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Exciting Immersive Experiences in London To Book Now
Step away from the Netflix and into another dimension
By | 2 months ago
Their popularity shows no sign of waning in 2023: immersive experiences in London are firmly on the agenda. Be transported to another time, place or dimension with one of these spots – from virtual reality to huge exhibitions, themed parties to unique theatre. Intrigued? Ready to try something new? Step out of your comfort zone and into a world of imagination…
Immersive Experiences in London To Book Now
Rumble in the Jungle Rematch
Taking place at Dock X in Canada Water, this action-packed event will transport you back to Muhammad Ali’s famous knockout fight against George Foreman in 1974. Inspired by the incredible match – as well as the Zaire ‘74 musical festival which preceded it – Rumble in the Jungle Rematch brings together food, drink, music and acting to produce an immersive experience like no other. Witness a step-by-step playout of the nail-biting fight as you take in the tastes, sights and sounds of the 70s – including a stellar soundtrack of hits from the likes of James Brown, BB King, Bill Withers and more of Africa and Latin America’s best musicians.
Until 29 October 2023 at Dock X (Retail Park, Unit 1 Canada Water, Surrey Quays Rd, London SE16 2XU); rumbleinthejunglerematch.com
Deadwood Valley Experience at Sandbox VR London
Do you have the skills to survive a zombie apocalypse? Test your metal against the ravenous hordes of Deadwood Valley, the latest gaming experience at Holborn’s Sandbox VR. Can you save civilians and protect the professor – thereby safeguarding humanity’s last chance of a cure from a terrifying plague?
Expect genuine immersion through haptic vests (you’ll feel the buzz of any stray bullets and bites), full-body tracking, and even wind simulation to transport you into this incredible (and sometimes terrifying) world. And if zombies are less your thing, the immersive-studio-cum-experiential designers offer a range of games, from the futuristic Amber Sky to the swashbuckling and family-friendly Curse Of Davy Jones. Make sure – no matter which game you choose to save the world in – to finish your experience with a cocktail whipped up by Sandbox’s own robot bartender.
The Post Building, High Holborn, London WC1A 1PB; sandboxvr.com
The Paddington Bear™ Experience
A new large-scale interactive Paddington Bear™ Experience is coming to County Hall on the Southbank this year, unfolding across a 26,000 sqft space. Get ready to be thrown into the thick of the action as you embark on a mission to help Paddington and The Brown family prepare for a very special day, immersed in iconic locations, culminating in a Windsor Gardens extravaganza.
County Hall, Belvedere Road, London SE1 7GP; sign up at paddingtonbearexperience.com to be the first to know when tickets go on sale.
Immersive Gamebox
Whether it’s a fun and unique date night, a friends gathering or a team building outing with colleagues, Immersive Gamebox is the ideal choice for healthy competition. Players can choose from the likes of Squid Game and Angry Birds, playing in a private Gamebox which comes alive with projection mapping, motion tracking and surround sound.
Venues in Shoreditch (2a, & 2b, Principal Pl, Worship St, London EC2A 2BA), Southbank (Arch 3, 83 Scoresby Street, London SE1 0XN) & Wandsworth (GRAVITY Wandsworth Southside, Wandsworth High Street, London SW18 4TF); immersivegamebox.com
The Invitation – A Commuter’s Interactive Crime Story
Looking for some entertainment for your next commute? How about an interactive crime story? “The Invitation” is an interactive crime story that is perfect for a 20-minute commute. The eBook weaves puzzles throughout the plot, designed to challenge the reader, making it perfect for filling the average commute. The story follows characters Anjoli and Kamil as they decipher clues to find a killer in London’s Brick Lane. Can you crack the puzzle? The eBook is optimised for the Pixel Fold, Google’s first foldable phone, with an enormous folding display screen, perfect for watching and reading on the move. Commuters can download their free copy at ajaychowdhury.com before they head underground and immerse themselves in a thrilling tale set in London’s East End, with no WIFI access needed.
Readers will also have the chance to win a brand new Pixel Fold if they can correctly count how many ‘folds’ are in the book. ajaychowdhury.com/the-invitation
Off The Cuff Cocktail Club
Always wanted to whip up your own cocktails but not sure where to start? Off The Cuff is a two-and-a-half-hour immersive experience that gives you full creative freedom to design (and drink!) your own cocktails, with expert mixologists on hand to make each one for you. Simply upload your go-to spirits and favourite ingredients to a clever app and watch as a drink is tailor-made just for you. Be your own bartender and let your imagination run wild – plus, enjoy canapés, live music and even a few party games to get you in the mood.
The first Off The Cuff event was held at London Art Housein July, with more dates and venues announced every two weeks; offthecuffclub.com
Alcotraz London
Nestled in the backstreets of East London is Alcotraz, a one-of-a-kind immersive cocktail experience with theatrical storylines and fabulous drinks to enjoy from the comfort of your very own cell. Begin your experience by smuggling contraband past the guards to your cell where you are left to settle in, change off into your overalls and then be served bespoke cocktails curated by world-class mixologists. With thrilling actors, unique storylines and fascinating interiors, you’ll certainly feel as though you’re doing time.
Unit 3B, Rosewood Building, Hackney Rd, London E2 8GY; alcotraz.co.uk
Dead On Time
Ever wanted to step into the crime novels written by the likes of Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle? With the help of British Pullman, now you can. The iconic steam train is inviting passengers to hop aboard and be transported back to 1951, where a group of characters are making their way to London for the Festival of Britain. Disaster falls, however, when someone is found murdered. It’s up to you, along with your fellow passengers, to solve the case and find the culprit before it’s too late. The journey will take you on a circular route through Kent, starting and finishing at London Victoria, and comes with a specially curated five-course menu and a bottle of wine.
