 60% of studios that added new offerings this year bringing it into the mix.