Victoria Station, Victoria Street, London SW1E 5ND; belmond.com
The Making of Harry Potter At Warner Bros. Studio Tour London
Celebrating 11 years since opening, the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London has launched a selection of new features at its immersive ‘The Making of Harry Potter’ tour, called ‘Discovering Hogwarts’, bringing Harry’s early years at Hogwarts to life. Visitors can now see 400 floating candles in the Great Hall, learn the filmmaking secrets behind the floating feather when Harry mastered the Wingardium Leviosa spell with Ron and Hermione in Professor Flitwick’s Charms Class, watch a live demonstration of how Robbie Coltrane’s body double was fitted with stilts and a prosthetic head to achieve Hagrid’s towering height, and create an origami ‘Sorting Ceremony’ chatterbox to take away.
Studio Tour Drive, Leavesden, Watford WD25 7LR; wbstudiotour.co.uk
The Murdér Express
Climb aboard The Murdér Express, an immersive experience set on a glamorous 19th century-style train in East London. Sip drinks from Pedley Street Station’s ‘Seven Sins’ Bar and enjoy food from MasterChef finalist Louisa Ellis as the mysterious story unfolds around you. As you journey to the (fictional) town of Murdér, expect to be joined by characters such as East End Costermonger Frank, a music hall star Tilley and local antique dealer Cliff.
Until November 2023; Pedley Street Station, Arch 63 Pedley Street, London E1 5BW. From £65, funicularproductions.com
Hijingo Bingo
This is bingo – but not as you know it. Held in an 8,000 sq ft space in Shoreditch, Hijingo Bingo combines live entertainment with video, music and audio effects to create an immersive experience where players will be kept on the edge of their seats. There’s an array of prizes to win, and those who strike gold will be showered with glory on a podium-like stage. As they play, visitors can also enjoy cocktails and Asian-inspired dishes, from bao buns to dirty rice and classic burgers.
90 Worship St, London EC2A 2AP; hijingo.com
Otherworld
Escape to 16 different realities in this epic virtual reality venue, Otherworld in Haggerston. You’ll step into a pod by yourself but still be able to hear what other participants are up to, and choose from activities from fighting zombies to travelling the globe on Google Earth, to completing office tasks. As they say, ‘step in and leave it all behind…’.
Hackney (336 Acton Mews, London E8 4EA) & Victoria (85 Buckingham Palace Rd, London SW1W 0QJ); other.world
The Big London Bake
So close to The Great British Bake Off, you can taste it. All you need to bring from your cupboard is yourself and a friend. The Big London Bake provides all the ingredients you’ll need to bake the monthly recipe. With instructions by your side, a professional baker on hand and a trove of customisable decorations in the ‘creation corner’, your team will have the keys to create a winning masterpiece or a right old mess.
Haggerston (Under the Bridge, Lee St, London E8 4ED) & Tooting (The Castle, 38 Tooting High St, London SW17 0RG); thebiglondonbake.com
Jeff Wayne’s The War of The Worlds: The Immersive Experience
Travel back in time to HG Wells’ dark Victorian England in a multi-sensory immersive experience, taking place at The Old London Metal Exchange. Using immersive theatre, virtual reality, augmented realit holograms and other cutting-edge technology, visitors will be able to experience the fictional Martian invasion narrated in HG Wells’ War Of The Worlds, and in Jeff Wayne’s musical interpretation of the story. Audiences will be guided along in small groups of 12 by live and virtual actors, as they walk, crawl and slide through different scenes: from drinking tea in a Victoria household while Martians roam outside to witnessing an enormous Martian Fighting Machine rise above them in virtual reality. The experience stimulates all the senses – you’ll smell the grass and feel the chill of the story’s famous Horsell Common, and feel the ground shake as the first cylinder lands. The total run lasts for 110 minutes, including a 20-minute intermission in the Red Weed Bar. Finish by enjoying a bite to eat and a drink at the steampunk themed bar.
56 Leadenhall Street, London, EC3A 2BJ; thewaroftheworldsimmersive.com
Sherlock: The Game Is Now
Upon arrival at West 12 Shepherds Bush Shopping Centre, it won’t be obvious anything suspicious is going on – until you’re whisked away into a sketchy looking ‘opticians’ in the corner for an ‘eye test.’ Once inside, you’ll find yourself not at an optician, but in a screening room, where you’ll be debriefed by Mycroft. What will follow is a fast-paced, hour-long immersive escape room experience, where you must solve a series of puzzles and riddles, collecting clues to earn your release from each room.
Shepherd’s Bush Green, London W12 8PP; thegameisnow.com
MAMMA MIA! The Party
First came the musical, then came the films, now we have the party! Dancing Queens, prepare for the night of your life at Mamma Mia’s new immersive restaurant experience, coming to London in August this year following a sell-out stint in Stockholm. London’s O2 will open its doors to an exotic Greek taverna, where guests will be transported to a Greek island paradise where they can eat delicious Mediterranean food, drink, dance and sing to all of ABBA’s greatest hits.
O2 Peninsula Square, London SE10 0DX; mammamiatheparty.com
Photo by Grant Walker
Witness For The Prosecution
Situated in the spectacular Chamber Room in the old London County Hall on the Southbank, Agatha Christie’s Witness for the Prosecution is London’s longest-running site-specific theatre production. A story of justice, passion and betrayal, viewers are immersed in court room surroundings as the gripping plot unfolds. Leonard Vole is accused of murdering a widow to inherit her wealth. Will Leonard survive the shocking witness testimony? Will he be able to convince the jury – and you – of his innocence, and escape the hangman’s noose?
Until 24 April 2024 behind the London County Hall, Belvedere Road, London Eye Street SE1 7PB; witnesscountyhall.com
Photo by Johan Persson
Featured image: British Pullman
